Gloucester County Democrat., 1911-11-09

ing and listening. But there was nc
movement and no sound.
The brush, intermingIed with a few
stunted trees, extended as have said
In belt which was not more than
ten rods broad. but apparently inter
minable toward the southwest made
up my mind that 1t followed the course
of sluggish stream or chain OF
Bwamps. On either side of 1t lay
stretch of bare country. and the moon
now rising, began to illumine this
sufficiently to have enab.ea ny to se-
any object as large as a man moving
across 1t.
/ determined to "beat" this belt thor.
oughly. keeping so close to the top of
the bushes that the fugitives would
not dare attempt to dodge ba<k be-
meath us.
It was slow, tedious. nerve re cking
work as we swept from side tc side.
but doggedly kept at it. con fidenf
that the quarry would be driy en- on
ahead.
/ now longed for daylight. and at
last it came. In short time the sky
became bright, and we could see the
ground through the brush. Gla ncing
ahead. was delighted to perceive that
within a short distance the be t ran
out, ending in an open country.
Suddenly shot rang from the bush
es little in advance. and the riff eman
at my side fell dead without a Troan-
Another shot followed. and | felt a
sting in my right shoulder. third
flattened on the muzzle of Ethan gun
They were at bay and in ambush
"Fire. Ethan-frey' | shouted.
His gun belched its blue iamta and
the shell exploded in a ciump of bush
es directly ahead and SO close to Us
that some of the fragments few back
and struck the aero. He had fired at
the point from which he guessed that
the shots had come. and evidently his
Judgment had been good. for we saw
the bushes moving violently as IL some
one were running through them. In a
minute we sailed directly over thee spot
where the shell had struck. and. look
ing down. | saw the Indian ex iring
on the ground. But Payton had again
escaped.
Speed aheadp' l called.
But now came a provoking accident
We had been sailing SO close to the
bushes that some Of them had become
entangled with our aeroplane. and the
shock threw us all from our feet. We
were detained perhaps fifteen minutes.
Then we rose about twenty yards and
forged ahead now saw the tes.mi-
nation of the belt of brush. and. look
ing beyond 1t. beheld the fugitive, who
had got upon high rock and vas
awaiting US. rife in hand.
Payton was making his last stand
made not the slightest attempt at con-
cealment. but coolly brought his wea-
pom to his shoulder as we approached.
His hat had fallen of. and his dark
hair was waving in the morning
breeze.
His situation was not so desperate as
it may seem. could not call OF
either my steersman or my engineer
from his work. and myself could not
on account of my wound handle my
rife But Ethan was there with his
gun. and that. after all. gave us an
immense advantage. to say nothing of
the mobility of the aero. But If he
should shoot down the steersman we
should be in a fix.
ETHAN. it depends upon you." said.
The gunner took quick sight and
fred. The shell hit the rock and ex-
ploded with fearful report. When
the smoke cleared away Payton was
gone. We cautiously approached the
rock. but could see nothing of his
body. Then we got down and search
ed. but in vain. could not believe
that he had got away, although this