the night-born-第15部分

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minor　details。　By　obtaining　control　of　a　certain　up…country

bank；　two　general　stores；　and　several　logging　camps；　he　could

come　into　control　of　a　certain　dinky　jerkwater　line　which　shall

here　be　nameless；　but　which；　in　his　hands；　would　prove　the　key

to　a　vastly　larger　situation　involving　more　main…line　mileage

almost　than　there　were　spikes　in　the　aforesaid　dinky　jerkwater。

It　was　so　simple　that　he　had　almost　laughed　aloud　when　it　came

to　him。　No　wonder　those　astute　and　ancient　enemies　of　his　had

passed　it　by。　



The　library　door　opened；　and　a　slender；　middle…aged　man；

weak…eyed　and　eye　glassed；　entered。　In　his　hands　was　an

envelope　and　an　open　letter。　As　Peter　Winn's　secretary　it　was

his　task　to　weed　out；　sort；　and　classify　his　employer's　mail。



〃This　came　in　the　morning　post；〃　he　ventured　apologetically　and

with　the　hint　of　a　titter。　〃Of　course　it　doesn't　amount　to

anything；　but　I　thought　you　would　like　to　see　it。〃



〃Read　it；〃　Peter　Winn　commanded；　without　opening　his　eyes。



The　secretary　cleared　his　throat。



〃It　is　dated　July　seventeenth；　but　is　without　address。　Postmark

San　Francisco。　It　is　also　quite　illiterate。　The　spelling　is

atrocious。　Here　it　is：



Mr。　Peter　Winn；

SIR：　I　send　you　respectfully　by　express　a　pigeon　worth　good

money。　She's　a　loo…loo〃



〃What　is　a　loo…loo？〃　Peter　Winn　interrupted。



The　secretary　tittered。



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know；　except　that　it　must　be　a　superlative　of

some　sort。　The　letter　continues：



Please　freight　it　with　a　couple　of　thousand…dollar　bills　and

let　it　go。　If　you　do　I　wont　never　annoy　you　no　more。　If　you

dont　you　will　be　sorry。　



〃That　is　all。　It　is　unsigned。　I　thought　it　would　amuse　you。〃



〃Has　the　pigeon　come？〃　Peter　Winn　demanded。



〃I'm　sure　I　never　thought　to　enquire。〃



〃Then　do　so。〃



In　five　minutes　the　secretary　was　back。



〃Yes；　sir。　It　came　this　morning。〃



〃Then　bring　it　in。〃



The　secretary　was　inclined　to　take　the　affair　as　a　practical

joke；　but　Peter　Winn；　after　an　examination　of　the　pigeon；

thought　otherwise。



〃Look　at　it；〃　he　said；　stroking　and　handling　it。　〃See　the

length　of　the　body　and　that　elongated　neck。　A　proper　carrier。　I

doubt　if　I've　ever　seen　a　finer　specimen。　Powerfully　winged　and

muscled。　As　our　unknown　correspondent　remarked；　she　is　a

loo…loo。　It's　a　temptation　to　keep　her。〃



The　secretary　tittered。



〃Why　not？　Surely　you　will　not　let　it　go　back　to　the　writer　of

that　letter。〃



Peter　Winn　shook　his　head。



〃I'll　answer。　No　man　can　threaten　me；　even　anonymously　or　in

foolery。〃



On　a　slip　of　paper　he　wrote　the　succinct　message；　〃Go　to　hell；〃

signed　it；　and　placed　it　in　the　carrying　apparatus　with　which

the　bird　had　been　thoughtfully　supplied。



〃Now　we'll　let　her　loose。　Where's　my　son？　I'd　like　him　to　see

the　flight。〃



〃He's　down　in　the　workshop。　He　slept　there　last　night；　and　had

his　breakfast　sent　down　this　morning。〃



〃He'll　break　his　neck　yet；〃　Peter　Winn　remarked；　half…fiercely；

half…proudly；　as　he　led　the　way　to　the　veranda。



Standing　at　the　head　of　the　broad　steps；　he　tossed　the　pretty

creature　outward　and　upward。　She　caught　herself　with　a　quick

beat　of　wings；　fluttered　about　undecidedly　for　a　space；　then

rose　in　the　air。



Again；　high　up；　there　seemed　indecision；　then；　apparently

getting　her　bearings；　she　headed　east；　over　the　oak…trees　that

dotted　the　park…like　grounds。



〃Beautiful；　beautiful；〃　Peter　Winn　murmured。　〃I　almost　wish　I

had　her　back。〃



But　Peter　Winn　was　a　very　busy　man；　with　such　large　plans　in

his　head　and　with　so　many　reins　in　his　hands　that　he　quickly

forgot　the　incident。　Three　nights　later　the　left　wing　of　his

country　house　was　blown　up。　It　was　not　a　heavy　explosion；　and

nobody　was　hurt；　though　the　wing　itself　was　ruined。　Most　of　the

windows　of　the　rest　of　the　house　were　broken；　and　there　was　a

deal　of　general　damage。　By　the　first　ferry　boat　of　the　morning

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