Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-11-10

zine Of his rite. Tais applied TO The
! CHEZ zero as we'll.
~ Il calm. 20 = 1s4i didn't believe
that CAPTAIN Alfonso would stand up
to :, }.Ey ica@ ~ cA.rt fear "@s as
u ~ -l.a.1r away. rs have u
ready iAt.al4,r,i, bad great confluence
; IL the Easie and knew her powers 10
! a nicely, but was willing TO allow
! that The Cha releon might be able TO
draw Gway from her IL race. Con
seque1tiy ! didn't mean that there
should lie Say race.
! As 10 ny course. I had set 1t with
extreme care. 'und was sure that II
would take me very close TO the inter
section Of nay lines. But would 1t lind
Paytons h.di-s place? In my soul
believed it would.
! glanced frequently at the formi'
cable line OF aeros trailing after US.
rising and falling with the atmospheric
pillows. while their polished guns CLINT
e.. In the sunlight. and as watched
my heart alternately swelled with
pride and sank under the weight OF
anxiety.
We d.ned about half after Z. and
short 3 afterward signaled the squad
ron to assemble and gave each COM
manGer as he dropped alongside the
Eagle the program of operations which
we had worked out in my cabin. This
is virtually what l repeated to all of
them:
We are going to make q descent
upon the lurking place OF Alfonso Pay
ton. He has lodge here in the woods
and holds as his prisoners q 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. Il Secretary
Grnntham. I believe that he has nj.
ready informed you that all Of our
,, movements in this case are to be kept
as a 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. a. he calls 1t. which Is probably
q building Of considerable magnitude
and which may be strongly manned
and fortified. We shall surround It
and endeavor to capture him and his
prisoners. We believe that he has
only one aero. q very fast hier. the
Chameleon, Of which you have all
heard.
I'VE must prevent him. at all costs.
from getting away in her. II be tries
escape we must disable bis aero. But
great care must be exercised not to
injure his prisoners in case he should
succeed In getting them aboard. That
ID a thing that we must prevent II 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 IL 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
WIN now drop q quarter Of a mile be.
hind. keeping In line abreast at inter.
walls Of an eighth Of q mile. I win
signal you when to stop by q stern
light I will give you signals Tor your
subsequent movements"
then issued to each commander I
signal code which I had prepared for
maneuvering the squadron both IN sur
rounding the lodge and IN the case Of
nm attempt to escape and light But
the majority Of the signals were a.
ready well known In the service.
-After sundown ana when the woods
beneath % began to grow DARK and
their details indistinguisbable I dow.
Cd down to twenty miles. which after
q time I reduced to ten and then 70
I'VE. We had mun1ed the machinery
as much a. possible. We were all on
deck with night glasses. peering down
intently at the somber tufted surface
Of foliage. from which the cries Of
wild animals now occasionally ross TO
! ~.
When I felt that We must b. close
to the critical point halted the other
niers and went on very cautiously
with the Eagle. circling In narrow
sweeps and not moving faster than
two miles an hour. In q little while
caught q gleam Of light q short d..
lance ahead dropped the aero until
she almost touched the branches and
crept nearer.
We had come IN sight Of the little
lake In ffrnt Of Payton's lodge. and
~ We drew nearer We saw on the op-
posite shore the lodge itself, With
lights streaming from the lower win
0Ows.
| 1T must b the place." I said 1T
can BE- nothing else"
| Immediately We backed or until Ne
were out Of sight Of the lodge. and
then I signaled the feet to advance !
sent them about IN such . manner a
to surround the lodge on every side,
When the maneuver was completed
the I'VE aeros lloated within q hundred
4 rods OF the building. their noses al
inward and their bow guns bearing
upon the lair Of Captain Alfonso Pay
ton.