The weekly times-record., 1913-04-03


too often to falter now. Steady ~
an iron man. cool ~ ice despite his
rage, he Unanswered his machine with
4 skill and dash and disregard of con.
sequences that proclaimed him the
most spectacular of his spectacular
profession, every move executed with
the accuracy of genius, every poise
the acme Of skill. Three times his
revolver had leaped from its holster
As his foe offered possible mark,
but each time tho winged one, divin.
Ing his intent. dropped like stone
and Putnam had released the unnred
weapon to devote himself once more
TO the machine. He had begun at last
to realise that the chase was hopeless.
but his obstinacy was still unshaken.
VT has got to be you or I. my artful
dodger," he gritted between his set
teeth az he oHcs more swung about
In pursuit after 4 futile whirlwind
dash. 1T is you or I. and by Heav.
ems one of us has got to take tumble
this day" In tho grimness Of his de-
termination to get \ fair shot he
would have tried to hy to midocean
had the other led him that way. II
But now the tactics Of the Flying
Man suddenly changed. Appearing to
have satisfied his mind that he could
toy with the other and harass him as
a matador does bull. he led him once
more into \ blind rush, darted light.
ning-like aside, and holding his wings
outstretched to their fullest extent
and rigid as bars he came swooping
down upon the heads of the packed
multitude with almost the speed of
a direct fall. Down, down in a long.
sharp incline as q wildfowl seeks the
surface Of lake, he came, head fore
most, his body nearly perpendicular.
his arms outstretched and his hands
clasped as swimmer dives from
great height, the whistle of his wings
shrilling ever sharper and sharper in
their ears. And before that majestic
dive those upon the ground surged
backward with the hoarse roar of a
panic, jamming each other against
the surrounding walls, striking at ran
dom, trampling each other unmerci-
fully. But when only a dozen feet
above their heads the descending one
nattened his pinions and with cry
of such savagery that it set the hear
ers' teeth on edge, went skimmiEg
like a meteor above them to the rush
of wind and vanished in the twinkling
Of an eye over the buildings. Putnam,
dazzled by the unexpectedness and
swiftness OF the others plunge, circled
about rapidly as he sought to again
sight his vanished foe.
For perhaps a minute, a long min
ute. when men gazed silently into
each others eyes in the stupefaction
Of those who have just witnessed
miracle, the flying one remained be-
yond their ken while Putnam, the
whistle of his fan family audible in
the great hush, patrolled the sky i'm
patiently with his keen eyes. Then
far above them In another quarter and
at least five hundred feet higher than
the aviator. the winged one again ap-
peared and those below caught their
breath with a long, signing gasp in
the instructive realization that the
comedy was finished and the grim
tragedy about to be performed. So
suddeEly kcd Ia zee cceared 2cd 80
considerable was his height that Put.
nam did not locate him until great
shout of warning arose to his ears.
He looked down, saw the direction OF
their pointed fingers and shot an up
ward glance in response. The Flying
Man was hanging directly over him
like the shadow of death, and with
quick twist of his wheel he circled
aside and began to ascend as one
mounts a spiral staircase. Up and up.
the propeller screaming, the guy wires
humming, the light body Of the ma
chine vibrating beneath the power of
the motor, up he went straight into
the zenith, while holding his distance
almost to foot the lowering one
pumped himself skyward In steady;
leaps. A mile-two miles-would they
never stop? Three miles! From the
ground the machine looked toy, the
Flying Man with his thirty feet spread
Of wings, bat lowering over it but
foot above his pursuer. Uncanny
horror ran through the crane necked
watchers at tho very thought Of the
awful altitude to which the demonic
creature from an alien world was lur-
Ing his prey before destroying him,
while fifteen thousand feet up Putnam.
gray Of face but steely of eye and
steady of arm. coaxed his machine
still higher with every csress his deft
hands had learned to minister. Could
he get but one fair shot at this mock
Ing devil all would be we'll yet and
the half million his alone, and even IL
he could ram him and bring everything
and everybody down together in an
unrecognizable mass of wreckage and
humanity he would in his last moment
of life make himself immortal, win the
prize for his widow and rid the earth
of this hateful monster. Quit! He
would follow him to the heart Of the
zenith first.
But he got no chance to shoot. His
antagonist had learned to fear those
fire belching things With which this
man was armed and appeared to un.
derstand perfectly that 20 long as he
retained his present position Of above
n nd alifxhtl.x hohind AhA e&hor ho