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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1910)
THE OMAHA STTNTAY REE: XOVEMBEtt G. 1P10. X mi nil, ,.iml I In H..V.ii. IjiCwJ saasswassai . i ii wssassssw , n , ) mi rj.i.li i is i iibiiiih i .1L i, 1 ' iUi si i !1 ' 1 1 bmTT i iiTIi i iri 'i'i 1 ' " r )- ' r x, f th.s will yr X- Lo0 f Lip. ; ! lfOUL0 5Et (ii M H SAWN" M HF o dO'MC Elf K y1 Ml THAT FVfINC UlONG UKCI y FA 100' (TwTT v VMACHIMt-7 tel J Unto!- J had out of- Cufii s tfpv M v y H m v J w inH; (TVr Jp x-i xi. x -xHf x . ' (WHAT VIP) jTRXIriTO CO. faff, lilJ , tt Jijl, K rSTTFO II v 11 v II v ll : ru sgg ' 1 if " f , " n y " ' r - y nfa IF vVt 'JHAT WASN'T . . f , ,fwl oVgT SUPlHAT ni THAI BUO OF fl SAW YOU DO' ( g GO NG10 MElTtD CHEESf 2? r Vf A Til. rn- tfWrihhhl ) mine! what the tly- fall our Jc i ate made s'e4rtSJHerbert Quick i 4 A New Airship Serial by Author of "DOUBLE TROUBLE GINIA j4 of the SsAIR LANES (Copyright. ltlO, by Bobba-Marrm ro.? CH AFTER XV CtUd. "t uawl to think It quit a trick," said Craighead, "for tha bird to find thlr way north In spring; but, pnhawt I ran do it In tha night. A continent la aa tra yla aa a quarter aeutlon. Tha (ooaa ian't a much wlaer than I aa I always thoucht. If Mr. Bryant had coma with u. ha'd never have written "To a Water Fowl." Tbcre'd have bean no mystery In tha goose's 'certain flight' up her wbtrt ba can aea things." "Baa that big stratus cloud T" asked Car een . "Shall wa go over or under It?" Personally." replied Craighead. "l'Ta been under a oloud long enough." Tha stratus waa an Immense vapor aheat half a mile above tha earth. Underneath were the gloom and duUnesa of cloudy weather; but above It tha aun ahon with a brhjhtnesa augmented by the brilliancy reflected from the upper surface of the oloud aa from a great glittering plain of anow. Tha auu waa past the meridian, and shining warm; but on tha wing, over that great expanse of pearl, the air felt not eold, but "caller." and they put on their top coat a. Field at drro-oumulus clouda Ave tnilea above the vaporous plain were eniaUcated on It by their own mottled shadow. Ilka great dusters of foliage sil houetted on an illimitable ground of wool, "."be ahadow of tha Virginia ran with her aaroaa tha oloud. like a black bat. haloed fca tha nnapaakabla glory of a triple rain bow wbioh ringed tha aoudding ahadow about In oonoentrlo circles, aa bright so rafulgeat la dye, ao glorloua In their ming ling liaeo, that the voyagers, glanoing from radiance to radiance, lowered their volcea to tha thrill of a beauty too intense for apaech. The Immense engines were moving more regularly than clockwork, keeping the pledge of their inakera that. If supplied with fuel and oil. they would run without a altigla atop until worn out the perfection ef the internal combustion angina, once so untrustworthy. Craighead, past the first surprise of tha beauty of the rloudsoape, looked down at the three rainbows which trailed behind tl-ein now like rings or lambent fire, and criticised the outlook. "This Is. to con a phia," said he. "rottBti, rotten! Where are those right angles that make up tiie peculiar allure ment of the American lands'spe? Where ere the airtight lutes ttial cons't; its real beauty? And not a talent medicine or breakfast food linn as far as we ran see--rotten'. When we own th.ii lanes, we must have improvements lmifn.i of those dlsgustini; rin of color, v.- rru:st lav everything off n rrctanui.tiir b'ocks. and put up pliuis adverilsliiy iin't airy lots mafc-mftcent Mew n 8'atin addition to Nlmbusville. We must establish the Strato I'umulua club house at tlio Sign of the Hall-Fellow-Well llet-devpted to high jinks for the Ai'ixtmmo.lattnn of exalted personage, inrludlns. of course, the Air Apparent of ilia Kaiiiiiiii lrnastv. We munt open th Alto-Sttatua opera house there blne 1 biiev,' no Soprano elouda end the ruinulo-Nlmbus Kleetrlc Com lanv a Thunder Plant; hev, Qin'ral'" "I in glad," said Carson, "to get a'ov profits. Thank Heaven, clouds can't b commercialised." "Can't eh?" sneered Craighead. "You have made good with this machine, I'll have to admit; but you lack financial re sourcefulness. I've got to dig out the by products of tha company myself. One of them has Just occurred to me. We'll lease altea for captive balloons all along our lanea of licensed air navigation, and