Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1911-09-28

before he can get af1y."
.sYou think he is on this side Of the
hummock?" asked the secretary.
ETHAN thinks so, but is not sure.
Wen have to look closely now"
While we were talking we had drawn
up within couple Of miles of the hum
mock, which was round hill covered
with timber and rising to height of
perhaps $50 feet out Of broad. level
plain. where there were few trees and
vegetation of all kinds except grass
was scanty. l now slowed up. for l
didn't want to run into an ambush.
Seeing nothing suspicious in the vicin-
ity Of the hill from our side. conclud-
ed to circle it, keeping good ofiing
and sharp outlook.
"Confound the fellow!" exclaimed
the secretary. Where can he have
gone? He must have a hole in the
ground"
Perhaps he is among the timber on
the HILL" said, and upon this thought
ordered the steersman to rise. at the
same time turning inward. We had
not risen more than fifty feet when
Ethan Haight shouted:
.'There he goesv'
"Wherey' cried Mr.. Grantbam and
/ in breath. running to Ethan's side
as he stood by his gun in the bow.
Low down Almost a t'other side
o. the hummock.' replied Ethan. point
uose g IN
but kin sight i'm"
And Ethan began to manipulate his
gun
1t was several seconds before 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 so 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 it made me
redden with vexation. Why he had
not tried similar game during the
night 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. 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 he found him.
self on the southern side and we on
the northern had stolen away like q
sinking fox.
Now he was of for the south at the
top Of his speed. Already he was fully
three miles away and gaining dis
lance at every stroke.
Fer heavens sake. Ethan" shout
ed. ''why don't you fire?'
I'm drawing a bead" replied the
gunner. And as be spoke the blue
glare leaped from the muzzle There
heing no smoke. we could see the fight
Ct the little projectile, which was pol
iehed like billiard bali. He used a
solid shot on account of the extreme
range 1t rose in fat curve, chased
the retreating aero, overlook it in a
few seconds, and we believed we could
zee few splinters fly.
"Hurrahy' 1 cried. Give him an
other
Ethan Immediately fred again, but
the Chameleon showed no sign of be-
ing seriously hurt In moment she
defiantly waved 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
Tsayton of. Then detected the flash
Of her guns In quick succession. The
two were now not more than a mile
and half apart, and the shots ought
to tell.
This time Payton, who had not re.
turned our shots, was more pugna-
cious. He instantly answered the Sky
lark's fire. and then they went at it
hammer and tongs, using shells. and
the Chameleon all the while edging
westward.
1t was an exciting spectacle, and we
watched it In breathless expectation.
/ feryently prayed that the Skylark's
shells might reach vital point; but,
eagerly as | watched, could not see
that they did any damage. We could
see them explode on the ground away
beyond the Chameleon. Ethan was
beside himself.
'sThe blasted lubbersp' he cried.
'They ought to hit 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, saw that It was only the
Chameleon's shells chat reached their
49,