Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-24
CHAPTER VII.


I'D man."
CHAPTER VII.
Johnston followed his guide to a fly
ng machine outside. He hesitated an
Instant as the officer was holding the
loor open and looked back toward the
conservatory. but he could not see
rhorndyke.
Where are you taking me?" he asked
desperately. But the officer did not seem
to hear the question. He was motioning
to tall man Of athletic build who wore
: dark blue uniform and who came has
lily forward and pushed the American
into the machine. Through the open
door Johnston saw Thorndyke's anxious
face as the Englishman emerged from
the conservatory and strobe toward
them. The two officers entered and
,losed the glass door.
Then the machine rose, and John
'ton's spirits sank as they shot upward
and floated easily over the humming
crowd into the free white light above
the smokeless city. The poor captive
leaned on the window sill and looked
,ut. There was no breeze and no cur
rent Of air except that caused by their
rapid passage through the atmosphere.
Up, up, they went till the city
seemed q blur Of mingled white and
gray. and then the color below changed
to vague blue as they flew over the
delds Of the open country.
The first officer took glass and q
decanter from receptacle under seat,
and, pouring little red fluid into the
glass, offered it to the American.
Drink it," he said. 1T will put
you to sleep for : time"
~ don't want to be drugged.
1.-THE journey will try your nerves
It is harmless. "
II don't want it. II I take it, you
will have to pour it down my throat
The officer smiled as he put the glass
and decanter away. Faster and faster
Jew the machine. They had to put
the window down, for the current Of air
bad become too strong and cool to be
pleasant The color of the sunlight
changed to green, and then at noon
from the zenith glorious red light
shimmered down and yelled the earth
with such beautiful, translucent haze
that the poor American for o moment
almost forgot his trouble.
The afternoon came ON. The sunlight
became successfully green, white. blue,
lavender, rose and gray. The sun was
NO longer in sight, and the gray in the
west was darkening into purple. the
last hour Of the day. Night was at
hand. Johnston's limbs were growing
stiff from inaction, and he had strong
desire to speak or to hear one Of the Of
fcers say something, but they were
doing in their respective corners. The
moon had risen and hung far out in
space overhead, but they seemed to DO
leaving it behind. Later he felt sure Of
this, for its light gradually became
DINNER and DINNER till at last they
were in total darkness-darkness pierced
only by the powerful searchlight which
threw its dazzling, trumpet shaped rays
far ahead. But search as he would in
the direction they were going the un-
fortunate American could see nothing
but the ever receding wall Of blackness
Suddenly they began to descend. The
officers awoke and stretched themselves
and yawned. One Of them opened the
window, and Johnston heard q farofi,
roaring sound like that Of q multitude
Of skaters ON a vast sheet Of ice.
Down, down they dropped. John
ston's heart was in his mouth.
The machine suddenly slackened in
its speed, and then hung poised in mid
air. The rays Of the searchlight were
directed downward. and slowly shifted
from point to point Looking down. the
American caught glimpses of rugged
rocks, sharp cliffs and yawning chasms
How is it?" asked the first officer
through speaking tube of the driver.
"A good landing" was the reply.
well, 90 down." And a moment
later the machine settled ON the uneven
ground.
The same officer opened the door and
gently pushed Johnston out. Johnston
expected them to follow him, but the
door Of the machine closed behind him.
"Stand out Of the way" cried out
the officer through the window. "You
may get struck as we RISE"
Involuntarily Johnston obeyed. There
was a sound Of escaping air from be-
meath the machine, a fierce connection
in the atmosphere which sucked him to-
] ward the machine, and then the daz-
| cling searchlight blinded him as the
airship bounded upward and sailed back
over the course it had come.
Johnston stood paralyzed with fear.
MY God, this is awful" be exclaimed
in terror, and his knees gave way be.
ucath him, and he sank to the rock.
''They have left me here to starve in
this hellish darkness. He remained
there for a moment, his face covered
with his hands. then he sprang up DIES.
perately and started to grope through
the darkness, he knew not whittier. He
stumbled at almost every step and ran
against powders which bruised his
hands and face and went ON till his
strength was gone. Then he paused and
looked back toward the direction from
which he had come. 1t seemed to him
that he could see the straight line of
mighty black wall, above which there
was a faint appearance Of light. A
lump rose in the throat Of the poor fell
low, and tears sprang into his eyes.
But what was that? Surely it was a
sound. 1t could not have been the wind.
for the air was perfectly still. The
sound was repeated. 1t was like the
moaning of a human voice far away in
the dark. Gould it be some one in dis.
tress, some poor unfortunate, banished
being like himself? Again he heard the
sound, and this time it was like the
voice OF some one talking.
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