The St. Johns herald., 1897-05-15

companion WrlIQeu out Ol HIS grasp, but dashed against the packing case, over which he fell The lamp was ex- tinguished and the whole barn plunged into darkness. A single ray of moon- light, shining through narrow chink, i fiickered over the great waving fans as they came and went
 "Will you give up the patent, Brown:''
 There was no answer. "W1l you give it up?" Again no answer. Not . sound save the humming and creaklng overhead. A cold pang of fear and doubt struck through Pericord's heart. he felt aimlessly about in the dark, ana his fingers closed upon hand. 1t was cold and unresponsive. With all hls anger turned to icy horror, he struck q match, set the lamp up and lit 1t. ! Brown lay huddled up upon the other side of the packing case. Pericord seized him in his arms, and with convulsiye strength lifted him across. Then the n ystery of his silence was explained. He had fallen with his right arm dou- bled up under him, and his own weight 1 had driven tho knife deeply into hls body. He had died without groan. The tragedy had been sudden, horrible and complete. l Pericord sat silently on the edge of the case staring blankly down and shlv- l ering like one with the agUe, while the great Brown Pericord motor boomed and hurled above him. How long he ---7. -ro-vas,-h7 ,-uou-l. wi -'~> nave been minutes, or lE might have been hours. 4 thousand mad schemes flashed through his dazed brain. It was ] true that he had been only the indirect l cause. But who would believe that3 i He glanced down at his blood spattered clothing. Everything was against him. It would be better to fly than to give himself up, relying upon his innocence. No one in London knew where they were. If he could dispose of the body. he might have a few days clear before any suspicion would be aroused.
 Suddenly loud crash recalled him to himself. The flying sack had grad ual1y risen with each successive circle until it had struck against the rafters. The blow displaced the connecting gear. and the machine fell heavily to the ground. Pericord undid the girdle. The motor was uninjured. A sudden strange thought flashed upon him as he looked at it. The machine had become hateful to him. He might dispose both of it and the body in way that would baf1e all human search.
 He threw open the barndoor and car ried his companion out into the moon light. There was hillock outside, and on the summit of this he laid him rev. erently down. Then he brought from the barn the motor, the girdle and the phlanges. With trembling fingers he fastened the broad steel belt round the dead mans waist. Then he screwed the wings into the sockets. Beneath he slung the motor box, fastened the wires and switched on the connection. For a minute or two the huge yellow fans Tapped and f1ickered. Then the body began to move in little jumps down the side of the hillock, gathering 8 gradual momentum until at last it heaved up into the air and scared heavily off in the moonlight. He had not used the rudder, but had turned the head for the south. Gradually the weird thing rose higher and sped faster until it had nassed over the line of cliff and WIS sweeping over the silent sea. Pe4iColl watched it with white, drawn face until it looked like & black bird with golden wings half shrouded in the mist which lay over the waters.
 
 In the New York state lunatio asy- lum there is a wild eyed man whose name and birthplace are alike unknown. His reason has been unseated by some sudden shock, the doctors say, though of what nature they are unable to de- termine. Ut is the most delicate ma chine which is most readily put out of gear," they remark and point in proof of their axiom to the complicated elec- trio engines and remarkable aeronautic machines which the patient is fond of devising in his more lucid moments.
 THE END.