The Monte Vista journal., 1908-11-14

1~-Ng "
money and bonds. and he made people
think he owned most Of America.
Pa asked me how the people at
home looked upon his absence, and II
they advanced any theories as to the
cause Of his being abroad. and told
him that everybody from the presi-
dent down to Rockefeller knew about
what he was out looking after, and
that when l left Bob Evans at Fort
ress Monroe. he told mo to tell Pa
to send a mess Of airships to him 10
he would meet them when he got to
San Francisco, as he wanted to
paralyze the Japs II they got busy
around the fleet. which pleased Pa, and
he said: Just tell the people to wait,
and will produce airships that can
fight battles in the clouds. but 1t will
take time"
Then We went out In the country
| about dozen miles, and met the In
| ventor and his wife. and the inventor
filled a big balloon that looked like
a weiner sausage. with gas that he
made over a fire out in field, and the
under the balloon. and he turned on
the gasoline that runs the wheel for
tseering, and they cut her loose and
We went up about SO feet and sailed
around the country half a mile eth.
or way and watched Pa and the wife
OF the inventor as they sat under a
tree and talked politics.
We came back after q while and Pa
was proud Of me for having so much
nerve. and told him the government
at home was complaining because Pa
didn't go up In the airships, cause
they said he couldn't buy airships in
telligently unless he tried them out,
and that IL he didn't look out they
would send some expert out to take
his place and spend the money. and as
we we're landed on the ground dared
Pa to get on the frame and 60 up with
us for little spin. and he was afraid
the woman would think he was cow
ard II he didn't, 30 no got up and
straddled the ridge pole of the bam
boo frame. and said he would take
a whirl at 1t II 1t killed him, The bal
loon thing couldn't quite lift all OF us,
SO got OF and give her lift, and
up she went with the inventor steer
ing. and Pa hanging ON for dear life
and saying: Now l lay me down to
sleep"
l have seen some scared men In my
life. but when the machine got up
about as high as house, so Pa could
not get on. and the woman waved a
handkerchief at Pa. he swallowed his
Adams apple and said: Let her go
Gallagher" and Gallagher. the French.
man. let her go.
Well. you'd a died to see the thing
wobble and see Pa cling on with his
feet and hands. For about . quarter
OF mile she went queer. like q duck
that has been wing.tipped. and then
she began to descend.
First she passed over lot OF cows
that women were milking. and the
cows stampeded one way and the
women the other way. and the WON.
en- were scared more than the cows.
cause when they got out from under
the ship they prayed. but the cows
didn't.
Then the ship struck a fleld where
about 10 women were plinE onions on
the ground. and II Just scattered won.
en- and onions all over the held. and
OF all the yelling you ever heard that
was the worst.
| Pa yelled to them that II he ever
got on that hay rack alive be would
pay the damages. and they thought he
was swearing nj them. Then the
worst thing possible happened. The
airship went up over n tree, and Pa
was scared and he grabbed Q limb and
let 20 OF the bamboo. and there he
was In the top Of thornappie tree.
The balloon won't over all right, and
tho inventor, steered II away to where
II started from. and the woman and
watched Pa. Tho thorns were ABOUT
two inches long and more than q hun.
dred OF them got into PA and he yelled
all kinds Of murder. and then the WON.
en- who owned the cows and onions
the ship had wrecked surrounded the
tree with hoes and rakcs and pitch.
forks. and they made such Q frantic
noise that Pa did not dare 10 come
down out OF the tree. 50 Ps told u
to take the train back 10 Paris and
send the American consul and the 20.
licc and . hook and ladder company
to get him down and protect him.
! told Pa ! didn't want to 20 OF and
leave him to be killed by strange WON.