Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

{ pha Pee) eh ge AT one eee 7 ¥ 7 4 THE ARK OF THE COVENANT 149 counter-with them in the. Merlin, once she was carrying her armament, would settle the business, I’m not so sure now. I don’t.know: where I’m going to begin.” “The problem is not at all a simple one,” Lord Almeric agreed. “But you are taking the only way in which you personally can deal with the situation, Jimmy. If you can persuade your government to be fully prepared 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. It will be an interesting fight if it ever occurs.” “There’s the devil of-it,” I said. “My bus would have a better chance of whacking them than any other in existence—I may sound a bit chesty when I say that, but you know how good she is——” . ‘ “T think I do,” he smiled, “and I don’t think you the least ‘chesty.’” ‘Well, then. I sell my design to the government, and so give a number of good fellows a chance to pull off the fight I want to have myself. I'd like to be selfish and hog the whole thing for James V. Boon.” “Nonsense, Jimmy,” said his lordship with a twinkle, “You'll play the game and give your side full benefit of your knowledge, You realize as well as- anyone _ that only good team-work will scotch-this menace.” “No, Hogging won't do,” I agreed. “T'll have to put the Merlin into the pool.” In an incredibly short time we were joined by the chief of the C. I. D., who. must have done violence to all the speed laws of the city. “What do you think of it, Pluscarden?” he de- manded. “Didn’t I-say Paris and Berlin, eh?” “Yes, you were right, Basildon.” “An astonishing thing about it to me is both cities beifig 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 twelve. this morning. The district round the Reichsbank was sub- jected to gas at that time, while the Berliners were still on their pleasures, It was seen that something queer was happening. Folk venturing over a certain fairly definite 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. “Tt did ot dawn on anyone,” he went on, “anyone in authority, for some time, that the’ city was going through a similar experience as that of New York and London—even though I had warned the-police yester- day 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. Boon?” . “Did they try to get above the district in the air?” I asked, passing him the pot. A Realization of War ss" THANKS,” he said. “I’m coming to that, While they were still fiddling 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 impassable. It was over an hour before the first air scout came wheeling over the district—the damned fools—and by. that time there was nothing to be seen above. or below. About two o’clock it was possible to get into the area, though here and there the police were overcome by the gas even then. Pockets, I suppose, where the fumes—or. whatever: it is—had not dispersed. Only the Reichsbank had been forced. There was no-gold to take, but not only had securities been destroyed, but the bulk of the ledgers had been absolutely obliterated by the use of acid. This: is amazingly good ham, Pluscarden—your own breeding?” “Good God!” said Lord Almeric. “Yes—the -ham is from the farm.” “T’ve seldom: tasted better,” said Sir Thomas calmly. “Yes,” he went on. “A pretty rotten trick! The usual boxes of radium had been left, this time in the bank itself. By one-thirty every available aeroplane was. in the ‘air, but though they may still be searching, up to now there has been neither sight nor sound of the raiders reported. That’s Berlin, Now, here’s a fact that will make you pause and consider, Mr. Boon. Within three hours, Paris was visited.” “One moment, Sir-Thomas,” Iinterrupted. “Three hours’ actual flight—or clock time?” “T mean three hours’ actual flight,” he replied. “I’m remembering the hour difference between Berlin and Paris. clocks. Shortly after three, Paris time, the raiders had descended on that city. Here some con- siderable time passed before it was discovered that any- thing uncommon was in progress. The raid was con- centrated on the Banque de France, and, if you remem- ber your Paris, there’s not much doing just there, even though the Avenue-de l’Opéra close by may be swarm- ing with night-birds. As soon as-the alarm was given —pretty much from the same circumstances as had become apparent in-Berlin—soldiers and gendarmerie were pushed along to surround the Banque, but they could not venture closer:than the north side of the Place des Victoires on the north and on a line from the Palais Royal on the south. The police brought gas-masks, with the same result as in Berlin. The even brought up a wagonful of oxygen tubes, which they drove slowly up Rue des Bons Enfants, releasing the gas as they went. But the driver of the camion was overcome and switched off his engines before they were half-way up the street, and the crew was so affected that nothing could be seen of what was hap- pening round the Banque. Meantime, there had been no delay in bringing up the air police, except for the time that had elapsed before the alarm was given, The airship was seen——” “Ah!” cried Lord Almeric, and I felt a thrill run up my. spine. “Tt was_seen,’ said Sir Thomas again. “I was sntiggled down on top of Rue Bailiff, hugging close to the buildings. The unfortunate thing is that both the scouts who saw it developed engine trouble and had to come down. One almost crashed in the Palais Royal Gardens—he hit a plane tree—but the other made a good landing in the Place du Carrousel. By the time the others. came up, the airship was gone, and although the French and we have been scouring the air—searchlights and everything—not a single trace of the airship has been discovered,” “What an. unlucky thing that the engines of both machines conked,” I said. : “T£ both pilots hadn’t been men of proved daring and pluck,” said Sir Thomas, “the inclination would be to say they funked, for when the engines were ex- amined, not a thing wrong could be found. It’s a mysterious affair. I can’t make it out.” one the airship have done anything to them?” I asked. : te - ) 6