The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-04-07

distant. If doubt existed in her mind
as to the identity of its pilot, were he
friend or enemy, 1t was soon erased
by his hail.
"Patria! Quick-swim off to mel"
The pilots pistol ratified again.
Donald's voice! Patria was no more
afraid and water was as her native
element. Without hesitation she Owed
and struck off toward the plane.
Little more than a minute later Parr
was helping her to climb up on one
of the pontoons, then to a seat beside
his own, while bullets continued to
sing richochetted over the waters and
tear through the covering of the planes.
She was no more than settled in her
place when Parr began to manipulate
the controls and the seaplane skinned
the surface of the harbor in a long,
graceful curve, then began to rise.
Back on the island, standing beside
the biplane, Captain Hakuseki wit
messed the successful evasion in a rage
that ruffled ever his racial placidity.
In his understanding the affair was
intolerable; though he persisted en-
%deavoring to prevent it, this escape
must not be permitted.
SummOning assistants, he turned to-
ward the biplane-and paused as his
foot struck what one swift down glance
identified as the tin of nitroglycerin.
Inspired by this accident, he picked
up the tin, crammed it into a side
pocket of his khaki coat, and clambered
to the pilots seat. Provided he might
maneuver his aircraft above the other,
he would need only to drop this dead
left of the f%ugitives.
His aids started the motor. With a
roar the propellers began to r~evolve.3
Hakuseki grasped the controls. The
machine shot off down the beach and
took the air at the waters edge. :
The seaplane, seeking a high level.
was rising in a wide spiral. As yet
it was not high, and the Japanese
plane was the better at climbing.
Within a space of time incredibly brief
the two were lowering on an approxi-I
mate level, high above the island.
One shot might serve his end. The
temptation was too strong to be resist
ed. Hakuseki drew his pistol, and
opened fire.
In PARIS machine, Patria Charming
took the weapon proffered by her res
cuer and, leaving him free to attend
to his duties as pilot, drew herself
back at length upon the plane and re-
turned the fire of the Japanese.
Hakuseki was conscious of some
thing like the impact of a fist between
his eyes. Blindness followed, with
agonizing pain. He crumpled in his
seat, lurching forward against the con-
trolls. His last conscious thought was
n of terror; the biplane was falling:
the tin of explosive remained in his
pocket; when he came to earth he
would be utterly annihilated. Uncon-s
seriousness mercifully ensued.
Nose down, the biplane dived like
a plummet; but the body of Haku-
seki, thrown from its place, distanced
the machine. The summit of the great
dune that housed the store of expIorz
sives received the full impact of its
rail-. An instantaneous explosion sig-A
nailed the determination of Hakuseki.
Barely a breath later the dune opened
up like the crater of a volcano, belch-
Ing smoke and flame to the skies. De-
tonation followed defamation more
swiftly than Keeling senses could reck-
on. The little island, rocked, disin-
tegrating. The sea, rose shouting and
overwhelmed IL. Clouds of steam OBJ
scured the debacle.
When the sloop in which Baron
Huroki had embarked arrived on the
scene, a CHASTITY welter of wreckage
churning in the wash was all that was
left of Limbo.
tEND OF FIFTH EPISODE,)