the night-born-第17节

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half　a　dozen　San　Francisco　detectives　arrived；　and　several

hours　later　the　secretary；　in　high　excitement；　erupted　on　Peter

Winn。



〃It's　come！〃　the　secretary　gasped；　the　sweat　beading　his

forehead　and　his　eyes　bulging　behind　their　glasses。



〃What　has　come？〃　Peter　demanded。　〃Itthethe　loo…loo　bird。〃



Then　the　financier　understood。



〃Have　you　gone　over　the　mail　yet？〃



〃I　was　just　going　over　it；　sir。〃



〃Then　continue；　and　see　if　you　can　find　another　letter　from　our

mysterious　friend；　the　pigeon　fancier。〃



The　letter　came　to　light。　It　read：



Mr。　Peter　Winn；

HONORABLE　SIR：　Now　dont　be　a　fool。　If　youd　came　through；　your

shack　would　not　have　blew　upI　beg　to　inform　you　respectfully；

am　sending　same　pigeon。　Take　good　care　of　same；　thank　you。　Put

five　one　thousand　dollar　bills　on　her　and　let　her　go。　Dont　feed

her。　Dont　try　to　follow　bird。　She　is　wise　to　the　way　now　and

makes　better　time。　If　you　dont　come　through；　watch　out。



Peter　Winn　was　genuinely　angry。　This　time　he　indited　no　message

for　the　pigeon　to　carry。　Instead；　he　called　in　the　detectives；

and；　under　their　advice；　weighted　the　pigeon　heavily　with　shot。

Her　previous　flight　having　been　eastward　toward　the　bay；　the

fastest　motor…boat　in　Tiburon　was　commissioned　to　take　up　the

chase　if　it　led　out　over　the　water。



But　too　much　shot　had　been　put　on　the　carrier；　and　she　was

exhausted　before　the　shore　was　reached。　Then　the　mistake　was

made　of　putting　too　little　shot　on　her；　and　she　rose　high　in

the　air；　got　her　bearings　and　started　eastward　across　San

Francisco　Bay。　She　flew　straight　over　Angel　Island；　and　here

the　motor…boat　lost　her；　for　it　had　to　go　around　the　island。



That　night；　armed　guards　patrolled　the　grounds。　But　there　was

no　explosion。　Yet；　in　the　early　morning　Peter　Winn　learned　by

telephone　that　his　sister's　home　in　Alameda　had　been　burned　to

the　ground。



Two　days　later　the　pigeon　was　back　again；　coming　this　time　by

freight　in　what　had　seemed　a　barrel　of　potatoes。　Also　came

another　letter：



Mr。　Peter　Winn；

RESPECTABLE　SIR：　It　was　me　that　fixed　yr　sisters　house。　You

have　raised　hell；　aint　you。　Send　ten　thousand　now。　Going　up　all

the　time。　Dont　put　any　more　handicap　weights　on　that　bird。　You

sure　cant　follow　her；　and　its　cruelty　to　animals。



Peter　Winn　was　ready　to　acknowledge　himself　beaten。　The

detectives　were　powerless；　and　Peter　did　not　know　where　next

the　man　would　strikeperhaps　at　the　lives　of　those　near　and

dear　to　him。　He　even　telephoned　to　San　Francisco　for　ten

thousand　dollars　in　bills　of　large　denomination。　But　Peter　had

a　son；　Peter　Winn；　Junior；　with　the　same　firm…set　jaw　as　his

fathers；；　and　the　same　knitted；　brooding　determination　in　his

eyes。　He　was　only　twenty…six；　but　he　was　all　man；　a　secret

terror　and　delight　to　the　financier；　who　alternated　between

pride　in　his　son's　aeroplane　feats　and　fear　for　an　untimely　and

terrible　end。



〃Hold　on；　father；　don't　send　that　money；〃　said　Peter　Winn；

Junior。　〃Number　Eight　is　ready；　and　I　know　I've　at　last　got

that　reefing　down　fine。　It　will　work；　and　it　will　revolutionize

flying。　Speedthat's　what's　needed；　and　so　are　the　large

sustaining　surfaces　for　getting　started　and　for　altitude。　I've

got　them　both。　Once　I'm　up　I　reef　down。　There　it　is。　The

smaller　the　sustaining　surface；　the　higher　the　speed。　That　was

the　law　discovered　by　Langley。　And　I've　applied　it。　I　can　rise

when　the　air　is　calm　and　full　of　holes；　and　I　can　rise　when　its

boiling；　and　by　my　control　of　my　plane　areas　I　can　come　pretty

close　to　making　any　speed　I　want。　Especially　with　that　new

Sangster…Endholm　engine。〃



〃You'll　come　pretty　close　to　breaking　your　neck　one　of　these

days；〃　was　his　father's　encouraging　remark。



〃Dad；　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　come　pretty　close　to…ninety　miles

