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Show ELEVENTH EPISODE 1 1 J f "'Dropped From the Sky." H ': ; "i I 'Tvo hit them I" I ' In T' li It: was j01pez- Hc hnd snatched up H' I'l V anotlier bolt from the ground, and H I j j M pushing Manuel aside had taken con- H'ij I J ,! ;; trol of the gun himself and directed H Jf L ) his Are on the machine hovering over I j' , t, the canyon. I ' ilr H t0ld the trUth HIs bullets had I ; i , SI? n,t the mark, and they to.re through M ' ; aMl! tlie '5vInEs of tc machine, many of I r lull' them narrowly missing its occupants. I 1 I II Liberty had been so used to thrills I - . fi f of late that aeroplaning, in the fdee ! ! ' ; o Mexican bullets, high above the ; earth, failed to create any extraordi- ! ' Anil 11R7? excitement on her part. But, I i i .If with Pedro it was different. He had I t ijij ' not spoken a word since they ascended, I i j i il and, as Liberty turned and glanced ji 3r . at the old slave she noted his eyes I ) seemed to be bulging from their I Wm sockets. I j Stjj! The shots from the machine gun had 4 I m affected tho engine and, disorganized I j 1 BmS the entire workings of the machine. I i ; iil In terror, Liberty, when she fully I, - MM realized the awful death which await-I await-I " aljjJ ed them all, grasped the arm of the i gBJK man beside her, while Pedro's yellow I - I ffll ' skin seemed to turn white with fear. I i ! tm 1116 avIator EtrngSled with all his I 1 ' I W strength to move the lever. Ho rose I ' 1) ! fj from his seat and grabbing the thing I J 1 ldP th both hands placed the entire I ' ' 1 Bl weight of his body against It. In I j iR tQB meantime, the machino was falling I ! Imi plunging straight to its doom with I ill fM LPez and Manuel standing below, I ' M! Inning as they looked on. For Lopez f'WPO kneU" he had hlt hIs mark. and had 'j.! H!B ceased firing. ' ij3j Finally, as they neared the earth, : ' i HnJ th one powerful jerk, the aviator : i ' M l managed to throw the lever back, and ' 'tM tho engIne ntterlng and snapping, . fffl3 inCe an nngry beast' foUed In its at- I' W- temPt to destroy, gradually softened : lts anger and then became silent. f lij j were saved by the inevitable ! ) eu -uj. viuvxuence. or tne macliine, , i M seemed bent on destruction, and before jjf the operator gained control of it, the I j 1 I H aeroplane crashed lo earth, right In , J M mJ center tho Insurrectos camp. ' 1 j l) " kopez and his followers ran to tho- i 3j spot, expecting to see the occupants . : , 'I m crushed, beneath Its mass of debris. ; Instead, however, when they reached i 1 j Ji! b wreckage they were almost i ll m startled by seeing them crawling out ; Mi ffl v confuslcm of metal and wood, o n . which lay in a crumpled heap on the ; . m 'groJnld- Tho only injuries the party i " 11 stained were a few bruises suffered - 1 i i ft Z7 avIator and Q C0UPle ot slight Hi I? ?6? 0n Pedro'5 faco- Liberty, 1 7 III lh had.:f0d herself beside the en-1 1 ' li W vnt later lt eroded and set flro -1 - It wreckage, which soon consumed 1 ' iH) i B;cbJne' leavlDB nothing but a . 1 I heaP of charred remains. '1 ;H f fle.ndlsQ the eyes of m I'l l w enSs70U have plUDKed rIsht I! ingnexlfdehl8Ch 'M -ill u F,l t,he moment liberty's hopes M , ; banished, and she feared that Winston r and his troops were now at the mercy , of Lopez and the insurrectos. Finally her courage returned. Stepping up to the burly Lopez, and looking him straight in the eye, he said :. 'Tou have no right to detain mo. I nm an officer's wife and demand safe conduct for myself and servant ncross the border 1" Lopez listened to her and then Inughed heartily. "So, you want safo passage across the border," ho replied In mimicry. 'Tou arc tho wife of an officer, all right, but this is not regular warfare. Do you think we bring you down from up there, just to send you across the border? We don't play tho game that way." Then ho motioned to a couple of his men. "Keep them under guard," he ordered. The two prisoners were taken away and placed In tents next to that of tho chief. "Now then, wo can carry out our plans," said Lopez as he turned to Manuel. After some consultation, Manuel left Lopez and went from man to man giving giv-ing orders, which the rangers soon learned was an order to attack, for ' each man proceeded to load his gun and take his place behind some shelter. When they opened fire on the rangers, rang-ers, every one of Itutlcdge's rden was ready and the attack was valiantly repelled. Finally Lopez ordered Manuel Man-uel to cease from firing and to starve out the rangers. Thut night while the Insurrectos were asleep a courier arrived with intrusions in-trusions from Alvlra. Liberty, who was sheltered In the tent next to the chief's, was awakened by voices, and putting her ear against its side she listened. "I am commanded by Alvlra to inform in-form yon that your troops are to assemble as-semble at "the pass of EI Diablo," said the courier. "We are going to attack the Americans tonight." Then she called to Pedro, who was in the next tent. He did not answer. She called again, but still no reply. Finally, realizing that he must bo sleeping, Liberty cautiously slipped outside. The sentry was some distance away. She crept Into Pedro's tent and Xound him fast asleep. Going to his I side she shook him and he jumped up rubbing his eyes. "Quick, Pedro!" she exclaimed. 