The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-22

Pooh. replied /, TITS mere mad
ness. Niagara means DEATH
Death?" said he cheerfuily. Il
should say it did. Death and your
bones mashed up. What's that got to
do with us? Now that we've got the
man and the machine for the public to
look at. all that we need is good man
agement, and that's where your little
friend comes i'll. Yes. sir he cried,
and swelled with the sublime ideal,
Just a little good management and
we've got the fake of fakes"
Il refuse" said l, with proper sever
ity, Ito become a party to any fraud
upon the public"
20 well,s he replied, still cheerful.
fwe'll arrange it some way" Skitters
and l rode back to Buffalo together,
leaving the two others to Turk about
the place and enjoy their own society.
That was the last l saw for some lit
tie time of Skitters and his Niagara
Navigation Company. When I met him
again he reported the arrangements
were being. perfected that he had a
rowboat all ready below the falls and
scheme worked out to put the sup
posed swimmer into the river above.
And we've tried the rubber suit" he
exclaimed one day. I'VE sent ii over
by moonlight, night before last. 1t got
bhAiApGQ n VII DuL SloOQ IL pretty We'll.
Gills, though, is such an old fogy, al
ways afraid that his invention is going
to get hurt. I've got Westerman down
there, learning the ground and practic-
ing with the suit. All he needs to DO is
seem to git in above the falls, and then
seem to git took out below; and then
Q mamma, the world is oursi'
E"Ill have some people fixed all right, "
he used to. hint mysteriously. And the
motto that he gave his followers was,
Remember Steve Brodie."
He began to be afraid, horribly afraid
that some one would be before him.
There were indeed, as may be rememr
bered, vague rumors of attempts upon
the falls, for such ideas seem at times
to come like a contagion. Skitters got
so at last that he would eye the people
who got upon the yellow cars with a
positive hatred. He saw a rival in
every traveller and chafed at the flight
of hours. Some one will beat us yet.
some one will beat us yet" he used to
bitterly cry. But for myself l had be-
gun to lose interest in his scheme. be-
lieving that it would end in nothing.
Then came that day in June. a mem
orable day in the history of Niagara.
On the drowsy hush of a noon hour the
telephone bell in the otflce suddenly
Jared. went to the telephone, expect
ing some ordinary message. but it was
a boys voice from far away which was
speaking and a strange excitement
was vibrating in it.
Hello, hello:" that voice said. Say,
this is Bowers. down at the Falls.
We're goih' to try that thing to-day;
you'd better come on down. And say"
the voice, seemed to hesitate, Il can't
quite make out Westerman. I'm kind
of afraid he-nneans-to- Come on
down. viii your
hung UP the receiver, and did some
sober thinking. 1t began to dawn
upon me all at once that Skitters and
l had been playing with fire. If the ex-
preston may be allowed in this con-
nection. had heard of how men could
sometimes keep gazing upon a danger
Gus thing until the wish to conquer il
became d mania with them. And
remembered the queer look l had seen
in Westerinan's eyes. and the answer
ing CLEAN in the eyes of Curley Bow
ers They belonged TO a gang whose
creed was TO take no bluffs" and
whose ideal was audacity. PRESENT.
ment of danger came heavily upon me,
and feveIash longing to be away: and
l went down into the street. almost
runningSinto people as l went, and
boarded one OF the yellow cars which
go to Niagara Falls.