aell tha right to throw ads for Johnson's Gum Drops and Mother Hubbard's Obesity Reg ulator on tha shining levels of tha cloud floor. It can ba dona by a almple me chanism If it Isn't Invented. I ll Invent It lo an odd moment. And we'll sell exclusive rights to throw colored pictures of Kil larney and 8nator Clark's house, and moving plotures of tha great Sags Brush Hen House Robbery on the thunder clouda In alternation with pralaes of Peterson' e Planetry Paint and Bug worth's Insecticide. Why, hang you. witless youth, let me out. while I work these things up, right now!" "I'll go down, and show you where you'll drop," said Carson; "but I can't stop." "Going down? Floor below?" asked Craighead. "Wherefore, O brave skip per?" "I want to see where we ore," said Corson. "This la Ilk an open ocean. I wont to compare the map with tb land acape." Obedient to tha tilted rudders, the Vir ginia pointed her prow downward; bar pro peller bladea hurled her swiftly forward and toward tha earth, and aha plunged Into tha oold etrea.nl of tha stratus oloud. Into mist and whit aoarfa of lacy fog, and tha anowy obaourlty of an aerial bllssard. Craighead gasped at the chill and tha blindness. "Ring for a guide." sa d he. "I'm lost." He was not lost for long: for the Vir ginia clove the fleecy hoodwink, and emerged through it lower levels Into the clsar shadows of the nether air. They could feel tha warmth radiated from the ground, balmy with earthy scents. The landscape waa utterly changed. Far off to the west was tha blue line of th highlands. Its peaks lost In hsie. Below were farms planted In corn and wheat and tobacco, from which came up the lowing of ca'tle, the crowing of cock and. more distinct of all. the barking of dogs. Far to the north east Isy a shining river, widening at tha limit of vision Into a broad estuary; and Just within a ght could be discerned the rluetered spires and towers of a city! Car eon lookod the landscape over and studied his map. "1 wonder If it's possible." said he, "that that's lUrhmond?" "If so," answered Craighead, "let me adopt dr. Greelev'a war cry. 'On to Rich mond!" Bui, to coin an expression, what's th matter with ita being Philadelphia? It'a ao peaceful under Its tlmovhfi of Quaker drab. But If not the City of Broth erly Graft, let'e have it Richmond " "But It must be the James." cried Car eon.. 'X'ra ghesd, we've msde Richmond three boure quicker than I thought It ios aible! A atork. or a Canada goose, couldn't have covered the dlatance and they aoine tlmea go 100 mi lee an hour! Why" "Iet ua enult aver yon Insufferable plates." cried Craighead. ' Ut fly rings around 'em! I,et s sail circles around the snobs!" Craighead, scanning the southeast with his field glasses, had discovered at a distance of alx or seven miles, a bugs silver aoronat steering northward and to its passengers he referred with many gestures. Carson trained his binocular on her and grew tense aa a greyhound at alght of a distant wolf. The aeronat waa of the Condor typa . and of th largeat slse, with bow rudders, and along her side ran tha line of a vesti gial aeroplane. Still at th som unheard of speed, Theodore threw over th tiller and made for the airship. Craighead looked at him In wonder. "Why so obedient, O Knight of th Con gealed Countenance all ao suddenly ?" "That ship looks," said Carson, advanc ing th 'spark and crowding th engines until the wind of flight swept tb aeronef Ilk a gale, "like th Roc!" After a few minute on a straight course to Intersect that of the aeronat, Carson threw the Virginia up Into the cloud. Aa the earth was blotted from sight he com pared tha direction of th aoronat with the points of the compasa, making a raeu tal calculation aa to dlstanoe and the speed of the two ships, and in another moment they emerged on th shining upper levels of th cloud, which, Ilka a shimmering screen between the Virginia and th other craft, hid their approach to aaah ether. On below th curtain and on abor it, tha airship of th futur and th airship of th past flew on converging courses. Carson held his watch aa It ticked off th time for th five or six miles of distance, set th rudders for a downward dip, plunged through the cloud for th third time, and darted downward out of th vapor Ilk a swift Into a chimney. They looked about and aaw nothing. Th aeronat waa Invlalble. And yet, above