The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-10-29

sailing like some monster bird
| 1t was Count Sachio at length who
turned, his attention arrested by the
| familiar sound of an air craft motor.
Look. your majesty" said he, turn
| ing and pointing.
A sudden exclamation came from
the lips of Cortislaw.
1T is from Gretzhoffenl" he said
''Our own air craft are not modified
| wonder who planned that raid. You
| told me Count Frederick was killed
| that you saw it with your own eyes.
That cannot be. King Michael, weak
| as he is, never would be afoot-never
| would he have had his air craft NOV
ing at this hour. They have been
above our city-it is mercy if they
have not dropped bombs upon our
shipping"
Look" said Sachio. He indicated
now the course of the pursuing air
craft, which, far from following them
directly, now swept aside in great
tangent.
lucy al Z Douuo dlSO lOi ShS ; eAStAN'
said Sachio. at is not us, but yonder
boat they are pursuing. What does it
mean? Surely they can have marked
us under water or aboye-they see us
now, if they have eyes. But now they
evade us and pursue the boat which
we pursue. What does it mean? And
who is in commando"
Slow enough would even keen-witted
Count Sachio have been to guess the
real answer to his own question. 1t
was his enemy who was in command
of this pursuing air craft-Count Fred
erick, not killed, but in full possession
of his powers once more.
1t had been Frederick's plan to
hasten across the neutral lands and
over Grahoffen itself in foray OF
scouting and discovery. He wished to
see whether the forces of the enemy
would rally OF whether they were to lie
utterly broken, accepting their defeat
And at the last instant, when he had
stepped into the seat of the air craft,
he had been followed by one who
would not accept denial from him
the young American. Thus they had
swept across the broad plain, across
the city of Grahoffen itself, and along
the water front-and now far down
the great arm of the sea which thrust
up from the south.
The aeroplane for time fell on
from the direct course held by the sub
marine. Ahead of the wind and driven
at top speed by its own tremendous
engines, it advanced in vast sweeps |
and swoops, at a speed intellectually |
fast.
Your majesty" said Count Sachio |
at length, laying down the glasses
with which he had been examining the |
ship of the air which passed above |
them, 81 was wrong! At first thought
some leader Of their aviation corps
had developed this raid today, but 1t
is not SO. told you that Count Fred
erick was dead. My eyes must have
deceived me. 1t is he, yonder! He
himself is guiding this pursuit. With
Tim there is another woman, your
majesty! It is none less than the
young American, who has been the
most dangerous enemy we yet have
net. They two-for what reason I ala
lot intermediate aloft together. Their
purpose l can only guess"
The rage of Cortislaw now was such
s left him silent.
"Your majesty" said Count Sachio
t last, ''it must be as your majesty
Dat &c t,x-c irlxinp VnnEPr | :
raft, not by saving it. that he can :
lost hurt US. Yes, / am convinced,
onder is the coin. How they know 1t
how they guess it, / do not know. {
lore than once it would seem to me
lat intuition rather than knowledge s
as guided them in their plans. say
lat yonder coin is bewitched and al
avs fights for Gretzhoffen and not G
IT u.s." i
The chase went on, and now under i
lch curious relations as left the three i
essels of the surface, of the subsurf- Q
e and of the air, drifting along, none
king the offencive.
But though the giant air craft fol-
wed close, seeming ever to hold the Z
lcht at it's mercy, it made no OMEN r
We movement; it seemed rather to n
elter than to menace the fleeing k
ssel which steamed On so gallantly- h
I'D in the rear of both, helpless, i'm "
tent, with speed and naught but II
eed at its disposal, came the sub n
arine Of Cortislaw and his noble Il
IN. Thus neither of the three could n
would hurt another.
but Sachio's guess had been right. tt
le governing influence in Gretzhof- II
l affairs scarce was SO much rea- al
4 as instinct, intuition--a woman's d.
uition. For he had been right-a
man was aloft, yonder with the g
OF of the air craft. re
1T is a curious chase, nademoi- ne
le," said Count Frederick, turning hs
the companion at his side and III
,,l-i-,o CO that b{a voieo could ho