The Elbert County tribune., 1916-01-28


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 Gretzhoffeni" he said.
"Our own air craft are not mobilized.
| 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 a 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.
"They are bound also for the yacht"
said Sachio. 1T is not US, but yonder
boat they are pursuing. What does it
mean? Surely they can have marked
us under water or above-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 Fredericks plan to
hasten across the neutral lands and
over Grahoffen itself in a foray of
see whether the forces of the enemy
would rally or 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 great arm of the sea which thrust
up from the south.
The aeroplane for a time fell off
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
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 it
is not so. l 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
him there is another-a woman, your
young American, who has been the
most dangerous enemy we yet have
met. They two-for what reason am
not informed-are aloft together. Their
purpose l can only guess"
The rage of Cortislaw now was such
as left him silent.
"Your majesty" said Count Sachio
at last, "it must be as your majesty
reasons. But it is by sinking yonder
craft. not by saving it, that he can
most hurt us. Yes, l am convinced,
yonder is the coin. How they know it
how they guess it, l do not know.
More than once it would seem to me
that intuition rather than knowledge
has guided them in their plans. / say
that yonder coin is bewitched and al
ways fights for Gretzhoffen and not
for us"
The chase went on, land now under
such curious relations as left the three
vessels of the surface, Of the subsurf-
ace and of the air. drifting along. none
taking the offensive.
But though the giant air craft fol-
lowed close, seeming ever to hold the
yacht at its mercy, it made no often
sive movement: it seemed rather to
shelter than to menace the fleeing
vessel which steamed on SO gallantly
And in the rear of both helpless, i'm
potent, with speed and naught but
speed at its disposal, came the sub
marine of Cortislaw and his noble
man. Thus neither of the three could
or would hurt another.
But Sachio's guess had been right.
The governing influence in Gretzhof-
fen affairs scarce was so much rea-
son as instinct. intuition-a woman's
intuition. For he had been right-a
woman was aloft, yonder with the
pilot of the air craft.
1T is a curious chase, mademoi-
selle," said Count Frederick, turning
to the companion at his side and
speaking so that his voice could be