th purring of th machinery, cam to their ears the tremor from powerful engines, the whirring of screws close at bond. Could the Condor have ascended into the cloud as they descended from It? It waa possi ble, but th sounds were approaching, not receding; and voices now mingled with th ounda of machinery voloe coming closer and closer. "My God, Carson!" shouted Craighead. "Tou'r going foul of her. Look down!" Just In time Carson looked. From th clear depths of air below, tha great bubble of silver arose, swelling in her swift ap proach. A collision meant ruin for th aeronat. and probably destruction to th Virginia. Th propelling blade of th aeronef would out th envelop of th gaa bolder Ilka paper; and tha two ahlps, In a hug mass of tangled wreckage, would fall to the earth In death and ruin: or the escaping gaa from the aeronat, Ignited from the exhaust of thu Virginia's enpinea. might explode, hurling the fragments of both vessels far and wide and Carson saw In th ruin th fair form of Virginia Buares hurled to earth and crushed to formlessness below. There had been no time to check their downward career; salvation lay solely in a awlft dart to evade the rising peril. Quick as lightning "arsm tlirew on full speed forward. Tu Virginia obeyed her machinery and as she swooped to the aeronat s starboard, the latter arnae awlftly; the Virginia's strn rudder srnsod the gss bag and was all but carried away; a cord of the suspension sv Ktem of the air ship snapped with a detonation that set the huge fabric in a tremble; there rose a cry from the deck of the hitherto un conscious monster, as her people realised th fearful fact thst here In these dlssy heights they were In collision with some thing, and as the Virginia rams In sight past the Immense bilge they saw white visages turnd upward to them, as mieht appear the doomed traveler s fnce when assa'led by th roc of Arsb fable; and aa they sheered off, a man came running out of the cabin with a gun In his hand, a If with some wild notion of giving battle to the Invlalble destroyer which l ad swept down upon them from the fleecy heights of the cloud Th Virginia was half a m It from the airship before the crew of the latter had time to assure themselves of her safety. Th great aeronat had not changed her course, but wa still cracking on at th't height of her speed toward Richmond like a whole at which a sword fish had made a vicious slash and missed. Th Virginia went aatern aa well as athwart the course of the other craft, and a she sheered to starboard, the aeronef and aeronat aped from each other at the sum of their two speeds perhaps four miles a minute. Th people on the latter must have thought the other gone forever, when an astonishing thing happened. The aeronef wheeled about and gave chase nay, she gave chase so swiftly that she swelled visibly in Iter swift overhauling of the aeronat. In a tlm so short that it seemed like a breath, th Virginia,, on a level now with th other's deck, came in close astern, then sheered off and deliberately run around the big Con dor as she stood on her course at full speed. As a falcon might describe circles about the head of a hawker, the Virginia went About the Condor. As she crossed the bows a cry went out from the great ship' engine room a cry of mingled fear and astonishment astonishment that any aerial craft dared lay herself across a speeding Condor's bows, fear of a collision, and the dread which comes to those who see them selves In the power of another. Why did this new craft so course about them? It waa som new engine of aviation that wa sure. And with suoh Incredible speed and such unheard-of mobility, what more pro fitable trad could opn to her than th aerial hunt and spoiling of the "dirigibles," with their passenger lists of millionaires? So as Carson cam up on his second cir cumnavigation of th Condor, there stood at th rail of th big airship two or thre men with guns, who made threatening gesture and shouted to him to stand off or they would shoot. "What ahip Is that?" cried Carson. "None of your damn busineaa!" was ths teply. "You stand off or we'll shoot!" "Shoot, If you dare!" cried Carson. "Don't you see that I can go above where you can't shoot and rip your gas-bag In perfect safety? Com low, answer my que: ton. Why, confound It, It I wanted to do you any harm, don't you e you'r in my powr? Don't be llly." Momethlng In the boy' ton reassured th aeronat. "Thi I th Daedalus of Spokane," was th reply. "What devilish thing 1 that?" 