The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-04-17
glare Immediately before rlm. Dl1as-

glare Immediately before Elm, pi1ss-
ing out his face IN Rembrandtesque
relief. he seemed patriarch whose
superior knowledge had elevated him
above the common paths of men and
placed him on such an exalted plane
of intelligence that he was beyond
standard Of comparison.
The consciousness that they were
far above the travelled paths OF all
time lost it's terrifying sense or
strangeness and uncertainty, and they
learned to trust this structure OF metal
whose great enlivened masses, en-
trailed with machinery, was hurting
with them through the night. The
noise within was not sufficient to pre-
vent easy conversation; but they sat
as men stricken dumb, being carried
away into captivity by some dread ma
gician of more singular power than
was ever portrayed in Persian tales.
stand clear of the shutters, gentle
men!" the scientist called, turning his
face in their direction, and they
leaned forward just as Norma pressed
button. A sharp clashing noise smote
their ears, and when next they looked
| at the ports they were shut on by
metallic slides. Again the girl touched
button, and instantly the interior OF
the radioplane was flooded with sill
very light. 1t was disappointment,
for sight gave no calculation OF the
secret.
A low roof of implanted metal
arched above them. In one end were
ordinary electrical dynamos, a motor,
and a polished electrical apparatus
which they could not understand, and
beyond this, outside the hoods, there
was nothing whatever; only the signs
of hurried work. rough, implanted, and
unpaneled. Rude benches, evidently
placed for this occasion only, com
prised all the trappings and furnish
ings of this monster that was the van
guard of modern transportation, ant
: In whose keeping rested the nations
strength. They had expected In
tricacies of construction; but befor'
! them was simplicity. They had pic
tured strange manifestations of cleo
trical science; but only compact mas
e of brass rods and cleaning tubes wa
. visible. The admiral read their vi
u worded curiosity.
Il can't explain it quite" he SAID
DIR. Roberts will tell you all about
pretty soon, when he can get ava
from plotting the ship. Look out fc
the shutters again. Norma is going
open them and shut on the lights. W
are at our journeys end"
| A clash, fash, and again they wei
in darkness, and with one accord the
| turned to the reopened ports.
i Beneath them now glittered the q
lights of the plant on the lonely
1 land which they had peopled. II
great blast furnace was spouting
| ward them showers of glowing spar
i and sheets of writhing flame, and
d fore it, dwarfed by height into squat
Il gnomes. were those who incessant
i fed it. The windows of the machi
d shops were limned in squares OF viii
4 and out to one side, throwing
searchlight to and fro, there steam
81 SunDOdt, Willie didi VI INC va
Z boundary of the key its sister 81
4 kept equally vigilant patrol. lndus'
was spread before them-industry
| tokening that night and day were
/ ing devoted to the country's nee
Y telling through the hum of wheels
y the roaring of the blast that the ca
Il from his lone aerie was sharpen
his talons for the impending strugf
| and preparing for resistless fiji
/ into the red sun of war.
>I Dumfounded and unable to &
N prehend that In 50 short . time u
"a had been transported distar
N which by all known methods wo
II have taken couple Of days to II
n erse, they stared at the scene open
~ to their view, and while this bewilt
n ment continued the radioplane bel
"a a rapid descent In wide, sweeping
Va cles, daintily picked out an open
IA Immediately in front Of the plant,
"a oontlv oavno IN rest