Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-07-25

f'fNa 49,
sulting with his range finder, chang
ing the elevation of his gun and draw
Ing imaginary beads.
"I'l bet q Connecticut cigar" he
said as I passed him on my rounds,
'thet when l git anuther chanst I'll
put a shot into him thet'll stop i'm"
"I'l give you word when to begin
firing" I said. Don't hull him, for
you might injure or kill the prisoners,
but aim for the aeroplanes."
81 know how to wing a duck, loo
tenant" he returned. "Ef the range
hadn't been 50 pesky long this morn
in one O. his fippers 'u'd never "a
topped agin."
II believe you did hurt him, Ethan"
I said. II can't otherwise account for
his lack of speed. Last night be gained
on us; now we are gaining on him.
Our speed Is a trife better than 1t was,
but not enough to explain the differ
ence."
Ethan's eyes lighted as he exclaimed:
81 knowed 1t, l%ootenant! I knowed
thet shot wasn't altogether fur nuth-
In"
Payton now gradually increased his
elevation until he almost reached the
level of the lower clouds, and at the
same time the Chameleon again under
went changes of color, turning first
sky blue and afterward white, when
it became difficult at times to find her
against the dazzling cloud surfaces and
pale sky.
I wondered what the follow would
do now that we were Enthusiastically
drawing. up on him. But when we had
got just within range and Ethan was
drawing a bead in earnest Payton lost
not a second in deciding what to do.
He swung the Chameleon broadslde to,
and an ugly blue fash showed at each
end Of her simultaneously. We anx-
iously awaited the arrival of the pro-
jectiles, and at the same time Ethan
fired.
Unlike q ship, an aero when she Is
broadside to presents a more difficult
mark, because then her a~eroplanes are
seer more or less edgewise.
Both of the Chameleon's shots passed
under us, but Ethan's was better pitch
cd. md nrr gla 5000 showed TINT tho
solid projectile had hit n of her Zip
| pers," as he called them. He followed
with another, which was effective near
the same spot. A moment later both
Of the Chameleon's guns spit blue
AAre again; but, as before, they were
| aimed too low, and the shot went Whis-
ting a good $50 feet below US.
why don't you swing round n
give him both your guns, tooT' asked
the secretary.
Because" 1 replied, 81 want to u
him down. Now, Ethan, keep 1t up"
Ethan's third shot hit the same aero
plane that had already been touched.
If 1t had been a shell 1t might have
demolished it, but the Chameleon's
conduct showed that the damage was
not vet serious enough to stop her or
even hinder her action.
However, she fired no more, but in
stead turned tail. Evidently Payton,
finding that he was receiving more
| damage than he could infiict, meant to
trust again to his heels.
THAT won't save him!' I exclaimed
exultantly. We've got him now.
He's worse damaged than he was, and
If he couldn't outfoot us then he's got
no chance now"
While l was speaking 1 noticed that
| the Chameleon had turned almost di-
rectly skyward. Beyond and above
I during the fight a huge white cloud
had come sailing up. Payton made d.
rectly for this cloud, and hardly two
minutes had escaped when Ethan call
| ed out:
"Gone into the cloud, by thunder,
and disappeared!'
1t was exactly true. The Chameleon
was instantly swallowed from our
sight. We could see where h had
entered the cloud by the commoton OF
the vapors.
Cup and after him. 1 shouted to the
steersman.
With all speed we darted at the
| cloud and entered it. l calculated that
he would run straight through 1t and
then make a turn on the other side,
but 1 thought that we could get there
in time to catch him at his antics. So
we shot straight through the cloud.
But Payton knew or OWNED what l
didn't. Beyond this cloud lay two 9TH
ers, separated by a considerable inter
val, but on the same level. AS we
emerged on the other side of the first
we came in sight Of the others, n to
| the right, the other to the left. The
| Chameleon was nowhere to be e
| She had evidently crossed the narrow
open space and disappeared again into
one of the clouds.
But which one7 A sudden inspira-
ton came to me.
'"Send q FIVE second timed shell into
each of those clouds while we hold
our course" l said to Ethan.
These shells were 30 contrived that
their fuses were started by the dis
charge of the gun. 1t was like shoot
ing into d thicket at a suspected deer,
and l regretted the order the moment
1t had left my lips, but 1t was too late
for a countermand. Ethan's first mark
was the right hand cloud. / had nev.
er seer a proJectile fred into a cloud,
and the effect surprised US ell.
As the projectile Owed into the round,
marble looking mass OF vapor a minute
hole seemed to open, and round this
IL 49, ax~ A az