'Th Virginia of of Corson a Landing In Alabama." replied Theodore. Tou will pardon u for our abrupt descent to your level," said Cratghood suavely. "Ordinarily, th Virginia prefer a higher plan. W wer trictly In nuhl bu a moment ago, and on materializing we found ouraelvea descending on you like a duck on a June bug. We busted one of your suspension cords for which we are sorry; but tha gods bump into things when they come down from Olympus." "Whose aeronef 1 that?" asked th man who seemed In command. "It's mine," said Theodore; "I built her." "Well," said the man on the other deck, "you'vu got the world by the tall; and if ou need money to swing it, Just apply to Calvin J. Fry of Spokane If you've got clear title to the mechanism." "Thank you." said Theodore. ' I thought you might be an acquaintance. I think we'll leave you, now." "But wait," said Mr. Frv. "Let me han dle your foreign rights I can get next. I know the Japaneae foreign loin ster; snd China's looking for something like that. Hold on Hatton, will you let a mechanical devU'a-darnlng-needl like thst leave the Daedalus behind as If anchored? Hold on, please" Rut the Virginia, gently Increasing her speed, left the hustling Calvin J. Fry ges ticulating far out of hearing "That, to originate a locution." ssid f relwhead, "ought to hold them for a brief period. Looks ss If they were bxck-pejal-ing " '1 will find them," aald Carson, evidently meaning something else, "if they have hid den her In the farthest cove of that thun der cloud." V Highly lmproba'.'I. deown't ye krieow," suggested Cra'ghad. "that they should c lect such a demnltlon insanitary place for th young person. Doubtless we'll run across 'em In New York. By the way dinner! I have th honor to report that the ahlp 1 without grub, and I starving!" "I shall not stop," said Theodore, "this side of New York." "Very well, Ir," aaid Craighead. "I still have my boot heels. Doubtless I shall do very well with them. 1 suppose you see that w are butting into weather, dead ahead and on both bows?" "Certainly. It's th area of local storme." Past Richmond, they left the domed cap ltol at Washington far to port, passed be tween Baltimore and Dover, and directly over Philadelphia, where Carson made a wide circle above tha vast aerial harbor, scanning the bertha for a hug silver aero nat of the Condor type but finding none. It was growing dusk, and the west and northweat were ramparted wtlh towering thunder heads, quivering with lightning, toward which Carson burled th Virginia like a bullet. The town-studded suburban region of New Jersey swept under them as if drawn by swift mechanism; and the harbor of New York lay beneath, alive with shipping. The lights wer already burning, and th far-spread Babylon of the modern world hung Ilk a fairy dream from tha foreground to tb farther rim of th concave cup of th earth. Th castel lated marge of th city stood, Incredibly lofty, clear to th water's edge, reared ao high In air as to challenge th airship It self In altitude. Carson was amaxed and stunned. II had nvr seen New York, and hi Idea were all Inadequate to th actualities befor him. The streets flashed Into sight as tb Virginia paased into posi tions permitting a view of th bottom of on metropolitan canyon after another flashed Into view aa long lines of arc lights and gorgeous electric signs a per fectly unimag nable tanlo and jt ngl of lights of all colors; and then the soaring craft would pass on, the streets would be snuffed out by the tall buildings th Illuminated roof and th towering cliffs of lighted windows becoming a great plain of glimmering constellations. Th boy was afraid th hug city, roaring up at them Ilk a ravening beast struck him with ter ror. It was so unreal, ao sinister, so like a gorgeous nightmare of feverish human achievement, that It seemed unthinkable that It could hold for him aught but dan gar and struggle, and, perhaps, defeat "Why dost otroi about Ilk a sand-hill erans?" said Cralghaad. Wby don't you iightr "Like th sand hill sran," replied Car son. "I'm afraid. Where can we alight?" "Gad!" said Craighead, "I never thought of that! New York ha always reached out for me so lovingly, that th idea of ther being any difficulty In getting