The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-05-08

We terrorized them for a moment
to tell the truth. we were a strange
sight, In our long rubber cloaks, and
vizor caps and the masks across our
faces.
The butler near the door must have
made some movement. for Ashcroft's
revolver barked sharply and the fel-
low coughed and clawed and crumpled
across little table full Of empty
dishes.
My lord rose slowly to his feet and
his forlG face worked in fury. He
was no coward. II he did have other
defects.
what do you wantr he said.
Ashcroft waited until the little
wreath Of acrld smoke had lifted and
then stepped forward.
We had no time to lose now. It
was unfortunate that we had to kill
the butler. No doubt the sharp report
had reused the curiosity Of some In
quisitive citizens. and II was only q
matter Of time when help might appear
on the roof.
"You will unfasten your shirt-studs
and drop them on the table In front
OF you." he said curtly.
He waved his pistol and the rest
skunk back. And then while covered
them, he went swiftly to Mrs. Calen-
dar and undid the necklace. holding Il
up for moment In the light in a sort
OF gloating satisfaction, and then
slipped II into his pocket.
l swept the studs into the palm OF
my hand.
There were six Of them. large and
blue-white. and they clinked together
musically as took them. could see
the lord Of Coventry quivering In Inn
potent rage with his hands above his
head; then Ashcroft whistled and we
backed through the shrubbery.
How We half-ran. halfstumbled
across the back darkness Of the roofs
I do not remember.
recollect Ashcroft working with
sobbing curses at the propellers. the
sudden roar Of the Gnome as she spun
In shrieking circle, we rolled for
ward. shot over the edge. dipped with
sickening sensation to what seemed
certain destructiop-caught the wind
on our forward planes and mounted
steadily.
For a moment there was a splendid
sensation In It all. sense Of power
and disdain for the impotent little
things that ran and shouted In the
streets a thousand feet below us and
turned up white faces In the yellow
lights, gesticulating comically.
think they shot Mt us.
When we had got up 1000 feet We
turned little, and could Just make
out the dark outline Of Staten Island
In the bay below.
Then the will-o'-the-w -wisp quivered
and plunged and righted again and
swerved and shot upward In an odd
manner.
turned to Ashcroft.
He had slumped In n grotesque man.
ned to the back Of the seat. and there
was trickle Of blood running down
the shoulder of his coat. A sudden
gust Of wind rocked the aeropIane 10
one side and we dropped and shot for
ward with frIghtful speed down an
invisible toboggan.
With a desperate effort I righted
the planes, and for an instant we sang
along steadily.
Then lost control. -. Z
Two thousand feet in the air I lost
control Of the aeroplane. Another de-
scent and another upward lurch AZ I
recovered. We were rocking furiously
now.
dared to glance down. What I
saw was that Ashcroft had fallen 20
that the engine connection was be-
yond my reach. I could not stop Il,
A sudden glare blinded my eyes.
The Will-o-the-Wisp had dropped
into the path Of the searchlight, and
for an instant I looked down Into the
heart Of the dazzling radiance.
must have raised the planes again.
for we shot upward. the searchlight
swept by. and fed into tho darkness,
helpless on the back of the throbblng
monster with dead man for q pas
scnger.
Then there came a crack from some
where In the maze Of wires that netted
and crossed behind me.
Tn the white glare as the searchlight
caught us again, Ashcroft's eyes looked
up at me In an unseelng manner.
l think II was the left wing that
gave way; the Will-o'-the-Wisp rico
chetted from side to side In drunken
fashion-collapsed In mid-air. and then
turned over and over and hurtled
downward.
don't know how managed II.
The shock of the water revived me
bit--I was more dazed than hurt---and
there were one or two bits OF wreckage
floating about after managed to dive
and shed my heavy coat and get out
from under all that was left Of the
could see the searchlight playing
about on the water In search Of us
and II finally got the machine. hut
kept out Of Its reach and padded