Evening star., 1927-11-08
Continued. from Yesterdays Starr

| Janet leaned forward against the
straps which confined her to her seat
and looked down again.
Rising. verdure-coVered hills ana
| tiny clusters of houses met hef NieW'
| but between them and the upper ar
| there hoyered several objects like nat,
| leyel-wingcd birds, their exaggerated
shadows fiitti<g over the sun-bathed
country below.
'"rhere are four," she called to Nat.
1.-TWO are skimming along very low.
/ but the other two are rising toward us
oh what was that pun OF SmOke?'
| The question died away on her lips
| as it's answer roared in her ears and
something hurtled past them. whis-
| Ting on the wind. The next instant
from behind them there came sec
ond revcrberatinG report and the
nearest OF the planes halted suddenly
and then shot downward like "A rocket,
mass of living flame
But other dafting specks had APP
peared on the horizon. flying in a
curiouSly regular forma ton, and Nat
beside her uttered a ferVent ejacuia-
ton.
They got 'cm out. Your father
done got the Coy mint folks after EN-
at last. Now We only got runnin'
fight for it,"
The streak of fame had dropped to
earth. lost in n dense pillar Of smoke.
and the spockS became larger rose.
escort about them. While the three
planes below Scuttlcd hastily for COW
er. descending in spirals TO precarious
landings amid patches of woodland.
Nat, too was dropping. and glanc-
ing over her shoulder Janet saw that
the faithful Five of Diamonds had fol-
lowed his move and was circlinS for
a landing. Then her downward gaze
fastened upon a square patch of
brown earth with Il curious object
tuttering in its center and she Gasped
The Scarecrow, She could see the
narrow, sharply defined streak of the
ditch that crossed the field; on the
near side the dense stretch of wood
land in which she had taken shelter.
and on the far boundary the wall and
line of trees that meant Daneholm.
They were at the gates. on the thresh.
old of home.
The cscorting planes drew lower
protectinSly, then circled above and
appeared to be searching for landing
places in the ncishborhood. Durant
had already settled 10 earth in a
broad meadow beside a cluster of
red barns surrounded by Slistening
white fence that Janet remembered
with a little thrill. The homestead
of the farmer. the Four Of Clubs.
Then they whirled away as Nat
circled once over Daneholm and at
last came back to seek a landing near
Durant.
What was going on there, just be-
low them? Men were advancing in
little scattered groups from the wood
land between the cottage and the
plowed field their raised rifles pointed
at the figures of Durant and Afford
crouched beside their machine, and a
scattered volley came to her ears as
with a shattering jar they themselves
came to earth and bounced over the
field.
'Unstrap yourself and duck low
Miss Janet" roafed Mats voice in
the girls ears. I'm going TO charge
EN-
The motor had been shut off and
their sheer momentum carried them
at terrific speed straight across the
field to the foremost group of men.
Janet obeyed blindly. loosening the
straps and crouching low, but feeling
for her pistol instinctively. The men
attempted to separate and jump aside.
but it was too late. The machine
plowed into them and she saw two
figures fly grotesquely into the air.
hoarse scream rising hideously to
mingle with distant shouts.
Come on, Miss Janet" Nat seiZec
her arm. run for them trees-run
for your life"'