Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-11-17

blood with the pantomime of torture
which they exhibited. thought of an
old superstition which / had often
heard about tho earth and exclaimed,
YES, surely, this is flying HE'LL"
AS the electric activity Of the comet
increased its continued changes of po-
tential and polarity became moro fire.
quent, and the ELECTRICAL ships darted
about with even greater confusion than
before. Occasionally ono of them, seized
with a saddon impulse would spring
forward toward the nucleus of the comet
with a Sudden access Of velocity that
would fling every one of its crew from
his feet and all would lie sprawling ON
the floor of the car while it rushed, as it
seemed, to inevitable and instant de-
structiun.
Then. either through the frantic
efforts Of the electrician struggling with
the controller or through another change
in the polarity Of the comet, the ship
would be saved on the very brink Of
/ ruin and stagSer away out of immediate
danger.
Thus tho captured squadron was
swept, swaying and darting hither and
thithtr, tn, never able to set sufficient
~ far from the comet to break the bond
of lis fatal attraction.
so great was our excitement and so
complete orr absorption in the fearful
peril that we had not noticed the pre-
else direction in which the comet was
carrying us. 1t was enough to know
that the goal Of the journey was the
furnace e the sun, But presently some
one in the flagship recalled US to Il moro
b. eyclaniiug:
"Why, there is the earth"
And tEcrc. indeed, it was, its great
globe rolling under our eyes, with the
| contTastcd colors Of the continents and
clouds and the watory CLEAN Of the
ocean spread beneath us.
eve are going to strike it, =" oyclaim-
ed somebody The comet is going to
dash into ihe earth. "
such collision ut first seemed inevi.
table, bus presently il was noticed that
the direction Ct the comet 5 motion Wa
such that while it might Craze the Garth
it would ret actually strike it,
And So. like swarm of giant insect,
circliug about an electric light from
whose magic influence thcy cannot es
cape, our ships went on, TO be whippt
against TIE earth in passing and th,i
To continue .heir swift journey 10 Dc
structiou.
Thank God. this saves US" sudden
iy cried MIR Edison.
"WhGt-what:'
"Why, the earth, CT course. Do ycj
not ste that as the comet sweeps clos
to the great planet the superior attrao
tion CT the latter will snatch us iron
its grasp and that thus we shall b.,
able To escape
And 1t was indeed as Mr.. Edison hau
predicted. In Il blaze # falling meteors
the comet swept the outer limits Of the
earth 5 atmosphere and passed On, whilt
the swaying ships. having been instruct
ed by signals what to do, desperately
applied their electrical machinery to re
verse the attraction and threw then.
selves into the arms of their mother
earth
In another instant we We're all free
settling down through the quiet atrcs
phere with the Atlantic ocean sparkling
in the morning sun far below,
We looked at one another in amaze
meut. So this was the end Of cur voy-
/ age, This was the completion of our
warlike enterprise! We had started on,
70 ,x-,rll and h..1
back ignCminiously dragged il the train
Of comet.
The earth which we We're going 20
defend and protect had herself turned
{ protector and reaching out her strong
I arm bad snatched her foolish children
, ,rum the destruction which they had
/ ihvited.
1t would be impossible to describe the
/ chs grin Of every member Of the oXpodi-
ton.
The electric ships rapidly assembled
and lowered high in the air, while the..
commanders consulted about what
should be done, y universal feeling g
shame almost drove them "a decision
not TO land upon the surface Of tn,
planet and if possible not to let its in.
habitants know what had occurred.
But IL was too late for that. Looking
carefully beneath us, we saw that fat.
had brought US hack to our very start
ing point, and signals displayed in tht
nciehborhuod of New York INDICATED
that we had already been recognized
There was nothing for us then but I,
drop down and explain the situation,
| shall not delay my narrative hy un
dertaking to describe the astonishmenl
and the disappointment % the inhahit
ants of the earth when, within n fort
night from cur departure, they saw u
back again, with no laurels Of victory
crowning cur brows
At first they had hoped that we wer,
returning in triumph, and we were
overwhelmed with questions the mo
mcnt we had dropped within speakin.
distance.
Have you whipped thcm?"
"How many are lost?"
'Is there any more danger"
"Faix, have ye got one of thin mil
from Mars;"
But their rejoicings and their face
tiousness were turned into wailing whel
the truth was impaired.
We made short story of it, for w
had not the heart to 60 into details. w
told Of cur unfortunate comrades whom
we had buried on the moon, and Their
was one CLEAN of satisfaction when W
exhibited the wonderful crystals W