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