The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-12-22
CONTINUED
CHAPTER XIV.

situation developed. and they
came out on deck. Mr.. Grantham
Immediately fell in with my opinion.
1.-The rascal has another port there. y
he said. II wish the other aeros would
come up"
1.-The Skylark," replied, twill soon
be here, but we cannot wait for her.
Payton has either run out of power or
he means to make a stand. We are SO
close upon him that he will have to
make stand anyhow or else try to
escape under our guns. and il know
Ethan Haight's style Of shooting the
fellow won't run far"
But remember, sir. my daughter is
aboard" broke in Grayman. Her life
must not be endangered"
''Surely not" replied. "Yet you
see yourself that some risk must be
taken. What shall try to do is to
disable the Chameleon. A shell into
her motors or the breaking of one OF
her aeroplanes would do it"
"But then she might be precipitated
to the ground"
But she is not likely to be. She would
flutter down. if she fell a. all, like
wounded bird. Remember how the
Eagle behaved last night. and she was
badly hit. Then, Of course, PaytOn has
parachutes, and he would save his
prisoners in that way"
Pm not so sure of that" said the
secretary HE would probably think
only of saving his own neck. But real
ly, Grayman. the danger of tumble
is slight. In the battle above the Eng
lish channel between the French and
British aero squadrons during the last
war thirty fliers were completely dis
abled, shot to pieces. as far as any
further utility as fighting machines
was concerned. but not one of them
fell into the water. All succeeded in
skimming to land on one side or the
other"
IF we can" said 1. 'we'n stop him
before he can get afly."
"You think he is on this side of the
hummockY' asked the secretary.
ETHAN thinks so, but is not sure.
Well have to look closely now"
While we were talking we had drawn
up within a 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. / now slowed up. for j
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 otIing
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," l said, and upon this thought
I 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 goesp'
"Wherew cried Mr.. Grantham and
In breath. running to Ethan's side
rs he stood by his gun in the bow.
slow down Almost a. t'other side
O. the hummock." replied Ethan, point
ing. Hes as green as grasshopper.
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 grasshopper
and as hard to spy against the verdure
that covered the plain, for she was
running almost in contact with the
ground. II 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
Pnyton's ruse was so simple and yet
80 perfectly executed that it made me
redden with vexation. Why he had
not tried q similar game during the
night I 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
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
tance at every stroke.
"For heavens sake, Ethan" shout |
ed, "why don't you flreT
I'm drawing a bead" replied the
sumner. And as he spoke the blue
glare leaped from the muzzle There
being NO smoke, we could see the flight