The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-12-08

| THEIR BOW GUNS BEARING UPON THE LAIR
| OF CAPTAIN ALFONSO PAXTON.
were also in complete readiness. and
every man carried twenty cartridges
In his belt besides the ten In the maya
zine of his rifle. This applied to the
other aeros as well.
If 1t came to a fight didn't believe
that Captain Alfonso would stand up
to it very long. My chief fear was as
TO his running away. AS ! have al.
ready intimated, had great confidence
in the Eagle and knew her powers TO
a nicely, but l was willing to allow
that the Chameleon might be able to
draw away from her in a race. Con.
sequently l didn't mean that there
should be any race.
As to my course. had set 1t with
extreme care. and l was sure that it
would take me very close to the inter
section Of my lines. But would II find
Payton's hiding place? In my soul
| believed it would.
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.
nd ha oln ha
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 Il descent
upon the lurking place Of Alfonso Pay
ton. He has lodge here in the woods
and holds as his prisoners a 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 nj
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
building of considerable magnitude
and which may be strongly manned
and fortified. We shall surround ii
and endeavor to capture him and his
prisoners. We believe that he has
only oneTaero. very fast fier, the
Chameleon. of which you have all
heard.
"We must prevent him. at all costs.
from getting away In her. II he tries
escape we must disable his aero. But
great care must be exercised not to
injure his prisoners in case he 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
this latitude at this season. and there
will be sufficient light In the sky to
enable you to follow the movements
Of the Eagle above the treetops. You
will now drop a quarter of mile be-
hind. keeping In line abreast at inter-
walls of an eighth of a mile. l will
signal you when to stop by stern
light. will give you signals for your
subsequent movements"
then issued to each commander a
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 well known In the service.
After shutdown and when the woods
beneath us began to grow dark and
their details indstinguishable | slow.
ed down to twenty miles. which after
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 tt fled 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
fiers and went on very cautiously
with the Eagle, circling in narrow
sweeps and not moving faster than
two miles an hour. In a little while |
caught a CLEAN of light a short dis
lance ahead. l dropped the aero until
she almost touched the branches and
crept nearer.