Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1911-09-14

SeQuenrly ulunl mean that tueIS
should be any race.
AS to my course. had set it with
extreme care. and | was sure that 1T
would take me very close to the inter
section of my lines. But would it find
Payton's hiding place? In my soul
believed it would.
l glanced frequently at the formi-
dable line Of aeros trailing after us,
rising and falling with the atmospheric
pillows, while their polished guns CLINT
ed in the sunlight. and as ! watched
my heart alternately swelled with
pride and sank under the weight of
anxiety.
We dined about half after Z, and
shortly afterward signaled the squad
ron to assemble and gave each com
mander as he dropped alongside the
Eagle the program of operations which
we had worked out in my cabin. This
is virtually what repeated to all of
them
I'VE are going to make descent
upon the lurking place of Alfonso Pay
tom He has lodge here in the woods
and holds as his prisoners young
lady and her maid. whom he has stol-
en- from New York. The young lady's
father is aboard the Eagle. and with
him, as you are aware. is Secretary
Grantham. believe that he has al
ready informed you that all Of our
movements in this case are to be kept
as department secret. The honor
and reputation of the service are at
stake You will act under my imme-
date orders, but under the eye of the
secretary.
at is our design to reach the pirates
place after nightfall and to locate his
lodge, as he calls it. which is probably
a building of considerable magnitude
and which may be strongly manned
and fortified. We shall surround it
and endeavor to capture him and his
prisoners. We believe that he has
only one aero, very fast fier. the
Chameleon. of which you have all
heard.
eve must prevent him. at all costs.
from getting away in her. Ii he tries
escape we must disable bis aero. But
great care must be exercised not to
injure his prisoners in case be should
succeed in getting them aboard. That
is thing that we must prevent If it
be humanity possible. You will get
your signal lights ready for instant
use, but no light is to be shown in
approaching the place.
"There is an all night twilight in
will be sufficient light in the sky to
enable you to follow the movements
of the Eagle above the treetops. You
will now drop quarter of mile be-
hind. keeping in line abreast at inter-
walls of an eighth of a mile. I will
signal you when to stop by stern
light l will give you signals for your
subsequent movements"
/ then issued to each commander
signal code which had prepared for
maneuvering the squadron both in sur
rounding the lodge and in the case of
an attempt to escape and a fight. But
the majority of the signals were al
ready we'll known in the service.
After shutdown and when the woods
beneath US began to grow dark and
their details indistinguishable l slow
ed down to twenty miles, which after
a time l reduced to ten and then to
five. We had muffled the machinery
as much as possible. We were all on
deck with night glasses. peering down
intently at the somber tufted surface
of foliage, from which the cries of
wild animals now occasionally rose to
US.
When felt that we must be close
to the critical point ! halted the other
fiiers and went on very cautiously
with the Eagle, circling in narrow
sweeps and not moving faster than
two miles an hour. In little while
caught CLEAN of light short dis
lance ahead. l dropped tie aero until
she almost touched the branches and
crept nearer.
We had come in sight Of the little
lake in front of Payton's lodge, and
as VIC III CW ACdkCh VIC sd W I'll tAC W
posite shore the lodge itself, with
lights streaming from the lower win
dows.
at must be the place." 1 said. 'Tt
can be nothing else"
Immediately we backed off until we
were out of sight of the lodge, and
then signaled the feet to advance.
sent them about in such manner as
to surround the lodge on every side.
When the maneuver was completed
the FIVE aeros foated within hundred
rods of the building, their noses all
inward and their bow guns bearing
upon the lair of Captain Alfonso Pay
ton.
CHAPTER XIV.
A NIGHT ATTACK AND AN EXCITING CHASE
~HE Eagle had resumed her pc