Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1909-02-17
CRUISE OF the
'lALIGE WALL"

ly on her man-made wings for her
initial flight from snohomish to Ho-
bokon, bearing the malls. mighty
cheer ascended with her. There we're
no passengers except two super
numoprios shipped TO M the places
Of any sailors who should inadvert-
emily desert while leaning over the
rail- Kabhau, tho noted aeronaut, was
iu command, but Prof Thayor had
been commissioned by a western uni
yCrsity 20 observe. I'm 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 it seemed not to make much
horizontal progress. the crew became
alarmed at n 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 so 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 decollete,
cut peek-a-boo, dwindled into puerile
inadequacy
The two substitute sailors, shiver-
ing at the taffrail, passed downward
through the rent in the clouds made
by the ships passage, and grumbled.
The colossal mistake was dimly Wis
ible, though diminished by distance to
a petty faux pas.
otis pitiful cinder from the DEVILS
own furnace" Tim remarked but
there's nothing l want so much as to
be upon that clnder."
True for ye," Mike rejoined. "Tis
no more than three ions of rarefled
radio-activity energetically diluted wild
a pint of rectified ether; but I'd give
quarter for it. Why didn't they tie
stirring to it, so whin we wanted 1t we
could trawl il up?"
Il was thinking of me fireside," said
TIN, "and | want to go home. I've got
cold feet, a copdition superinduced be
the state of the atmosphere, with ref
erince to its relative timperature. All
me life I've wanted q sled that would
slide up hill, but 'tis glad / am l niver
had wan. What is life, anyhow? A
mere misstep into tran-shooting ma
chine, and up ye 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; 81 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 a 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
quired.
mo, it's 5000 miles out, from sno-
homish. York state. they call it, or
Jersey; but the mails are important"
The professor procured cork and
dropped it overheard. 1t floated slowly
downward.
Gravity is still working" he OBJ
served.
"Bedad, thin, 'tis working back
ward" said Mike; were 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 it at a
word. Tim gazed wistfHlly at the
"cinder" far. far below
otis a foine shot if 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-
tion to our own position, if 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 prof sor, after a |
scrutini2ing glance; 'it IS as l anticl-
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 destl.
nation"
AT that moment Kabhau placed his
hand to his forehead, while a beatffc |
expression stole over his countenauce. |
81 have just thought of a little ex.
pedient," he said I'VE have been un.
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 10 move in only one direction II
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
xuap 1fcffnetl,s andshIa A..