Evening star., 1925-01-09

mark. and, though our quarry was
over an hour ahead of us, we had
great hope of overtaking her.
Time passed. Danny shared the
lookout with me. while Milliken rus
tied meal to break our fast. When
it was ready he took his share before
relieving Dan, and when Dan had
eaten ! gave the control to Milk en-
and ate last of all. / wanted two
pairs of eyes for the lookout all the
time. Yet for all our vigil we came
upon no sight OF the airship. We
reckoned her speed at two-thirds OF
our own, so that if we were in her
course We should have sighted her IN
about two hours flying. Two hours
passed, and it seemed that she had
escaped US.
We kept heading in the same direc-
tion for about another half-hour,
then We consulted what to'do. It was
decided that we cast a wide circle to
the north, keeping high, so swung
the Merlin in a wide loop up into
what must have been the southern
border of Venezuela. ! reckoned 10
describe a circle 500 kilometers in
circumference, which at the height
we were flying WOULD give US a vast
area for scrutiny. We were now over
fuents of the Amazon, and beneath
us rolled endless miles Of dark green
gray foliage. We saw here and there
the silver gleam of water, wide rivers
that thinned, were lost in the foliage
and appeared again. But everywhere
the dominant note was that hardly
broken hue of dark gray-green. If
the airship had been anywhere below
US, it would have been distinct
against that somber background. But
time and again the distant CLEAN of
water would. deceive US, would send
US chasing a full speed, and our cir
Gle grew very ragged OF outline.
The strain OF flying at that height
and speed was beginning to tell on
us, and our constant watch had wea-
ried our eyes-in spite of that un-
canny alertness of perception which
quick flight induced--so at 1890,
when we had cast two wide circles.
we voted spell Of rest, and !
searched about for big enough water
in. which to come down. We seemed
to have missed our quarry entirely.
Then, in the midst of that drab
green monotony below US, with its
endless hummocks of undulating tree
tops, there came a break. From what
appeared to be an area OF marshland,
for it was speckled with water, there
rose short incline of bush; this was
succeeded by spear of plateau ris-
ing on tawny bluffs OF rock. Mighty
interesting we found this plateau, for
from q point north OF its center line,
in q widening scar, there stretched
TO one side of il a sudden patch of blood
red. BY chance, I have hit on the
right word to explain this red streak.
1t was more like a raw scar on the
face of the world than anything else.
From it's starting point it widened as
it ran transversely over the green
tableland, then began to narrow as
It dropped over the bluff on the south
side, until it was lost in the green OF
the lower levels.
Seems to be some curious outcrop."
said Dan. Doesn't it look sinister
and cruel, somehow"
you've hit 1t, Danny" / agreed.
That's just what it does look"
Near the red streak, but separated
from it by thickening band of
green, the plateau took another sud
den rise in bush hung rocky bluffs,
and on this second step, as 1t were,
there lay wide eXpanse of water,
under the spurs of what from the
map 1 judged were the foothills Of
the Parma Mountains.
Lets land on the lake there" said
Danny, maybe we can get down to
look at that outcrop. I'd like to see
that
The water seemed fair for landing.
and. what was more important, for
taking off again, so / let the Merlin
hover down gently to the face of
the lake. I TAXED a little on touch
ing, then switched off, and let the
way on the plane carry her until she
was nosing into the trees and bushes
that fringed the still water.
There was something uncanny about
that lake, though IL was wonderfully
beautiful The trees round 1t were
not extremely tall, but they were
straight and smooth of trunk, their