Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-04-08
CRUISE 0FTHE
"AL.ICE WALL

boken bearing the mails, a mighty
cheer ascended with her. There were
no passengers except two super
numeraries shipped to fill the places
of any sailors who should inadvert-
emily desert while leaning over the
rail. Kabhau, the noted aeronaut, was
in command. but Prof. Thayer had
been commissioned by western uni
versity to observe, in the interest OF
science, the psychological effect Of
high attitudes upon sea urchins-or
the glass vessel containing them.
AS the ship rapidly gained elevation,
though IL seemed not to make much
horizontal progress, the crew became
alarmed at a rumor that Kabhau had
forgotten which way to turn the things
that kept her from going too high. She
was said to be unmanageable, and in
that case would go up, up, intermin-
ably; nothing would induce her to turn
her nose toward the now-distant meth
erness. Utter panic, alone, deferred
the crew from instant mutiny.
Ten hours out, the barometer turned
upside down and tried to work that
way. The mercury fell, and summer
clothing became mere mosquito net
ting. became spider web. cut decollets.
cut peek-a-boo, dwindled into puerile
inadequacy.
The two substitute sailors, SILVER
ing at the taffrail, passed downward
through the rent in the clouds made
by the ships passage. and grumbied.
The colossal mistake was dimly WIS.,
ible, though diminished by distance to
a petty faux pas.
'"Tis a pitiful cinder from the DEVILS
own furnace" Tim remarked; but
there's nothing ! want so much as to
be upon that cinder.'
True for ye," Mike rejoined. "Tis
no more than three ions of rarefed
radio-activity energetically diluted wild
a pint of rectified ether; but I'd give a
quarter for it. Why didn't they tie a
stirring to it, so whin we wanted it we
could trawl ii up?"
Il was thinking of me fireside" said
Tim, land / want to go home. I've got
cold feet, condition superinduced be
the state OF the atmosphere, with ref
erince to its relative temperature. All
me life I've wanted a sled that would
slide up hill, but It's glad am niver
had wan. What is life, anyhow? A
mere misstep into a trap-shooting ma
chine, and up we go down to Absolute
Zero! Sure, this trip makes me wish
I'd met wild fatal illness when me
grandmother was a baby"
"Yis," walled Tim; II don't expect
to live to tell the folks at home of me
sad death in mid-air on the ship that
niver returned, and I'm thinking I'll
write farewell letther"
"Ah." said the professor, speaking
Of letters reminds me that we must
drop the mails, to be forwarded by
rail to Hoboken, as We are not making
any progress In that direction"
rs Hoboken in Mars?" Mike in
CURED
No, it's 5000 miles out, from Sno-
homish. York state, they call 1t, or
Jersey; but the mails are important"
The professor procured a cork and
dropped it overheard. 1t floated slowly
downward.
Gravity Is still working" he OBJ
served.
"Bedad, thin, tbs working back
ward" said Mike; we're falling up"
Kabhau and the mail clerk brought
out the pouches, and the former
looked downward through a pair Of
binoculars The clerk held a pouch
over the rail, prepared to drop 1t at a
word. Tim gazed wistfully at the
"cinder," far. far below.
otis foine shot II they hit It." he
murmured.
Before you drop the mails" sug-
gested Prof Thayer, 81 should like to
look through the glass, Mr.. Kabhau.
My technical training may enable me
to tell you exactly or approximately
where Hoboken should be, with rela-
ton to our own position, IL We are
straight up from Hoboken."
Certainly" said the aeronaut, i'm
pressed; take it, and look in at the
little end"
"Ah!" said the professor, after a
ScrutlnlZlnS glance, IL is as i antlcl-
pated Owing to the rotation of the
earth we have passed Hoboken back
ward. We shall have to wait till she
turns over again, when we can deliver
the mail as well at its original desti-
nation
At that moment Kabhau placed his
hand to his forehead, while beatific
expression stole over his countenance.
Il have just thought of little ex-
pedient," he said. I'VE have been I'M
able to control our elevation because
we have forgotten which way to turn
the little lever that pulls altitude up
or down; but as the lever is so devised
as TO move in only one direction 1t
now occurs to me to try that way for
luck"
A touch, and the ship started home.
Five minutes later the hum Of a city
was distinctly audible, and 1t became
obvious that Prof. Thayer had erred.
for a score of newsboys were shout
ing:
"Hoboken evening papers Extryi
All-about-the safe-arrival-packet Alice
WALL"
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