The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-20

presence buC cOulQ not De conCedIeu somewhere near?"
 Impossible! You must be there openly or not at all. But let me assure you that you have nothing to fear. We can protect you.''
 Suppose he should attempt to run away with me also! Do you know what that means?"
 'I know. perfectly we'll, MT. Gray man, the importance of your person. But in this case you would have noth- ing to fear. Payton would never dream of running away with you. What would he gain by that, suppos- ing he could do it with me and my men there ready to interfere? Nothing whatever. It would be the ruin of his negotiation"
 'Well," .Grayman said, perhaps you are right. But, come. tell me your plan and then I'll see.'
 ''As was just telling you," resumed the commissioner, there are woods not far from the bluff in which men and aeros can be concealed. Now, my plan is to take four swift police department fiiers and hide them in those woods. Moreover, I shall have dozen sharp shooters concealed in the treetops. He will drop down over the bluff in his aero and keep it lowering near during his conference with you. Then when you have him engaged in talk my men at a signal will drop him in his tracks"
 Hold on.'' said Mr. Grayman. ''You are going too fast now. If you kill Payton, how are we going to find my dAughter?'
 By capturing the Chameleon and compelling his men to reveal his hid ing places
 "But perhaps they won't talk"
 eve have means of making men talk" said the commissioner grimly.
 Perhaps you have, but don't like that part of the plan. It is too dan gerous for my daughter. She would be killed for vengeance. But the aeros are good. Go on with that part of the scheme, keeping your sharpshooters for an emergency. But why not take more aeros? How many has the po- lice department?
 Flight. But it would be impossible to conceal more than four of them. I can dispose four in such way as to cut off retreat in every direction. The aeros, with power up, will be hidden just in the tops of the trees"
 "You know we must not fail," Gray man said
 'sWe shall not fail,' was the conf dent reply.
 Still, MT. Grayman was half disposed to reject the scheme and try some thing else. But he could think of noth- ing else, and then his daughters ab- sence and her imminent danger smote his heart.
 .Donev' he said decisively. "I'll try it.''
 'Then," remarked the commissioner, much gratified. "Ill send off the aeros tonight in order that nobody shall wit ness their arrival. Their commanders. who are the men that accompanied me to Tribes Hill know exactly what to do They will prepare the ambush and be ready for work in the morning"
 How many men will you have in ali?'
 '"ThiEty-six will go in the aeros, of whom twenty-eight will be armed to the teeth. The twelve marksmen will be sent on by train in various disguises. We ourselves will take the midnight express for Albany, and a local train will bring us to Tribes Hill early in the morning"
 The commissioner had learned that the full complement of the Chameleon. including her commander, was ten men. Accordingly he could count upon having three to one in fight.
 Thus the matter was arranged. When William Grayman- said "Yes" to any proposition he wanted to have it car ried into effect instantly.
 No time was lost in cOncealing the f1iers among the tops of the trees in the neighboring woods on both sides of the Mohawk.
 Once in position they were anchored with guys, which could be severed in an instant, and were disguised with leaves and fresh cut branches to con- ceal them from prying eyes. They were so placed as not to be hampered in getting away at full speed, and their high power drivers could be turned on almost instantaneously. Of the crew of nine men which each aero carried, seven were there for fighting purposes only, and they carried automatic arms of the latest pattern. The other two were engineer and steersman. By ju- dicious selection of positions an aero was stationed at each point of the compass, their average distance from the bluff where the meeting was to take place hardly exceeding a quarter of a mile. The commissioners prin- cipal dependence was on surprise. He calculated that Payton seeing no aero near would boldly descend to the bluff and fall straight into the trap, because the police, getting into motion simul- taneously at signal, would be upon him from all sides before he was aware of their presence.
 } The signal was to be a white hand kerchief waved by the commissioner himself from point which he had se- lected not far from the bluff and which could be seen from each of the aerOs. One thing which the commissioner had not thought of arranging-and it was capital error, as the sequel will show was to so place the aeros that their crews would have one another always