an　hourYes；　and　a　hundred。　Now　listen！　I　was　going　to　make　a

trial　tomorrow。　But　it　won't　take　two　hours　to　start　today。

I'll　tackle　it　this　afternoon。　Keep　that　money。　Give　me　the

pigeon　and　I'll　follow　her　to　her　loft　where　ever　it　is。　Hold

on；　let　me　talk　to　the　mechanics。〃



He　called　up　the　workshop；　and　in　crisp；　terse　sentences　gave

his　orders　in　a　way　that　went　to　the　older　man's　heart。　Truly；

his　one　son　was　a　chip　off　the　old　block；　and　Peter　Winn　had　no

meek　notions　concerning　the　intrinsic　value　of　said　old　block。



Timed　to　the　minute；　the　young　man；　two　hours　later；　was　ready

for　the　start。　In　a　holster　at　his　hip；　for　instant　use；　cocked

and　with　the　safety　on；　was　a　large…caliber　automatic　pistol。

With　a　final　inspection　and　overhauling　he　took　his　seat　in　the

aeroplane。　He　started　the　engine；　and　with　a　wild　burr　of　gas

explosions　the　beautiful　fabric　darted　down　the　launching　ways

and　lifted　into　the　air。　Circling；　as　he　rose；　to　the　west；　he

wheeled　about　and　jockeyed　and　maneuvered　for　the　real　start　of

the　race。



This　start　depended　on　the　pigeon。　Peter　Winn　held　it。　Nor　was

it　weighted　with　shot　this　time。　Instead；　half　a　yard　of　bright

ribbon　was　firmly　attached　to　its　legthis　the　more　easily　to

enable　its　flight　being　followed。　Peter　Winn　released　it；　and

it　arose　easily　enough　despite　the　slight　drag　of　the　ribbon。

There　was　no　uncertainty　about　its　movements。　This　was　the

third　time　it　had　made　particular　homing　passage；　and　it　knew

the　course。



At　an　altitude　of　several　hundred　feet　it　straightened　out　and

went　due　cast。　The　aeroplane　swerved　into　a　straight　course

from　its　last　curve　and　followed。　The　race　was　on。　Peter　Winn；

looking　up；　saw　that　the　pigeon　was　outdistancing　the　machine。

Then　he　saw　something　else。　The　aeroplane　suddenly　and

instantly　became　smaller。　It　had　reefed。　Its　high…speed

plane…design　was　now　revealed。　Instead　of　the　generous　spread

of　surface　with　which　it　had　taken　the　air；　it　was　now　a　lean

and　hawklike　monoplane　balanced　on　long　and　exceedingly　narrow

wings。



　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　。



When　young　Winn　reefed　down　so　suddenly；　he　received　a

surprise。　It　was　his　first　trial　of　the　new　device；　and　while

he　was　prepared　for　increased　speed　he　was　not　prepared　for

such　an　astonishing　increase。　It　was　better　than　he　dreamed；

and；　before　he　knew　it；　he　was　hard　upon　the　pigeon。　That

little　creature；　frightened　by　this；　the　most　monstrous　hawk　it

had　ever　seen；　immediately　darted　upward；　after　the　manner　of

pigeons　that　strive　always　to　rise　above　a　hawk。



In　great　curves　the　monoplane　followed　upward；　higher　and

higher　into　the　blue。　It　was　difficult；　from　underneath　to　see

the　pigeon。　and　young　Winn　dared　not　lose　it　from　his　sight。　He

even　shook　out　his　reefs　in　order　to　rise　more　quickly。　Up；　up

they　went；　until　the　pigeon；　true　to　its　instinct；　dropped　and

struck　at　what　it　to　be　the　back　of　its　pursuing　enemy。　Once

was　enough；　for；　evidently　finding　no　life　in　the　smooth　cloth

surface　of　the　machine；　it　ceased　soaring　and　straightened　out

on　its　eastward　course。



A　carrier　pigeon　on　a　passage　can　achieve　a　high　rate　of　speed；

and　Winn　reefed　again。　And　again；　to　his　satisfaction；　be　found

that　he　was　beating　the　pigeon。　But　this　time　he　quickly　shook

out　a　portion　of　his　reefed　sustaining　surface　and　slowed　down

in　time。　From　then　on　he　knew　he　had　the　chase　safely　in　hand；

and　from　then　on　a　chant　rose　to　his　lips　which　he　continued　to

sing　at　intervals；　and　unconsciously；　for　the　rest　of　the

passage。　It　was：　〃Going　some；　going　some；　what　did　I　tell

you！going　some。〃



Even　so；　it　was　not　all　plain　sailing。　The　air　is　an　unstable

medium　at　best；　and　quite　without　warning；　at　an　acute　angle；

he　entered　an　aerial　tide　which　he　recognized　as　the　gulf

stream　of　wind　that　poured　through　the　drafty…mouthed　Golden

Gate。　His　right　wing　caught　it　firsta　sudden；　sharp　puff　that

lifted　and　tilted　the　monoplane　and　threatened　to　capsize　it。

But　he　rode　with　a　sensitive　〃loose　curb；〃　and　quickly；　but　not

too　quickly；　he　shifted　the　angles　of　his　wing…tips；　depressed

the　front　horizontal　rudder；　and　swung　over　the　rear　vertical

rudder　to　meet　the　tilting　thrust　of　the　wind。　As　the　machine

came　back　to　an　even　keel；　and　he　knew　that　he　was　now　wholly

in　the　invisible　stream；　he　readjusted　the　wing…tips；　rapidly

away　from　him　during　the　several　moments　of　his　discomfiture。



The　pigeon　drove　straight　on　for　the　Alameda　County　shore；　and

it　was　near　this　shore　that　Winn　had　another　experience。　He

fell　into　an　air…hole。　He　had　fallen　into　air…holes　before；　in

previous　flights；　but　this　was　a　far　larger　one　than　he　had

ever　encountered。　With　his　eyes　strained　on　the　ribbon　attached

to　the　pigeon；　by　that　fluttering　bit　of　color　he　marked　his

fall。　Down　he　went；　at　the　pit　of　his　stomach　that　old　sink

sensation　which　he　had　known　as　a　boy　he　first　negotiated

quick…starting　elevators。　But　Winn；　among　other　secrets　of

aviation；　had　learned　that　to　go　up　it　was　sometimes　necessary

first　to　go　down。　The　air　had　refused　to　hold　him。　Ins