Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-04-27

of the biplane, and was boring on at
tremendous pace, its single spread Of
wings on an approximate level with
that of the upper plane of the Parrot.
But this last was rising steadily
The drivers seat of the Valkyr was
occupied by muffied, burly figure that
might be anybody-De Morbihan, Elk
strom, or any other homicidal maniac
At the distance it's actions were as
illegible as their results were unques-
tionable. Lanyard saw little tongue
of flame lick out from point close be-
side the head Of the 1gure-he couldn't
distinguish the 1rearm itself-and
like Vauquelin, quite without premedi-
tation, he ducked.
Simultaneously there sounded
hard, ripping noise Immediately
above his head, and he found himself
staring up at long, ragged tear in
the canvas of the plane, caused by
bullet striking it aslant
What's to be done?" he screamed
passionately to VaU4--elin.
But the aviator only shook his head:
and they continued to ascend rapidly:
already the web Of gold that cloaked
earth and sea seemed thrice as far he
meath them as it had been at the mo-
ment when VauqueIin made the ap-
palling discovery Of his bullet-punc-
tured sleeve
But the moncplane was doggedly fol-
lowing suit; as the Parrott rose, so
did the Valkyr, if a trace more slowly
and less readily.
Lanyard had read somewhere, or
heard it said that monoplanes were
poor climbers.
He told himself that, if this were
true, Vauquelin knew his business,
and from this reflection drew what
comfort he might
And he was glad, very glad, of the
dark Wind-veil that shrouded his face,
which he believed to show nothing
less than panic terror.
He was, in sober fact, quite rigid
with fright and horror. 1t were idle
to argue that only unlikely chance
would wing one Of the bullets from
the Valkyr to a vital point-there
was the torn canvas overhead, there
was that hole through Vauquelin s
sleeve
And then the paragraph on the strut
beside Lanyard disappeared as if by
magic. He was aware of a slight jar;
the framework of the biplane quiv-
cred as from a heavy blow; something
that resembled a handful of black
crumbs sprayed out into the air ahead
and yanished-and where the instru-
ment had been nothing remained but
an iron clamp gripping the strut.
And even as any one of these bull
lets might have proved fatal, their first
successor might incapacitate the avia-
tor, if it did not Stay him outright
in either case inevitably the result
would be death following a fall from a
height, as recorded on the Paragraph
dial the instant before it's destruction
of over four thousand feet
And they were still climbing
Now the pursuer was losing some Of
the advantage of his superior speed :;
the PARROT was perceptibly higher;
the Valkyr must needs mount in a
more sweeping curve.
None the less, Lanyard. peering
down, saw still another tongue of
flame spit out at him, and two bullet
holes appeared in the port wings of
the biplane, one in the lower, one in
the upper spread of canvas.
White-Iipped and trembling, the ad-
venturer began to work at the fasten-
ings of his surtout. After a moment
he plucked off one of his gloves and
cast 1t impatiently from him Asprawl.
1t sailed down the wind like a wound
ed sparrow. He caught Vauquelin's
eye upon him. quick with a curiosity
which changed to a sudden CLEAN of
comprehension when Lanyard, thrust
ing his hand under the leather coat.
CROPPED for his side pocket and pro
duced an automatic pistol which Du-
croy, learning that he was unarmed,
had pressed upon him.
They were now perhaps a hundred
feet higher than the Valkyr, which
was soaring a quarter of a mile off to
starboard. Under the guidance of the
Frenchman the Parrot swooped round
in a narrow circle until it hung almost
Immediately above the other-a ma
neuver requiring, first and last, some
thing more than five minutes to effect.
Meanwhile Lanyard rebuttoned his
surtout and, clutching the pistol, tried
hard not to think. But already his
imagination was sick with the thought
of what would ensue when the time
came for him to carry out his inten-
ton.
Vauquelin touched his arm with ur-
gent pressure; but Lanyard only shook
his head, gulped, and without looking.
surrendered the weapon to the aviator.
Bearing heavily against the chest
band. he commanded the broad, white
spread Of the Valkyr's back and wings.
Invisible beneath these hung the mo-
tor and the drivers seat
An instant more and he was aware
that Vauquelin was bending forward
over the edge Of the plane.
Aiming with what deliberation was
possible, the aviator emptied the clip
OF its cartridges IN less than q xc.azr5uItt
The reports rang out against the
drum of the motor with an accent as