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Cari, although the discovery of the air ship stretched
his nerves to tightest tension and filled him with fluttering
hope, kept the news of his discovery to himself. If the
Hawk was really heading lakeward, Brady, if he knew it,’
might realize the possibilities of escape which it would -
’ afford the two boys and take measures to keep the Chris-
tina away from the air ship. _ /
. “No one is going to be hauled over the coals, Ferral,”
said Brady. ‘When we put you ashore, it will be in a
place from which it will take you a good long while to get
back to Chicago. Before you get back, I'll have a man
buy the Hawk, and I and my friends will make a quick
getaway to parts unknown. The Hawk means liberty. for
me, for I can’t dodge around on the ground and keep
clear of the police much longer. Are you going to hand
that money over, or have we got to take it away from
you?” . Sm
Shifting his sheath knife to his left hand, Ferral drew
the roll of bills from his pocket and stowed it snugly in
the breast of his blue shirt. os a
“If you get this money you'll have to take it,” said he
defiantly, “and if that two-faced sea cook you say is your
son comes too close to me, I’ll get him on the point of this
dirk.” - :
Covertly, Carl was watching the round swaying speck
in the heavens. That it was round, proved that he was
looking toward the end of the gas bag, which, seen length-
wise, would have been of cigar-shaped proportions; and
the fact that the object-was growing larger by swift de-
grees, proved that it was coming closer to the sailboat.
. “Enough of this foolishness,” scowled Brady, drawing
a revolver and leveling it at Ferral over the end of the
cabin. ‘‘Take that money out of your shirt and throw it
this way. If you make a miss throw and land it in the
lake, I'll plug you for that just as quick as I would for
not throwing it at all. It’s up to you,” he added warn-
ingly, “and I’m not going to wait all day.”
Carl, in the moment of silence that intervened, suddenly
hurled the boat hook with all his strength. The move was
entirely unexpected on Brady’s part, and he was caught
unawares. The handle of-the hook struck his arm a vio-
lent blow, knocking the weapon out of his fingers and
dropping it overboard.
A yell of rage went up from Brady.
“Kick off your shoes, Tick,” whispered Carl excitedly.
“Ven I gif der vort, chump indo der lake. I know vat
I know, und I dell you it vas all righdt. Do schust vat I
say, aber don’d say somet’ing.” .
_ The presence of the air ship was unknown to everyone
on the sailboat except Carl. To-Ferral it looked like sui-
cide to jump into the lake, with no other boat anywhere
in sight. , :
“ll kill you for that!” bawled Brady to Carl.
The Dutch boy paid no attention. He-had already
kicked off his shoes and pulled off his coat. Holding his
coat in his hand, he leaped to the top of the cabin and be-
gan waving it frantically. :
The Bradys, the Norwegian and the Swede swept the
surface of the lake with their eyes. Even then their
glances fell too low to give them a glimpse of the Hawk.
Ferral had got rid of his shoes, although he was still
reluctant about taking to the water. Carl did not give
him much time to consider the matter, but grabbed him
by the arm and, when the little craft heeled to a strong
gust of wind, pulled him overboard.
f
pull you up.” |
MOTOR STORIES.
CHAPTER IV.
. RESCUED.
anf
All those on the Christina were astounded at the move
-made by the two boys.
“Leave ’em in the water for a while!” shouted Brady,
Sr. “I guess that'll take the ginger out of ’em. Don’t be
in any hurry, captain, about turning around.” :
The ‘captain could not have turned very quickly,’ even
if he had wanted to. With all sail set, the Christina was
driving through the water at race-horse speed. _ It would
take time, and she would inevitably have to get a long
way from the boys before she could be put about.
Both Carl and Ferral were good swimmers and had
little difficulty in keeping themselves afloat, hampered
though they were with their wet clothing.
_ “We're in for it now, Carl!” gurgled Ferral. ‘That
sailboat will put about and we'll be hauled aboard—then
that swab of a Brady will have us just where he wants
us.” Ferral rose in the water, shook his head: to clear.
his eyes, and peered after the Christina., “They’re com-
ing around now,” he’adéled. , .
“Led dem come aroundt all vat dey -blease,” sputtered
Carl; “Matt vill pull us oudt oof der vet pefore dey ged
here.” :
~ “Matt?” echoed Ferral.
“Look oferheadt vonce, Tick.”
’ Ferral took a look upward. Rushing toward that part
of the lake and swooping downward like a huge bird was
an air ship. The strange craft was almost upon him and
Carl. Two men were leaning over the guard rail of the
car on each side; both held coiled ropes in their hands,
and one of them was shouting instructions to Matt, who
.W&s in charge of the motor. - ,
The Christina was forging along on the back, track, the
Bradys well forward and clinging to ropes while they
watched the manceuvres of the Hawk: It must have been
apparent to them that the Hawk would pick up the boys
before the Christina could come anywhere near them.
Splash! splash! :
Two ropes dropped in the water just’as the Hawk, with
.a graceful, gliding motion, came to an even keel some fif-
teen or twenty feet above the surface of the lake. The
whirling propeller lessened its speed and the air ship hov-
ered over the water. oo oS
“Grab the ropes!” shouted a voice from the Hawk’s
car, .
- It was a useless suggestion, for the ropes had already
been caught.
~ “Can you climb up?” called one of the men. “It isn’t
safe to bring the air ship any closer to the water.”
Climbing the rope was easy for Ferral. Hand over
hand he lifted himself upward, was caught by the man
and pulled over the rail and into the car, But Carl was
no sailor, and every time he tried to climb the rope he
slid back into the water again.
“Hang hard,” shouted the man in the car, “and we'll
The Christina, by then, was quite close. Carl had
hardly been lifted clear of the water before the crack of
a revolver rang out.
Brady, Jr., had passed his own revolver to his father, .
and the latter was peckin t lash rated
under the car of the air chp. at Carl as he. 8y
“Keep a firm hold on that rope!” cried the man in the
ap sr tr tee tat ey eg ee