The Winslow mail., 1897-06-05

companion writhed out of 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
I light, shining through q narrow chink,
! fiickered over the great waving fans as
/ they came and went.
"Will you give up the patent,
/ Brown?'
There was no answer. ''Wil you
| give it up?" Again no answer. Not a
sound save the humming and oreaking
overhead. A cold pang of fear and doubt
struck through Pericord's heart. He
! felt aimlessly about in the dark, and
his fingers closed upon hand. 1t was
cold and unresponsive. With all his
anger turned to icy horror, he struck 4
match, set the lamp up and lit it.
Brown lay huddled up upon the other
side of the packing case. Pericord seized
| him in his arms, and with convulsive
strength lifted him across. Then the
mystery Of his silence was explained.
He had fallen with his right arm dou-
bled up under him. and his own weight
had driven tho knife deeply into his
bohy. He had died without a groan.
The tragedy had been sudden, horrible
and complete.
Pericord sat silently on the edge of
the case. staring blankIy down and shiv-
ering like one with the ague, while tho
great Brown-Pericord motor doomed
and hurtled above him. How long he
sat there can never be known. 1t might
have been minutes, or it might have
been hours A thousand mad schemes
flashed through his dazed brain. 1t was
true that ho had been only the indirect
cause. But who would believe that?
He glanced down at his blood spattered
clothing. Everything was against him.
1t 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 few days clear before
any suspicion would be aroused.
Suddenly loud crash recalled him
to himself. The flying sack had grad
ually 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 battle 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 fickered. Then the body
began to move in little jumps down the
side Of the hillock, gathering 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
passed oyer the line Of cliff and was
sweeping over the silent sea. Pericord
watched it with a white, drawn face
until it looked like a black bird with
golden wings half shrouded in the mist
which lay over the waters
In the New York state lunatic asy-
lum there is 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. 1T is the most delicate ma
chino 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.