The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-08-16
Ccontinued from yesterday.l

4
distance. Now our first. our impera
tive business 81 60 see thar Paytol
doesn't get away before we can de
Scend upon him. They say THAT hi
I aero IS very fast She ought to b
able to make 1870 miles an hour"
"A hundred and forty. be told me-
said 3Ir. Grayman.
that's mighty fast" returned TIT
secretary. Fl doubt II we have a dIel
In our heet that could hold that pace.
Yes said. with some pride; '-thC
Eagle can do II at need"
The EnGle was my own aero. and
had often tried her out for speed.
Good aGnin." said SIR Granthnm
smiling at me very kindly. Nov. the
speedier Payton's aero Is the better
for our present purpose. because tbe
less need be win have Of ma King an
Early start for the rendezvous II be
ran only a hundred miles an hour be
Ur seven hours: bur. OF course. he
wont hurry. He need not start be
fore tomorrow night. and probably he
win NOT. because ne will prefer 70
. come on by night In order to run the
less risk
''Tnats what he did BEFORE" said
Mt. Grayman.
'.All right, then said the secretary.
wen assume that that VIII be his
course. But we nave no time to lose.
We must catch him before he starts.
fortunately, Allan, have ordered
your aero and four other cracks 10 be
ready to leave Washington. fully armed
and provisioncd, on the receipt of a
dispatch from me. III tell them TO
come on at once. Now, Grayman. you
Gun go along or not. as you prefer"
"I'u co. said Mr. Grayman promptly.
Mr.. Grantham, in his dispatch. had
the foresight to order the aero to meet
us at a little town a considerable dis
tance east of Bunalo. where MI. Gray
man and himself would run less risk
Of recognition, Accordingly. after a
good meal we went by train to the
designated place, arriving a little be-
fore 1 O'Clock. AS we descended from
the train / was delighted to recognize
the Eagle lowering over the little town.
The four other aeros were running
about near. and a crowd had already
gathered about the station and in the
street, watching them
Wed better get aboard as quickly
as possible said Mr. Grantham. Lets
walk a little way up the hill, out of
town. ana IN signal the aerOs to drop
down for MS"
In response to the signal two OF the
aeros. the Grow and the Eagle. swOoped
down to the earth. Ny men were re-
joiced 20 see me, and to set foot once
more on the deck OF my beloved fiIer.
She had her full complement but the
other was a little short, 50 sent two
men aboard the Crow to make room
for the secretary and Mr.. Grayman
without Weighing the Eagle too much.
/ wanted to have her in good running
trim.
Now. Lieutenant Allan" said Mr..
Grantham rs soon as we were aboard
and ady. ''you are in immediate COM
mand OF this aeet. have ordered the
Of the other aeros to rec
ognize you as their. commanding ON
Ger and the Eagle as their flagship.
shall continue to advise you, but you
will take charge OF all technical de-
tails and give the orders. AS the dIers
are all duly armed and provisioned,
there Is nothing to prevent our max
ing a start immediately"
No one could have been more eager
TO start than 1 was. Instantly ran
mp the signal to get under way, the
others being instructed to follow my
lead Besides the Crow, already men
doned. there we're the Osprey, the
Bobolink and the slSylark, all. as was
glad to see, the best hiers in the serv
ce, although I believed that none of
hem could keep pace with the Eagle
n race.
The electric gun had already been In
and each Of the aeros carried
NO of these terrible weapons, OF a
.alIber of two and a half inches, one
It the stern and the other at the bow.
they fred either shells or solid shot,
rs everybody knows, the electric gun
makes no report. but a sharp whish
$ heard as the protectile leaves the
nuzzIe. These projectiies at that
ime had an effective range OF three
niles. but when fired from an eleva.
lon they would often fall to earth at
distance twice as great It was,
berefOre. necessary TO be very careful
] using them over an inhabited conn
y. and we used always to run out
yer the sea for gun practice, employ.
lg unnamed balloons for targets
ne of our aerUs could easily carry a
undred rounds OF ammunition for
lch gun.
There was great competition among
lie gunners In craftsmanship, and 1
ad on the Eagle a Connections Yam
ee. Ethan Knight, who was practi-
lilly dead shot ana a great favoritel
nong the men. We carried no drop
ng bombs, like tho navy aeros, but =
lch had a stand OF automatic rides :
I'D pistols. besides cutlasses. The null