Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-06-25

Hight revealed the mysterious mechan-
ism within. ,.
| "'You see Ihave windows below tho
wings. When the machine becomes i
fish have to depend on electricity, of
which l have stored q sufficient supply
to afford light and motive power for
twenty-eight hours. Following the
curve Of the earth in this latitude and
going east or west, I have calculated
that the storage would bring me back
to this starting point.
| Here are the springs which cause
the machine to descend. It is also in
the interior arrangement and produces
the fish form. BY this button the depth
OF its immersion in the water is regu.
lated. A like arrangement on this side
gives the bird form when desired, and
regulates the elevation. This button
develops the electric force
! "All this had been said with SIM
plicity and assurance which 7urned my
head. must be dreaming. I reached
out my hand and touched Mr.. Brunton,
to assure myself that flesh and blood
stood before me. He was surprised, and
then, as IT understanding my gesture,
he said:
"'Yes, it is all surprising. Even to
me, when first dream ed of it, it all
seemed impossible. But I have taken
night journeys with my machine which
prove its reliability. On one occasion
remember surprising you at eleven
o'clock at night by calling at your house
| to give an order which I had omitted
when I saw you at noon. I crossed
Lake Michigan that night in just two
minutes!'
He must be mad, and yet 1 remem-
| Der the incident he mentioned.
Let me see you turn on the power,
said, with absolute incredulity as to
its existence.
"'Certainly, if yor wish it, he re-
| piled. Excuse me just moment and
he stepped into the open air. When out
side he touched spring just as the door
shut behind him, and-I tell you, the
| rest is too horrible to think Of
CHAPTER IL
| "a sudden blaze of light, an almost
imperceptible jerk, were my momentary
sensations when the door closed.
waited for Brunton's return, but a
| strange, rushing sound forced itself on
| my ears-a sound which could not I'M
| derstand. could iken it only to the
roar of cyclone. Could it be possible
! that real cyclone was approaching,
| and that was shut up in this trap and
entirely at the storms mercy? looked
| through one of the openings. expecting
| to see the wooden structure within which
Brunton concealed his secret work
God in Heaven! What did it mean?
J Around the internal machine in which
| I was inclosed there were no wooden
| walls. Only the open sky, and now and
then bank of fog, into which passed
| and from which I emerged almost as
| soon as had entered it. I was dazed;
but in a few moments the conviction
forced itself upon me that the mailman
| had trapped me to make me the means
| of testing his insane conception of bird
and fish travel. Yes, below me was the
earth-far, far down; and as l looked
| the depressions and elevations of the
indistinct I was rising as we'll as
speeding along as had never travelled
| before. thought of the button which
the lunatic had told me would regulate
the ascent of the bird. But ahead of
me saw glittering surface, which I
! recognized to be Lake Erie. I was
| hurrying toward it with fearful
rapidity. Dare touch the button?
Higher and higher was l being
| carried. The chill of the atmosphere
was becoming intolerable. Almost be-
low me was the long, cleaning lake;
| and, if the button should guide me
downward into the lake, there could
only be one consequence death. But
every instant was rising, and the chill
| was becoming more unbearable. I must
! die at any rate if I rose much higher
| could only die if l plunged into the
| lake. I touched the button-very
lightly. The effect was like magic. I
! began to descend, not so rapidly as l
| had feared, but was descending, and
now the lake was below me. My finger
| was resting on the button, and an in
| voluntary movement of my fingers
turned it little to the right The de-
scending motion ceased, and I seemed
| now to maintain fixed height above
the water. The end of the lake was
| near. There was Buffalo, and onward
raced, faster than cyclone-faster
than any thing of which human beings
had ever dreamed Onward over North
ern New York, and ahead of me saw
| mountains, against which l must be
dashed, unless could again ascend.
my whole thoughts were now con-
centrated in trying to control this devils
| ship. But there was an uncomfortable
| fascination rising within me as 1
| thought that I was the first who had
travelled as [ was now doing. 1 pulled
| the button toward me. did it rashly,
for peak of the mountains was just
ahead 1 rushed upward, and I raced
over the peak high above it. But again