, 1912-05-30

Sohu MI 0TdyIndQ. You
are going too fast now IL you kill
Payton. how are we going to find nv
d%aughter?"
by capturing the Chameleon and
compelling bis men to reveal his hid.
ing places"
Blu perhaps they won't talk"
we have means Of making men
teik." said the commissioner grimly.
perhaps you have, but | don't like
mat part of the plan. 1t 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 s~harpshooters
for an emergency. But why not take
more aeros? How many has the DO
lice department.
Eight. But II would be impossible
to conceal more than four of them. I
can dispose -four in such a way as 70
cut on retreat in every direction. The
aeros. with power up. will be hidden
just In the tops of the trees"
you know we must not fall" Gray
man said.
I'VE shall not fail.' was the conf
dent reply.
Still. Mr.. Grayman was half disposed
to reject the scheme and try some
thing else. But he could think of moth
ing else. and then his daughters abb
sence n her imminent danger smote
his heart.
"Done!' he said decisively. I'm try
it."
"Then," remarked the commissioner,
much gratifed. I'll send of 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
alp"
"T~hirty-six will go in the aeros, of
whom tweEty-eight will be armed to
the teeth. The twelve marksmen will
be sent on by train in various DISCUSSES.
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 n in a fight.
Thus the matter was arranged. When
william Grayman said Yes to any
proposition he wanted to have 1t car
ried into effect instantly.
No ftrna m, Loaf. H. ~o-ouzt.u- a..
hiers 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 n 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.
eve 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 zero
was stationed at each point Of the
compass, their average distance from
the blur 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 blud
and fall straight into the trap. because
the police. getting into motion stimuli
taneously at a 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 commissioners
himself from u point which he had Sc
lected not far from the blum and which
could be seen from each Of the aeros.
One thing which the commissioner had
not thought of arranging-and 1t was a
capital error. as the sequel will show
was to so place the aeros that their
crews would have N another always
in view. As 1t turned out, when they
were once in position they could not
see each other at all.
Dawn comes early in June. and the
commanders of the fiers had hardly
completed their arrangements and set
tied down for a long wait when a
pale streak illumined the heavens In
the east.
Boys. keep quiet now" said the
captain In charge Of the aero which
was stationed on the south ! OF
the Moha wk. farthest west. Day
light is beginning. and there must be
no noise"
1t was Captain Patrick Phelan. one
of the bravest officers on b New
York force,
Captain Phelan's men had obeyed
his Injunction and were keeping quiet