The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-03

the crowd where no one would be in peril
OF being hit. Bixby hurled the boomerang
forward with all his might.
VERY good throw said the Coionei,
approvingly Used to play BAH mysel
when / was boy.
when you see it coming back you can
get under that tree said young. BiSDy'
YES will" said the Colonel sardoni-
cally when / see IL coming back
We'll. look at it now"
WHY hy-why-damn-my eyes,
criod the Colonel rubbing the organs in
question.
The littic curved stick had turned,
made wide detOur and as II swerved
around toward its starting point. sudden
IS scared up like d hawk, then swooped
down again.
"It's-coming-bac gulped the COL
onel In awe-struck tones.
Indeed II was coming back and with
swift directness, now.
Turn It asidel' cried the Colonel. ap-
pealing 10 young Bixby as II that youth
had the mysterious implement under some
esoteric control Switch 1t of. TN hit
u.s."
Lie down." shouted the youth.
But the elderly golfer was ratified. In
stead of complying with the order. he
rushed madly across the links with the
boomerang In pursuit. A man on foot
IS no match in speed for a boomerang I'm
Eight with devilish precision the boom
erane darted down upon the fugitive and
with one of its sharp ends struck him
fairly across the back OF the head. Down
went the Colonel In a heap with a yell
OF fright and the pursuing stick dropped
a ward in front OF him. II took several
minutes of tender ministration to con-
vince the stricken man that he wasn't
Killed. but he came around With nothing
worse than "a bump to remember the
adventure by.
The boomerangs reputation was made.
II was described in the local papers, ana
"Civitas" disputed with "Old subscriber
in letters which became acidulous az the
public correspondence progressed. as 10
whether its fight was a sort OF Optical
Illusion or mystery Of aerostaucs. VS.
itars came 20 the cottage begging 70 see
the wonderful stick I'm action. Young
pivbv as chief operator. found much OF
his time taken up In Showing. OF the I'M
plernont Every chicken within woe
radius spent It's time watching Tor tne
boomerang. which was evidently reSlI 70
cd as a new kind OF hawk, particular /,
dangerous because OF the uncertainty OF
MYSTERIOUS END.
The end Of tho boomerang was g1i-e
as mysterious as its conduct Young blN-
nv mad been irving some new throws
with IN from the end Of tho liffle pier
and Lieut. oscar King and McSofter were
ont I'm the canoes 10 retrieve II IN case
Il failed 10 return. smart oreezt, Weoii
ripuling the water. Several times II ieis
into the lake and one or the other OF
tho,, rlcked IL up. Then came It's last
appearance. n plunged out into the wa
ter a few rods up the wind from them
In the ripping water they couidn ais
tingtish II. so they waited for u TO 9,it
down II never drifted down. nor uln =
o,,.e,,t searob result I'm its being found
Three theories we're advanced to account
for its disappearance; FIRST tnF' ~
nirngod into the water for a depth Of ten
feet and stuck IN the bottom secoh9i !,
q Nnnfnl haf0Te. II
nov for some inexplicable reason sunk.
third. that. instead Of drifting down me
wind and wavss. II drifted against them
through that same mystery or conset, uc,
NJ ,.i-d tnon With e. Perhaps some eN-
ner, in boomerangs. - there ne any such
could solve the problem OF It's disa9-
pearance.