The Detroit times., 1908-05-07
CHAPTER viz


forces 20 tho full.
shift 1rer Il bit, sonny,
he said, land let me have the
buttons. II you think she'll stand H.,
well play tune on the d. tonight
that We have not done before"
AN right" said Langley. and he
shuftied his lanky body 10 make way
for Strong.
First OF ALL" said Strong. "wen
test her in the paddock"
The paddock lay beneath them
about two acres In extent. and was
really only a rough clearing cut In
thick wood OF young pine trees.
Strong PUT mis- finger on the button
IS" which stood for SLOW" then on
the button H." which stood for Low
el" They dropped softly down few
feet above the ground.
Strong sat with his feet on the
pedals which turned the ship TO port
and starboard-to left and right.
He turned her in against the trees,
and then brought her head round
again very silently and softly at about
FIVE miles an hour They circled
round the paddock.
TIC DtHl AulnbS AHAhhs ooih
at length would be To take her In
the middle and then let her jump. |
suppose she will jump all right?
Try her" said Langley. His thin
smile was drawn nearly toward his
ears. His eyes glistened with affec-
tionate pride behind his gold-rimmed
spectacles.
Strong brought the "Di' round again
and put her head due north. With an
ease brought with long practice on a
dummy key board. he placed his thumb
on Up" The "Di" quiyered. and then
the earth rushed away from beneath
them.
The "Di" appeared to be stationary
in the dark. soft air. while the world
fed from beneath them.
The KEY OF the recorder before them
was working slowly round.
Two thousand" said Strong. and
placed his fingers on steady" The
Ii" lowered, quivering like hawk
poised. The simile seemed TO strike
him
by CAD. old man" he cried. this
g a new feeling. We are birds to-
night-birds OF prey
Not yet. hope" said Langley, and
he glanced over the edge OF the little
craft. The surface of the earth could
be dimly seen in the darkness. lying
fiat and still
Good. so far" said Strong; more
than good-excellent, Now 10 see
what we can do Mind you. In the fu-
ture. when we've built the ship We
want land this boats only toy, we
shall have TO do many queer things.
propose TO practice by putting fear
into some one down below. The act
ual method will be by burglary,
The moon is young. the wind east,
and so we will wait till it's bit dark
Grand for the rain
He pointed westward, and Langley
saw cloud-bank crawling slowly
over the far horizon of the distant
world
So they hung there, two thousand
feet above the bungalow. for nigh
upon an hour Above them the pro-
pellers whirred with no more noise
than that ofthe purring OF some great
cat
The little aircraft was not entire
" still. and so what they could see
OF the earth beneath them quivered
quickly like the film OF a cinemato-
graph in full play. Far away to the
eastward the lights OF London shone
like the faint glow OF a distant prairie
fire. Here and there below them they
could discern few feeble lights.
Thus they waited for the cloud bank
TO steal nearer and nearer. until at
length il interposed itself between
them and the earth like soft, dia-
phanous curtain.
When the curtain had been entirely
drawn across between them and the
world. Strong put his pipe back into
his pocket and braced himself to once
again play the tune which he mad