The Phantom Airman

est, as far as the eye could reach, in every direction, the illimitable waste of desert stretched, save only

a dozen men all told, and as many noble, fiery Arab steeds. The men were well armed, with modern weapons, too. There had been too much loot in the Mesopotamian campaign during recent years for the Arab sheik and his followers to find m

omething. But what caravan, with its tinkling bells, its camels and spices, its rich silks and ladings from Persia or from Damascus had awakened

expected; their eyes were directed one and all towards the skie

vens filled

of magi

the purple

wn with cos

Aerial Mail, which they knew to be carrying vast treasures of

instincts, were none other than our friends, Rittmeister von Spitzer, and his companions Carl and Max, the

utlaws of the nations of the world, and though for a little while success and fame might atte

ended by a rope ladder from one of the smaller trees, where an observation post had be

eplied the operator, unclamping the receivers

unning to sch

s,

al departure messa

t announced that a distinguished passe

, who, to maintain his influence over the wild sons of the desert, was weari

of Bangalore," replied Max

ndian troops for the Mesopotamian campaign, and made it possible

at St. James's Palace for some eminent servic

wels and his household gods with him; it is the custom of these eastern potentates. I will strip him as the locust strips the vine. I will give his jewels to th

V--S--M," for it had come through the ether by wireless telegraphy and not by wireless telephone, like the first message. The reason was obvious. One message was for public intelligence and for use in the newspapers, and the other was for m

hich the message was written, and retired to the small hangar

ts they are to play, and give Carl a hand with the vibration drum. The great liner is almost due. You may tell the sheik that i

to be relieved of his monotonous task of listening hour after hour for co

ery margin of the pool. That wonderful instrument, the vibrative drum, which is fashioned somewhat on the principle of the human ear, but with a lar

ke the stillness of the desert, they would listen acutely, turnin

remarked Carl, after a brief pause in their

nometer, and making a rapid calculation to allow for the diffe

re to follow th

rtest route," replie

thin three or four miles

e drifted a little

brator even if they were fifty mil

oubt

exclaimed Max in a slightly ner

ws over there must be quiet; they're g

, Carl; you speak

postulating for a while with the sheik, he gained

affixed to the trees, and most of all by that strange, weird machine, hidden away behind the s

heavens with marvellous ease and descend with like facility--bearing its hu

en by these brave, proud men, and it was only the largesse and the promise of still better things to co

Evidently the approach of the airship had been indicated by the sensitive drum, but, ere Carl reached the margin of the p

Rittmeister

e. Come her

he liner, left the drum, for he knew there would be plenty of time, and joined the other two by the hangar on the

ofessor?" he asked

replied the Rittmeister. "He will not be

r?" asked the othe

during the war, and now they are scout pilots in the British aerial police. They're the left-hand and the rig

ed Carl. "They're keen birds, both of them,

tence is the capacity of those remaining

pe round our necks as wel

two pilots, as though he would search their innermost souls, and make sure that they w

back upon our word. The die is cast!" and Carl

n, as the old sea pirates laughed before they blew

nounced it. As they approached the drum, they could now distinctly hear the hum of mighty engines though still forty mil

ft appr