Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-05-27

I,.Itied every two inches. and they
Wcome together out here in the CEN
Ter knot. It Just balances on that
"Your tails light one"
cts long enough, and 1t spreads
enough to catch the wind. IL ism the
mere weight you want in n tail. your
kite,s balanced. The wind blows
aoains. the tail as hard as anywhere
else" :.
"Of course it will, with cross pun
of wind: but it III come right up again:
That won't happen very often. III
send her up. You wait and see."
The other kites were all up now, ex-
cept Parley's broken one, and most OF
them were cutting queer antics, be-
cause. as Sim explained. their fore
bands were tied wrong, and their tails
"did not fit them" ~,
"Tbe Chinese could teach us. But,
the way we make kites. there's rs much
in the tail as i'm anything else"
"Oh, but our kites are covered with
paper, and you've put some old SILK ON
yours"
"Of course I have. It isn't much
heavier. The Chinese use thin paper
that's as good as silk. 1t won't wet
through"
..WetP On, Sim, it looks as II
storm is coming now"
So it did, and Sims big kite was go
ing up, up, up very fast, and he was
letting the strong brown string run rap
idly off from a sort of reel he held IN
his hand.
"Pull in your kites, boys" shouted
Farley. Lets cut for home"
al want to see Sim fly his.
.sYou all pull in yours, and we go
into the cattle shed. It's only show
er. can fly mine from the door,.
The shed was close ut hand, and the
door was wide one. In three minutes
more, Just as the first drops came down.
there was quite a crowd of boys behind
Sim, as he stood a little inside: and
watched his kite. His reel was almost
empty now, and the big kite looked q
good deal smaller than when 1t started.
''How steady it isr'
1T pulls hard, though"
There comes the rain"
Thunder and lightning too"
Sim had fastened his wooden reel
against the door-post, on a hook that
was there, but he kept his hand on the
string.
IL declare. boys! Feel of that! The
strings wet, and It's making a lightning
rod OF itself"
Farley, and Joe and Bob, and two or
three Others, felt of it at once.
Lightning Why. Sim," said Bob,
al know better than that. I've had an
electric shock before"
"That's all it is" said Farley.
"Well," replied Sim, didn't you
ever hear of DIR. franklin We're do
ing just what he did. He discovered
electricity with kite. A wet kite string
was the first lightning-rod there ever
was in the world"
"LightningP" exclaimed Bob. Don't
you bring any in here. won't touch
it again"
Ibid lightning ever strike anybody
when he was flying kite" asked Joe.
"Not that / ever heard Of" said
Sim. "But it's beginning to pour hard.
I'll reel in my Kite till the storms
over"
He unlocked his reel rs he spoke,
but 1t was well he took good strong
hold of it. The wind must have been
blowing gale up where the kite was,
and the string was very strong one for
its size.
81 declare! Why"
But the next the boys knew, Sim
Vedder was out in the rain, with that
kite Juggling at him. He would not let
go, and he could not stop himself, and
the sloping pasture before him was all
down hill. On he went, faster and
faster, till his foot slipped, and down he
went full length. He held on. though.
like good fellow, and there he lay in
the wet grass. with the rain pouring
upon him, Juggling his best at his big
kite.
The wind lulled little, and Sim be-
gan to work his reel. Slowly at first,
then faster; and about the time the rain
stopped, the wind almost died out, and
the wonderful kite came in.
There isn't a stick of IL broken"
said Sim, triumphantly. 'nor n fore
band. That's because they were made
right. and put on SO they all help each
other"
"Oh, but amt you wetr' exclaimed
three or four boys at once.
Well, yes; he was. indeed, very wet.
W. o. Stoddard, tn Harper's Young
People.