Evening star., 1924-12-29

say anything.
must say that Lord Almeric had
speed in doing kindnesses. Milliken's
package contained a tobacco box of
silver, inside the lid of which was en-
sraved:
In remembrance of an enjoyab Atlantic fight
with "as proper a man as ever trod
from A. T.
Mine was gold cigarette case and
in 1t was inscribed
In remembrance OF an Atlantic fight at
one-third of the suns speed,
from A. II.
CHAPTER TX.
Berlin and Paris.
l.
On the Sunday morning Milliken
went off early to the Merlin, taking
his own luggage and mine. Lord
Almeric and myself were having
breakfast together and had barely
started when a servant came in with
word that Sir Thomas Basildon wish
ed to speak to his lordship on the
phone. Lord Almeric came back with
ever so slight a ruff1e of excitement
on his habitual calm.
"Basildon was right" he said. He
has just told me that the raiders Wis
tied both Berlin and Paris this morn
ing"
I'm one nightr' l exclaimed. Then
1t looks as If they have more than
one airship in Europe, Lord Almeric.
From Berlin to Paris is well over 700
kilometers and the voyage would take
the average airship more than four
hours. Did he say at what time the
raids took placer"
mo. He is on his way here now
to say goodbye to you, Jimmy, and
he Will have breakfast with us. We
shall have full details then" He
turned to the butler. Sir Thomas
Basildon will have breakfast, Bunter."
Very good, my lord"
I'VE are beginning to find the
amazing measure of our mysterious
enemy" Lord Almeric went on. 1T
must be huge organization. Think
of the quantities of ore which must
have been reduced to result in all tha t
radium-and the expense of the opera
tion. Why, the amount left in New York,
Louisville and London here represents
as much money as has been taken
in the various raids. That alone is
a staggering fact. The preparations
for these raids must have occupied Il
number of years"
I'm with you there, Lord Almeric," -"
said /, "and the secret has been aston
ishingly well kept. 1t beats me to
know how the airships could have
been built and their docking sheds
erected without the connivance, or 1t
least the hoodwinking, of the gov
ernment in whichever country the
bases of the raiders are situated. |
said bases, because the thing gets
bigger every bit of news. How can
we be certain that there aren't a
number of bases both in Europe and
in America? I'm beginning to get
logged, Lord Almeric. When the
thing first started l thought we were
up against an ordinary gang of crooks
using new methods, and that one en-
counter with them in the Merlin, once
she was carrying her armament,
would settle the business. I'm not
so sure now. j don't know where
I'm going to begin"
The problem is not at all simple
one" Lord Almeric agreed. But you
are taking the only way in which
you personally can deal with the situ-
alton, Jimmy. If you can persuade
your Government to be fully pre-
pared for further raids you will do a
great service. And you never know
but that you will have the luck to
encounter one or other of the airships
in your seaplane. 1t will be an inter
eSllHS HSnL IL II ever occurs.
There's the devil of It," I said.
of whacking them than any other
in existence may sound bit
chesty when 1 say that, but you know
how good she is"
II think 1 do" he smiled, "and l
don't think you the least 'chesty.'"
We'll, then. I sell my design to the
Government, and so give number
of good fellows a. chance to pull off
the fight / want to have myself.
I'd like to be selfish and hog the
whole thing for James V. Boon"
Nonsense, Jimmy" said his lord
ship with a twinkle. You'll play the
game and give your side full benefit
of your knowledge. You realize as
we'll as any one that only good team
work will scotch this menace"
mo. Hogging won't do" I agreed.
"Pll have to put the Merlin into the
pool
In an incredibly short time we were
joined by the chief of the c. l. D.,
the speed laws of the city.
What do you think of it, Plus
carden?" he demanded. Didn't 1 say
Paris and Berlin, eh?"
Yes, you were right, Basildon."
AN astonishing thing about it to
me is both cities being attacked on
the same morning. said Sir Thomas,
already busy at the breakfast table.
THE raid on Berlin seems to have
started at half-past IL this morning
The district round the Reichsbank was
subjected to gas at that time while
the Berliners were still on their
pleasures 1t was seen that some
thing queer was happening. Folk
venturing over a certain fairly def
mite line simply fell staggering to the
ground, while others outside the line
could watch it happen. The police
tried to get into the district, but met
with the same fate.
1T did not dawn on any one" he
went on, ANY one in authority, for
some time, that the city was going
through a similar experience as that
of New York and London, even though
l had warned the police yesterday
morning, but at last gas masks were
sent for. They were no good against
the anesthetic. The police wearing
them fell just the same. Would you
oblige me with the mustard, Mr.
Boom"
Did they try to get above the dis.
trict in the air?" asked. passing him
the pot.
Thanks" he said. I'm coming to
that. While they were still fiddline
about with the masks and making
bull-foolish rushes into the gassed
| area, nobody had thought of calling
out the air scouts. They found the
air clear on the tops of the buildings
and tried to approach that way, but
of course came to openings that were
impossible. 1t was over an hour be
fore the first air scout came wheel
ing over the district-the damned
fools-and by that time there was
nothing to be seen above or below
| About o'clock 1t was possible to get
into the area, though here and there