, 1912-08-01
@s :
SKY
PIRATE
bY GARRETT p
~ SERVISS.
CO(yRNtf ~ foANN A rruNSGV cOrpeNrA)
PROLOGUE.
coespeS, " rsaSS a ,v~ser cooeArsl


but the march of progress has
driven him into we'll deserved re-
firemenf. and he has nov been
replaced. in fiction at least, BY
the sky pirate. who is even more
mysterious. more daring and more
romantic than his predecessor.
Read and there will unfold before
you the extraordinary story of
Captain Alfonso Pdyfon and his
airship. the Chameleon; of Will
liam Grayman. the richest man in
the world; of his beautiful daugh-
ter. for whose $40, OOO,-
600 vas demanded; of Lieufen-
ant Allen of the service,
Of wonders by wireless and of
fierce battles above the clouds.
was seriously shot through the breast.
They also brought Payton's pack Of
provisions which mad beer left on the
ground rms delighted me exceeding
ly. for II vastly increased the chances
of his capture
had including myself and Peters.
ten available men. ! decided to leave
Peters and four men ut the rocks. with
plenty of provisions. and one of the
electric guns. placing Helen in their
charge until the arrival OF the party
from the Osprey or until my return. !
directed Peters TO keep a flag flying.
for | felt confident that our friends
would soou come. and probably with
the aero. since my engineer had as
sured Peters that be could repair the
steering gear.
For the search. my idea was to rise
to a good height with the Grow and
start of ostentat!ousiy southwark. in
order that Payton. II he were watch
ing. as he doubtless would be. might
conclude that we were satisfied with
the recovery OF Miss Grayman and
WEIR making for home When. to use
an old nautical phrase. we should be
hull down from the rocks | meant
TO put about going round by the east
to northeast and keeping full fifty
miles beyond the point where Payton
had escaped
Then | would drop down nea the
ground and search II right and left
over a breadth of at least fifteen miles.
creeping gradually inward toward the
critical point Since he was compel.
led TO travel on foot | did not believe
hat Payton had beer able to go any
thing like fifty miles over the brush
tangled and more or less swampy
ground But wanted to be sure.
50 Oh I started. after a tender part.
ing from Helen. whom | encouraged
with the hope of soon seeing her ia
ther and to whom | had related all
the particulars of the ann in which
we had found Paytop's lodge and OF
our adventures up to the time OF the
battle in the clouds. She in turn gave
me a vivid description of her expert
ences on the Chameleon. where she
and Susan had been kept locked in
the cabin most of the time. Once or
twice only they a witnessed the
chase.
But l did not know who my res
cuer was to be-" she said. smiling
archly
When we had attained a point be-
tween fifty n sixty miles northeast
OF the rocks we began the search in
earnest. We had long been running
low. but now | dropped within twenty
yards OF the ground and began to de.
scribe a series OF endless interviewing
spirals about fifteen miles In length.
Ike so many hat. intertwined figure
Fights lying on their sides. one over
another.
This enabled US to inspect the ground
% infinitely that a w~oodchuck could
hardly have escaped being e Even
where II was covered with brush we
could usually see fairly well. and
when we came upon thickets or clumps
OF stunted trees | ordered Ethan to
drop shells into them. an employment
that Afforded him great satisfaction.
This beats coon huntin' in Con.
necdcut all hoiler." he said. when 1
was a %youngster we ulster shoot up
inter the trees whar the varmints was
hid but If we c'u'd a got at EN- this
way there wouldn't "a beer a ringtaiI
left In the hull state"
But as the time wore on and we got
nearer where l expected Payton to be
1 s'opped the firing lest the explosion
OF the shells should give the alarm. /
now determined to resor to the device
winch had twice already proved SO ef-
iecuVe-that OF looking out for a light
aiter night came on The nights were
coid' and II payton believed that we
nad gone OF southwark he would build
nres' Doth for warmth and for cook.
ing.
~ was after midnight before our
vigilance was rewarded Ethan touch.
60 me on the arm as we stood together
beside the gun In the bow and Wits
pered' "Fhar's the glim. lootenant"
sure enough. not 200 rods away, a
faint CLEAN showed on the trunk of