Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-18

ana stepped into the moonlit c;ot.
hrst act was to pick I'D a sto-t Ei
from the ground. and his 60, sucs
TO try to locate the thunder 49, va
then. seeing it flying as thouss !. :. az
straight out of the moon itxs,s 1as
turned about and went to n,eat !. D1es
1t was still many miles away
had TO leave the village far bebsss =
to climb up and down many bss- 20
fore he came within close view y,
1t was flying low-perhaps . -.
feet above the ground-and ~.
it came, although It grew Iar,.. 's''
more awe inspiring. the more an. -
was Dick Forsyth Of the United CO.
and Shanghai, China. s
Dick Jumped up and down
shouted. He tore of his so,Isd - -
linen coat and waved IL fran,,..,.s
He swore Justify in four languages !.
it appeared not to heed bis calls
For an instant he was baf1ad
Then he put his hands to his In. =,
forced all his waning strength int =.
believing roar of his college veil
There was a queer, siren.,It.
Spouse from the thunder bird. n.
thunder dulled to a purripe n,.s
growing slower and slower unttI i.
thunder bird descended in lessanIr,
circles and tapped on the ground
The thunder bird was prot....
creature. 1t had wing spread !.
forty feet Its wings were Of cams,
its bones and tendons of steel a.
aluminium, and its feet were four nh
Der tired landing wheels. Yes. n W.,
an aeroplane.
Moreover. 1t was an aeroplape q.
miliar enough to Dick Forsyth. for
belonged to Benny Dorr. who hss
been one of the first foreigners |,
Shanghai to startle the natives witt
the sight of flying machine.
1t was Benny DORIS flying machir.
and there was no doubt in Dick.
mind that it was Benny Who was ds.
entangling himself from the driver.
seat and coming toward him with o..
tended hands.
This explained Benny's escape. "a
had gone away so as to be able to re
turn and save his friend. But bow
about Blakely and Remingtonf
well. old chap, might have missed
you IL it hadn't been for that zip. zip.
zip of yours" cried Benny tearfuly IS
they wrung each others hands. I've
been scouting around this God forsak.
en- hole for two days now. hoping for
glimpse of you. Blakely has been bid.
den in a ruined temple back Of The |
town here to keep an eye on you. &c
was to rush in and clean up the town
If they harmed you. Remington went
back to Shanghai with me so that In
case one of US dropped out the other
could go through and give the word
about these naughty Chinks, We got
there all right, and I came back IN /
this affair, thinking I might discover
some way of aiding you to escape by |
its means. Remington is up there in I
the temple with Blakely, and tbeJ
have a dozen husky. trusty men be- +
hind them in case you needed help in
getting away. How is it you're wan
dering around here instead Of being [
locked up?"
In few words Dick told him about I
the thunder bird and the evil name il
had gained among the terrified Chi
nese. Then he went in to confess how !
he had resented the apparent
desertion of his friends.
ST don't deserve this, Benny
groaned Dick as he gripped DORIS
hand.
Don't deserve 1t, eh: 2" laughed DOR
Don't you suppose we remember nov II
you stayed awake two nights without
a wink of sleep when We were taxing
that cruise in the south PaGnei
and L were about all in, ana
you-oh. if you object to hearing YOU
good deeds recited, why, don't wonoef
why we did it,
"Just follow the thunder bird. Gooa
name, eh? 1 guess I'll call it that here
after. Just follow the thunder plu
md it will lead you 10 BlaKe9s
emple. Here's a gun for you IN case
my of the natives get over their scsls
md attempt to interfere. so ious'
Dick"
In another moment the propeller
be thunder bird was buzzing mefnp
nd the big machine was rocking o'H
he uneven ground preparatory
light. Then it arose obliquely anu
lew toward the southeast.
Dick followed so closely in It's wac,
hat it seemed as though be VANISH"
With the aeroplane into the nignl an
The thunder bird lowered monen
yer the ruined temple before i
cended to join Dick and MS iaiIn'~
riends III
On a distant hillside above tine tiias.
{ Pao Lao a little group OF Cniness
wv a sight that filed them with sup
titious awe. III
They saw the prisoner. the io'e.s
evil, walking along. They saw ~
lunder bird lowering overhead IL
IVY fl plunge down and pick up
,reign devil and fly away Win IN
} the moon.
Then. because the evil bird nad ~
arently taken what it came 80
lev lost their fear and went oacA
,eir homes relieved OF their teH"
OF course the thunder bfd De"
me back to Pao Lao.
MI 10 - American