Into her mbrac never entered my brain. W or a llttl by of knowledge of bow to get In from above, aren't we?" "What ar th harbor rules?" asked Car son. "Hanged If I know." replied Crslghesd. "The ground has always seemed adejust as a way in before. Can t you follow the crowd?" "There s not an airship to he sen." said Carson. "They've been driven In by the night and th weather. Is It safe to drop into any harbor we may happen to find?" "What else are we to do'" cried Craig head. "It s coming on to storm; and I'm hungry; and there's th Great Whit Way beckoning! We must land." "No." replied Carson. "I'm afraid. And I think it better by all means to go out to the country, and come into New York by day. And that's what I'm going to do." It waa quite dark now, save for the moon, which, nearly full, waa climbing th' eastern sky, still clear. The land to the south and east would earapa the storm for hours To the northwest towered th pearly clouds palpitant with Itghtn ng Craighead, rompialnlngly assenting to his companion's plan of retreat from Manhat tan until day, expected Theodore to turn the Virginia from foul weather to some far Ntw Jersey village, and was astonlahed win n he entered upon a swifl flight up the Hudson, which lay shining in the moon light, lared with the wakes of bouts. Far ahead, on both sides, quivered th light ning of the storm; and from afar came tho rumbling of thunder. Csrson seemed to be seeking night In the heart of a thunder norm. Craighead seized his arm and tried to glean something of his mood from a scrutiny of his face. "I know how impolite it is to ask about such aberrations," said he, "from experi ence. But may I Inquire why you seem determined to enter upon an unseemly frolic with the Storm King? No. by James, you've passed the Storm King, and you've headed for th Catskllls the confoundedi.'st place for thunder and lightning In these parts. What about you?" "I'm going to th Catskllls." sold Theo dore. "Before I sleep, I'm going to find Hhayne's Hold!" CHAPTER XVI. SHAYNhi S HOLD. With a complaining, mutinous crew, and a captain sullenly silent, the Virginia fared north along the Hudson with her cargo of dreams and fears. Theodore, at the tiller, between glances at the compass and the chart, watched the silver ribbon of the river broadening into the placid lake of Tappan Zee, contracting to a thread be tween Peeksklll and West Point, and lost altogether In a sheet of rain that roared down across Poughkecpsle. "I never supposed," remarked Craighead, as they passed far east of West Point to eacape the thunder storm, "that I'd ever be able to look so scornfully down on this oradle of our nation's heroism and flub dub, which lost Its olilefost Jews when It expelled me. Proud neat of warriors with indrawn stomachs, I scorn ye! If X knew where y were, within a leagu or ao. I'd shake off the dust of my feet against ye. I laugh in your upturned face ba ha!" Carson waa still silent, aa he avoided th local shower that drenched th decka of th night boats, gained Its rear, orossed th Hudson In a alow drlsxl at Kingston and stood northwest toward heavy dens masses of towering clouds, vivid with In cessant lightning, screening th high peaks of the Catskllls and Shayns's Hold. "I'm distinctly for this trip now!" eried Craighead. "Talk about excitement! Why. when before did man that Is born of woman make a night flight Into th whither, dodging thunder storms by tb way? What Is more lvatlng than to cast eontempt Into the teeth of the element by dancing up Into tha very front of a cloud-burst, and getting away by superior foot work? Tli watery kingdom whos ambitious head spit's In the face of Heaven why it's mod est and retiring compared with us! The armies of the tempest encamp against us. they compass us about, they vaunt their strength even as a gladiator, thsy speak In thunder across th leagu ea, saying, Let the left wing advance yonder, and the right w-ing hold the hills, while the center ruHhr In with the trampling charge of its wind and downpour-ami we ahall Ret these mortals, good and plenty!' And then we outf'anlt them on the enst and give them the contumelious ha-ha. and hang on their rear threatening th'lr com munications with Medicine Hat and Kim loops, by James! And it they do surround us, we'll rise Into the inane as has fre quently been my habit anyhow-and we'll soar