Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

_vehemently. ere) | Adventure every now and then, and finally drew his watch from his pocket. “That is enough,” he said. “You can tell me the rest later. You have no more time than you will need to meet Greiner. You had better start.” “Yes, sir,’ Ward agreed. “But I feel suspicious that some of them may be on their way to this camp. I advise you and Miss Blaydon to take the boat and get far enough away from here to be out of their way when they arrive.” But the girl shook her head decidedly. “Oh, I don’t want you to go,” she cried “YT don’t want any more of this horrible risk. Why should you subject yourself——” “You forget Phil Conway,’ he inter- rupted gently. ‘‘Phil may need help, too. We are not certain that Greiner will be able to handle it.”’ Mr. Blaydon nodded gravely. “He is right, Nellie,” he said. “TI dislike the thought of the risks he is running, too, but with his friend in such danger there is nothing else he can do. Carter, you will go with him?” “Yes, sir,” said Carter. ‘“I’d rather walk, but if he says the flying machine is better, why, Ill take a chance with it.”’ “Very well,” Blaydon replied. “TI will get your brother to help us pack the tents aboard the boat and we will tie our prison- ers securely before we start.” “Then we must get to work at once,” Ward said, and, turning to the girl, added, “You had better run down the Branch to the old camp site on the cove below. We can communicate with you there easily. If I find everything all right at Hack- ett’s I will fly down tonight. If not, you will hear from one of us some time to- morrow.” They took Savage and Tom, one at a time, down to the boat, and bound them tightly to the thwarts, despite the profane protests of the prisoners. Then, carrying the wounded Matt gently, they made him as comfortable as possible on a bed of blan- kets on the bottom, and Ward and Carter were ready to start. “Better get one of those rifles,’ Ward suggested. ‘“‘We don’t know what condi- tions will be when we get there.” Nellie came up to him as he stood wait- ing for the captain. “T want to thank you,” she eaanea “but I can't—I simply can’t. There aren’t any words ‘Then don’t try to find them,” he inter- rupted with a smile. “I told you once that there was nothing in the world I so desired as to see you look happy again. T saw you look almost happy a moment ago.” “Yes,” she said. “When I felt my father kiss me, then I was happy. I had given up the hope of ever seeing him alive again. That is why I can not find words to thank you. You have given me the most precious gift in the world. You will come down to the other camp tonight if you can?P”’ “Yes,” he said. “As soon as I find Phil safe I will hurry to you.” She held out her hand to him with a sud- den impulse. “‘Good-by,” she said, her voice © choking. ‘And God bless you.” Venn SHE turned swiftly and left him as (Ge) y) Carter rejoined him, carrying one of the rifles. | “All ready, sir,” he said. Otto Blaydon came to them and wrung each by the hand. “Good luck to you,” he said earnestly. “And get Phil out of this if you can. He’s a fine boy. He’d have to be, with the fine father he had.” They threaded their way in silence down the shore until they reached the machine resting quietly on the beach. Ward showed the captain how to get into her, and took his own seat beside the passenger, painfully conscious of the fact that Carter was nerv- ous enough to need watching and reassur- ing until he became accustomed to the new sensation at least. But a few minutes of steady circling put the novice fairly at his ease. He was evi- dently a man of ample self-control, and he exerted it to the utmost as the roaring of the motor and the shrieking of the wind deaf- . ened him. Over their heads the clouds had been breaking, and now the stars were peeping out. There was, however, no moon, and the earth lay below them black: and im- penetrable, and so covered with shadow that they could not even guess at their alti- tude. Ward kept his pocket-flash con- stantly illuminating his aneroid barometer. He did not head for Hackett’s until he had once more reached a height at which his motor would be inaudible from the ground EOPMIE OO KS (E@)