Air Wonder Stories, December 1929 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

Suddenly as it had begun, the electrical display ceased and_left only the whine of the auxiliary motors to break the Silence. Then Manning saw a light appear near the base of the shadowy ship and, in its glow, he was able to make out-several persons. A tiny spark bobbed along toward the lighted manhole in the top of the Am- bassador, Then, to Richard’s surprise, there was a metallic sound, followed by a blood-curdling scream; the sparks flew off into space and the screaming grew fainter and fainter as the victim followed the tiny light down, down into the unfathomable depths, For an instant Manning, frozen with horror, clung to the ladder and wondered how it felt to be struck by a propeller rotating at high speed, and hurled off into an abyss. He was brought to his senses by the rattle of a machine gun, which was cutting a red streak through the darkness atthe edge of the manhole toward the light that shone from the Phantom; the officers of the liner were firing on the pirates. Manning raised his gun, aimed also toward the light, and pressed the trigger ; its-electrical missiles flashed among the shadowy figures. The new element entering into the conflict evidently frightened the Phantom’s crew; for the light went out, a loud hissing arose, and Manning saw the huge dark shape shoot away into. the night. / For the rest of the night, to most of the passengers of the liner, sleep was out of the question. There was one man, however, who returned to his berth as though nothing had happened, and that was Herrick. “Uncle: Dick has nerves of steel,” his nephew re- marked: “I really believe if the ship were on fire he would grumble about being disturbed.” Every one on board was anxious to hear Miss Huntington's story of the attack, and how it had hap- pened. The following is the story in her own words, as they appeared in the newspapers the next day. “T retired rather late and tossed for some time in my berth. Then I heard a loud hissing noise, that seemed to come from outside the ship. I sat up in bed and was terrified to see a terrible, ugly face peering. at me through: the porthole. I screamed, jumped out of bed, and rushed into the hall, only to be caught by that awful figure in black. If Mr. Manning hadn’t arrived on the scene, I dread to think of what would have become of me.” Of course the whole world was stirred up over the reappearance of the Phantom, and the world’s govern- ments renewed their efforts to run down that terror of bs air; but, as before, all their activities ended in ailure. ‘CHAPTER IV The Abduction URING the two weeks Manning spent in Europe; he saw a great deal of Margaret Huntington, the girl of the auburn hair. He also met and took a great liking to the blunt, grizzled old man who was her father. The magnetic personality of the young scientist and inventor had its effect in turn upon the flinty nature of the physicist. “Young Manning is a person,” he told a friend, “who will get ahead in this world. He has:some unique ideas and has enough force in his make-up to push his schemes to the finish. I should’be glad to give the dear- est thing I possess to such a fine young man.” Such a long discourse from Dr. Huntington was extra- ordinary, to say the least; but it showed the high esteem in which he held Richard Manning. AIR WONDER STORIES When Herrick had completed his business in Europe, he and Manning returned to America; and with them returned Margaret Huntington and her father. Her- rick .was disgusted at Manning’s affair with Miss Huntington, and did not endeavor in any way to dis- guise his feelings. “Love wasn’t made for scientists,” he grumbled. “Who ever heard of a scientist that amounted to a damn after he got married?” “How about R. L. Huntington?” Manning gleefully threw at him. Herrick growled something about “feather-brained youth,” and allowed the subject to drop for the time. So Richard pursued his wooing unhampered. He proposed, and was accepted. At last, the evening of the wedding arrived. Herrick had never been fully reconciled to his former ward’s infatuation; but the night of the wedding found him on hand. The: guests had all arrived and everything was in order. Young Manning, who should have been the happiest man in America, was plainly nervous; while Herrick was in strangely -good humor. He laughed and joked with almost everyone present, seeming the gayest of the guests. This mood struck Manning as being rather mercurial; because, just an hour before, at dinner, Herrick had told him very plainly that he did ~ not yet approve of the match—why, he did not: say. “T can’t figure out Uncle Dick these days,” Manning remarked to Dr. Huntington: “sometimes he acts like himself and then, at other times, he seems to be some other. person.” “Don’t try to understand, my boy,” said Huntington, dryly: “all of us old codgers get that way as we work up toward our second childhood.” Richard laughed and dismissed the matter from his mind. The time for the ceremony arrived, but the bride did not descend. Fifteen minutes dragged by, and still no Margaret. Finally, Dr. Huntington started upstairs to ‘see what was detaining her. “She’s probably still primping, or weeping, or doing some other fool thing,” he growled as he strode off. In a moment he reappeared at the top of the stairs. His face was ashy— “She’s-gone!’’ he cried frantically, and waved a yellow scrap of paper in his hand. Like a flash Manning was up the stairs. The condi- tion of Margaret’s boudoir told plainer than words what had happened. There had been a struggle; she and her servant had evidently been carried bodily from the room into a balcony that overlooked the garden. The French doors leading to the balcony were open and a small silk ‘handkerchief lying on the threshold proclaimed what had happened. A flier, of some type, had probably furnished the means of escape for the kidnappers. A chill passed through Manning’s heart, when he saw the condition of the room. This turned to dismay and utter dejection, as he read what was written on the piece of paper that Huntington handed him. It was a small yellow sheet torn from a pocket notebook; and on it were butgthree lines of typewritten words in red: “Margaret Huntington is dead to the world! The man who pursues dies, and he places all mankind in jeopardy! The ‘Phantom.’ ” Manning, after reading this terrible proclamation, cbhooks.com