over the topmoat domes of their en campment of destruction and dampness and stat'eal electricity, and we'll drop down outside the lines dry within and without. This Is sport for a king or a hippogrlff. On, on, say I, and yet aga n, on!" "That's all right ss pure fancy," replied Carson, "but if we ever get hemmed In among these storms, we'll not get out bv going over them." "Why not?" asked Craighead "I'll not hear that there are limits to the achieve ments of this flying exclamation point, for the prospectl upon which I am mentallv engaged niul speak of the pleasures of tornado baiting, anj the following of the spoor of the typhoon and the sirocco. Why, not bin die tho tempest, caitiff?" "Those highest towrs." replied Carson, pointing to the thunder heads now again snowy In the moonlight, "are thirty, foriyv fifty thousand feet high." "Well, what do we care?" protested Craighead. "It wouldn't hurt any more to fall thst far, than from where we are. Come, better logic, sirrah!" "The upper strata," raid Carson, "are snow and ice and frost." "Better to feel a frost." said Craihesd. "than to be one. Sir Dugonet. Come, thou'rt unhorsed!" "And the atmosphere up there," went on Carson, "Is too rare for the Virginia's foothold; or for breath. Before we got. above those domes, the engines would be put to It to keep her at a standstill." "Then, sir." said Craighead, "you have enlisted the great, safe, sane and conser vative Craighead In a wildcat promotion of a machine in which. In eurmountlr.g an ordinary thunder head, we shall be suo cessively stalled, frozen to death, and suf focated! Am I right, Colonul Carson?" Carson was questioning th altimeter tatoscope as to whether or not their alti tude would carry them over the peaks which must now be fast rising beneath them. Far to the north glowed the lights of som great hotel Ilk a swarin of stationary fireflies. Beneath was darkness and mys tery, though once be heard a dog's bark- the last sound lost In aerial traveling, Craighead waited as If tor a reply. "By your alienee." said he, "you confess. Let me out. I am hurt to the heart. To have fooled away so much time on such m dinky thing! Let ms out! I would fain walk back to Sherry's." The simile of an advancing army quit obviously described the approaching stornv Like a vast arcb the clouds marched on, covering the mountains far to right and left, the black nimbus on which they were based sweeping the earth with a Hailing veil of rain. By abandoning the Catskllls, the aeronef might have evaded the trug gle, but her commander seemed te have n notion of retreat. Though terrified by tha lights and towers and multitudinous lite of New Tork, he drove his craft unshrtnk. Ingly into the teeth of thunder and light ning and wind and rain. "Put on your oilskins," said be to Craig bead. "It's humiliating." said Craighead, "but I reckon I must." "There's an opening render In the rain," said Carson. "If it doesn't elose up, w may slip through to th back of th atornt again!" As if the wings of th advancing army luiil ext-nded ita line until thy pulled apurt in the center, the ruin opened wher Carson pointed. At that moment the whole heaven was black, save wher the moon, now riding high, touched th cloud sutiv mite with Hvr; but In an Instant a sud den discharge of looped and linked light ning lit up the whole northwest, and Craig head saw through to the rear of the ram aa through a window, tha base nf which was the hills, Its upper limit a str.tlght horizontal line of black nlmbux, lis e'iVs nilhty and indefinite with encroaching downpour. ' We must go lower." said Carson, 'and pass under. The rain Is closing In. but I reckon we can slip through, prcltv drv " The oncoming black arch-lighted to whiteness when the llghtii'tig Mazed swelled fearfully as they a pprnached, Ita raliil'ss gap narrowing momently. It was a race with the elements. The penultv, If they lost, was. to be sure, notbintt mots than a drenching; but It was none the le exeltlni! for that The curtains of wt"r, drawn aside as If to let th travelers through, swung together as they ao proached. The edgia of the cloud curled under, rolled by the contending currents, the llghtn'ng became almost Incessant "Whoop'" crld Cranhesd. "The Vir. ginla wins' I guess I'll stay In this dial for a while after all! ',, f Hole ln-1h Cloud, 1 renew my fltv!" (To Be Continued )