'We must warn the Major. They are going to attack." In an Instant Pedro was wide awake. He listened as his mistress gave hlra instructions to get one of the horses and ride hard towards the roops. Then she left him and returned to her own tent to make preparations to escape. Pedro pulled back the flap of his tent and hid In the dark shadows, just Inside, as he waited for the sentry to pass by. He had not long to wait. For presently pres-ently the Mexican, his gun on his shoulder, came strolling lazily along. When ho reached tho opening he hesitated hesi-tated a moment and looked Inside. As ho fit 1-7 on Tnlnsv ! 1 1.1 . bore him to the ground. Then the slave proceeded to strip off tho sentry's clothes, which ho put on himself, and taking his gun, ho stepped to the opening and peered out. Tho Mexicans were already beginning to gather at the lower end of tho camp. Pulling his hat down over his eyes, and shouldering his gun he stepped step-ped out and began pacing up and down, and, when nobody was looking, he slipped into Liberty's tent. He was surprised to find his mistress already dressed as a sentry, and standing stand-ing at "attention." An unconscious Mexican, sprawled out on the ground, in one corner, explained where sho had got tho clothes. "There is a horse right In the rear of these tents,", whispered Liberty. "Take lt and rldo for your life to the rangers." "You must not stay here," returned Pedro, who was anxious about' the safety of his mistress. "I will follow you," she added. "Now then, hurry." With that Pedro stepped ontslde, and following tho shadows, mado his way slowly and silently to the rear of Liberty's tent, where he found the promised horse. He leaped Into the saddle, and, an Instant later was riding rid-ing through the canyon, with tho camp gradually being left behind him. When he had gone, Liberty took up the duty of sentry and paced back and forth in front of her tent. Presently sho saw another sentry coming down tho line. Sho hesitated as she watched him approach. Stepping in the darkness, dark-ness, bcsldo hero tent, she waited for him, and when he was just about to pass she raised her gun and brought it down on his head. He fell to the ground with a moan. Dragging hlsi body off the road, she left him and ran to a horse, belonging to one of the Mexicans, which was tied in the thicket, and Jumped into the saddle.' Then sho started off In the direction of the desert. Meantlmo Lopez went to Manuel's tent and ordered him to muster' his men. As he was returning ho noticed the tend whore Pedro had been imprisoned impris-oned was apparently deserted, and going go-ing over he glanced in. All that he found was a sentry, half-dressed, seated seat-ed on tho ground rub"blng his head. " "Where's your prisoner I" he shouted to the man. "Gone," replied the Mexican, as ho tried to set up. "Escaped eh," grunted Lopez. "Tou sure you didn't let him get away!" "He hit me over tho head with a gun," mumbled the man. Ho left the sentry moaning with pain and hurried to Liberty's tent Hero he was greeted with a similar scene. He took one look and then rushed about ln a wild rage. "I believe that dog, Manuel, had something to do with this," he ro-marked ro-marked to one of his aides. "I want him watched, and tho first suspicious move he makes wo will show him how Lopez treats n traitor." He ordered two of his men to start at onco In search of Liberty and Pedro, whom ho believed were on their way to Major Winston's camp. While Lopez and his men were getting get-ting ready to surprise Major Winston and his troops, the latter was wondering wonder-ing what fate had befallen Liberty and. The Aeroplane Had Crashed to Earth, her faithful slave. Ho had not seen them since the sharp fighting up In the canyon, and, he had no doubts about their being held by Lopez and his band somewhere ahead of him. his duty to try and follow this murderous mur-derous vlllian and his bloodthirsty followers, fol-lowers, and endeavor to fight them to a finish and capture Lopez. In tho meantime Pedro was testing every ounce of his horse's strength and speed as he raced in the direction of Winston's troopers. Not far ahead of him was a dispatch car, which had left the camp of the Insurrectos just before he began his j ride. He had been trying madly to overtake it, but it managed to keep ahead of him. Tho chase kent un for spvpm! mllp.; Ho was not certain whether it contained con-tained friends or enemies. Perhaps it carried some of the Major's scouts who had located the camp of Lopez and were returning to notify their commander. com-mander. At last the camp came Into view. He saw lt as he rounded theroad, which ascended to n considerable height in the Chihuahua foothills. Tho car climbed the hill and Pedro followed fol-lowed Boveral leagues behind. The slave kept his eyes fixed on lt as his j horse panted up the steep Incline. Half way up the hill there was a long, level stretch of road for some distance, and when the car reached this it increased ln speed. Then, as Pedro watched, ho 8aw something happen which caused him tp jerk back his horse's head. He stood up in the stirrupB and leaned forward as he held his breath, Tho sight that he saw mado his blood run cold and paralyzed his whole body. For, as tho car speeded along, It suddenly swerved at a bend ln the road, and the next instant went turn, bling down the embankment, rolling 1 over and over as It went. (TO BE CONTINUED.! |