Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-11-03

: Ft4'f ''A Aa-l-fs . 't' - N-N -|N'
nero is very fqst She olCht TO be
able 20 mike 40 m..eS IN hour"
~ hundred and forty. be told me
said Mr.. Gray nan.
"That's mighty fast" returned the
secretary. Il doubt If we have fier
In our feel that coDd hold that pace"
Yes" said. with some pride; The
Eagle can do it al need"
The Eagle was my own aero. and |
had often tried her out for speed.
Good again." said Mr. Grantham.
smiling at me very kindly. Now. the
speedier payton's aero Is the better
FOR our present purpose. because the
,cSs need be will have Of making an
early starr for the rendezvous II be
ran only a hundred miles an hour he
could do the distance to Ctica In six
or seven hours: but. OF course. he
won't hurry He need not start be-
fore tomorrow night. and probably he
will not. because he will prefer to
come on by night In order to run the
less risk"
That's what be do pefore." said
Mr.. Grayman
"Ail right. them" said the secretary.
We'll assume that that will be bis
course. But we have no time to lose.
We must catch him before he starts.
Fortunately. Allan. | have ordered
your nero and four other cracks to be
ready to leave Washington. fully armed
and provisioned. on the receipt Of a
dispatch from me. I'll tell them to
come on at once. Now. Grayman. you
can go along or not, as you prefer"
"I'n CO." said Mr.. Grayman promptly.
Mr.. Grantham, In bis dispatch. had
the foresight to order the aero to meet
us at a little town a considerable dis
lance east Of Buffalo. 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 q little be-
fore ! 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 q crowd had already
gathered about the station and In the
street, watching them
"We'd better get aboard - quickly
q possible" said Mr.. Grantham. LETS
walk q little way up the HILL out Of
town, and IN signal the aeros to drop
down for IN"
In response to the signal two Of the
aeros, the Crow and the Eagle. swooped
down to the earth. Ny men wers 70.
3oiced 10 80 me. and to Get foot once
more on the deck Of my beloved nier
She had her full complement. but the
other was Z little short % sent two
men aboard the Crow to make room
for the secretary and Mr.. Graymar
without weighing the Eagle too much
! wanted to have her In good running
trim.
"Now. Lieutenant Allan" said Mr.
Grantham - soon - We were aboart
and any. you are In immediate com
mand Of this Geet / have ordered tn
commanders Of the other aeros to rec
ognize you - their commanding on
Ger and the Eagle - their flagship.
shall continue 70 advise you, but 70,
win take charge Of Ill technical Dc
tails and give the orders. A the llieu
are Ill duly armed and provisioned
there y nothing 10 prevent our max
ing . start lmmediatelyis
No one could have been more eaRe
to start than ! WA instantly ] raj
up the signal to get under way, tn
others being Instructed to follow N,
lad Besides the Crow. already men
TONED. there wero the Osprey, til
Bobolink ana the ekylar&. an. q "a
glad to zee. the best 0iers IN the seFv
ice, although ! believed that nons 0
them could keep pace with the Eagi
IN Z race.
The electric gun had already been IN
vented. and each Of the aeros carx1et
two Of these terrible weapons, Of !,
calibee Of two and Z half inches, ON
at the stern and the other at the bow
They 0red either shells OF solid shot
A. everybody knows, the electric gul
makes no report, but Z sharp whist
b heard a. the projectile leaves tn
muxxie. These proJectiles at tina
time had IN effective range Of tire
miles. but when nred from IN elevs
don they would often tan b earth q
. distance twice - great Il VA
Therefore. necessary to b very earefu
IN using them over IN inhabited couu
Try. and ~ used always TO run o.
over the ~ for gun practise employ
ing unnamed balloons for targsh
One Of our aegos could easily carry
hundred rounds Of ammunition 70
each gum.
| Thers Was great competition anon
The gunnefs IN martEsmanship and
had On the Eagle Z Connecticut Yau
keA Ethan Haight. who was pTacti
/ eally . dead shot ana . great favorit
among the men We carried no dror
ping bombs. IKE the navy aerce. bu
each had . stand OF automatic ride
ana pistols. beatdss cutIassea. Tshe ful
complement was ten men. includinI
tho commands. the engineer and u
steesuman. On this occasion our @
DIRE aotilla carried thirty eight 0ghtinl
men. my own crew comprising onl,
eight men. including mysslf. aftsr
bad made room Tor my two visitorA
Thefo was . quick response to n,
signal 10 ct under way. and In . fsv
minutes, 70 the great admiration O
the people below, tho whole neet. Will
| IT, aeropAnss flashing In the suu. VA
| speeding northward. the Eagle IN tn
had.
| CHAPTER XII
i lI10 o1AY14AN TRl1D FLIGHT.
ITATHlLE these preparations to-
wv her rescue were under wal
| " the unconscious prisoner L
Labrador had at last awak
ened to realization Of her position.
While rummaging among the book
IN the Library she had come upon TIN
autobiography Of Henry Morton. !,