The Moon Colony

into

th sat up and looked around, and tw

was one of the mysterious flying machines that the newspapers talked about-like the one that captured

hat it had become as much of a habit to carry binoculars as it was to wear his nose. His observations corroborated Joan's statement concerning the Greyhound. In addition to that plan

the men-more than a thousand of them-were rushing pell mell hither and yon, gathering up large quantities of stuff,

hat are being loaded by the men at work. It was shot up into the air by s

ed, as she glanced through the binoculars.

means. Very likely the crews of all the airships stolen

around, and walk right out with all

was quite

t able to sneak into that place and get the Greyhound there

ps," she pointed out, "and it would be e

risk something.

followed. Then the hum of the machinery quieted down. Epworth drew out his watch. "It has been just ninety minutes since the first cylinder was fired," he asserted. "The s

ehensively. "I would rather run into a ne

Around the side of the cliff I see a place where it will be possi

gs down there," his sister obje

ong-bearded, hairy, and powerful. He was viciously whipping a smaller man while four men

ly, his mouth twitching angrily. "I won

ight to give himself voluntarily into captivity for the sake of the men who employed

ispered fiercely. "This racket must be cleaned

this country. It is foreign soil. The e

re are a thousand

," Epworth grumbled. "But just th

ings opened, an enormous cylinder was rolled out, twenty men go

ound get away from a

the disappearing ship

propellers," she a

st improvement on the German idea of shooting an airshi

he men in the valley, or rather huge crater-for it was patent that it had one time been a volcano and the fires were only now simmering in spots-were busy and did not see them, and they finally got safely behind the large han

y finally came up to several of the American planes. But they had been purposely battered. A wing had been destroyed, an engine had been put out of running, the propeller had

them were hundreds of women and children. Obviously it was some kind of a colony, and Epworth c

saltpeter into an enormous vat, and were being herded around by heavily armed guards

ong before the Greyhound would be dismantled. The pirate

er on the side of the mountain opposite from his possible approach. He and Joan would have to get

ning his liberty. If they remained in this crater it would be

and it would be hard to slip into the

it. When you get there jump in, and if we are attacked

is speed to keep even with the girl. They got to the door, Joan's hand was on it

urged. "Snap at it.

with a grunt, and Epworth, foot-working swiftly and dodging with the expertness of a prize fighter, evaded

rupulous robbers. He knew this by the way in which they destroyed airplanes.

an's legs from under him, and crashed his head against the ground. Before the other man could catch hi

ead, and straightened up. But before he could advance Epworth bounced forward, leaped into the o

dly and taxying across the rocky ground. If the e

al seconds it purred down and the Grey

ng it at the Greyhound he began to shoot. There were three propellers, and one by one, with uncanny aim, the giant disabled the bla

braced herself with her feet,

f the ship upward, was hurled against the cow