Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-07-24

Wen have to look closely now"
While we were talking we had drawn
up within a couple of miles Of the hum
mock, which was a round hill covered
with timber and rising to d height Of
perhaps $50 feet out Of O broad, level
plain, where there were few trees and
vegetation Of all kinds except grass
was scanty. I now slowed up, for /
didn't want to run into an ambush.
Seeing nothing suspicious in the viciq-
ity Of the hill from u side, ] conclud-
ed to circle it, keeping a good offng
and a sharp outlook.
"Confound the fellowf' exclaimed
the secretary. where can he have
gomez He must have b hole in the
ground"
perhaps he Is among the timber on
the hill" 1 said, and upon this thought
I ordered the steersman to rise, at the
same time turning inYard. We had
not risen more than fifty feet when
Ethan Haight shouted:
There he goes,"
"Wheref" cried Mr.. Grantham and
I in a breath, running to Ethan's side
as he stood by hts gun in the bow.
mLow down Almost a. t'othet side
o. the hummock,n replied Ethan, point
ing. Hes as green as a grasshopper,
but I kin sight i'm"
And Ethan began to manipulate bis
gun.
1t was several seconds before I sue
ceeded in catching sight Of the Cha
meleon, which, verify, as Ethan had
said, was as green as a grasshopper
and as hard to spy against the verdure
that covered the plain, for she was
running almost in contact with the
ground. If we had not edged round
the hill toward the west sc quickly he
would probably have got clean away
under the shelter Of the hill.
Payton's ruse was so simple and yet
so perfectly executed that 1t made me
redden with vexation. Why he had
not tried a similar game during the
night l could not imagine, unless he
thought that he could easily distance
US and gave up that idea after he
found that the Osprey was hanging on
after daylight. He had merely drop
ped down on the hither side of the
wooded hill, a lone elevation In the
midst of the plain, changed his color,
crept round the base Of the hill, keep
ing opposite to US, whom he could
doubtless see through the treetops all
the while, and when be found him
self on the southern side and, 80
! thsskf1Tasg+ ff OK. "''
Now he was OF for the south at the
! top Of his speed. Already be was fully
three miles away and gaining dis
lance at every stroke.
, For heavens sake, Ethan" 1 shout
ed, "why don't you fret"
"Tm Ora wing a bead" replied the
gunner. And as he spoke the blue
glare ieaped from the muzsle. There
being no smoke, we could see the flight
Of the little projectns, which was pol.
ished like a billiard bail. He used a
solid shot on account Of the extreme
range. 1t ross in q fat curve, chased
the ~retreating aero, overlook 1t in a
few seconds, and we believed we could
--- S-- -~,t~+A-. au
"Hurrahf' 1 cried. Give him an
other"
Ethan Immediately fred again, but
the Chameleon showed no sign Of be
ing seriously hurt. In a moment she
dehantly waved a black flag and kept
on her course.
In the meantime the Skylark, COM
Ing up several points eastward of the
runaway, altered her course to head
Payton off. Then I detected the flash
Of her guns In quick succession. The
two were now not more than q mile
and a half apart, and the shots ought
to tell.
This time Payton, who had not re-
turned OUT shots, was more pugna-
cious. He instantly answered the Sky
lark's fire, and then they went at 1t
hammer and tongs, using shells, and
the Chameleon all the while edging
| westward.
1t was an exciting spectacle, and we
watched 1t in breathless expectation.
1 feryently prayed that the Skylark's
shells might reach a vital point; but,
eagerly as l watched, 1 could not see
that they did any damage. We could
see them explode on the ground away
beyond the Chameleon. Ethan was
beside himself.
The blasted lubbers!" he cried.
'TThey ought TO hit a crow at that
ranger
Still the firing went on, as we could
tell by the faint blue flashes and the
rocketlike explosion; but, to my dis
may, l saw that 1t was only the
Chameleon's shells that reached their
object. She kept low, and the Skylark
gradually descended. Suddenly the
latter almost turned turtle, then right
ed herself and began TO swing around
with dropping wings and finally in
slow. eddying circles dropped to the
earth.
1t was all over with her. as far as the
fight was concerned. and everything
now again depended upon US unless
the Crow and the Bobolink should
come up.
They've lost US IN the nightr' / ex-
claimed bitterly.
But 1 was not going to give up. We
had run directly oYer the hIl, and I
had called on my engineer to Guido