The San Francisco call., 1909-10-30

III
+ in the habit OF giving a halloween
party to their friends at Prairie
Farm.
Ihey intended to follow the rule this
year. but with a variation from the
ordinary kind OF entertainment. For
rank Williams hit upon a novel idea,
"hlch ne thought would afford consid- :.
S.aoie amusement and at the same Tina
give him chance to continue in his
aeronautical pursuits"
consequently there was much puz-
zling when those invited read that they
were asked TO attend his aerial hal
loWeen party" What on earth was ite
But Frank never gave his plans away
beforehand. SO his friends had 10 worry
along unenlightened until the evening
OF October 81.
However. Franks coming party was
not the only topic of sensational in
perest. The chicken houses for miles
arouRd were almost depopulated by
daring poultry thief, who. while he
made chickens his specially also
reached out for anything that happened
TO be at hand
Various reports described him as be-
ing gigantic colored man. But
though many rounds of buckshot were
fired at him by the angry farmers none
ever succeeded in hitting him. Twice
he had been nearly surrounded and
captured. yet his luck seemed to be
marvellous and he always got away. 1t
was~thoUght he lived in the vast tam
rack swamps. which had already been
the scene OF one Of Franks aerial ad-
ventures when he bought the eagle
The day Frank issued the invitations
he found Bill absorbed in reading the
Clarion's exciting account of the thief's
latest outrage.
Never mind about him: come and
help me lay out the .'hying bogies-
Bill became interested at once. and
when he learned Frank intended the
bogie balloons for the grand wihdup of
his aerial party he readily consented to
help build them. Certainly nothing
was complicated about them. The
flying bogies'' were simply ordinary
hot air balloons made of black tissue
paper as nearly in the shape of a
pumpkin as possible.
Then holes for eyes. nose and mouth
of the bOgie man were cut in each. but
instead OF being left open white tissue
paper was pasted over every hole. This
served -tOskeep- the hot air from escap-
ing when the balloon was inflated. The
light for the interior came from the
alcohol soaked ball Of cotton. This
was suspended on wire running
across the middle OF the hoop which
formed the framework for the bottom
opening as shown in the diagram.
When the cotton famed up il heated
the air inside Of the balloon and lighted
il as well. showing the bogie's grin
ming features perfectly. A small stone
was attached. as shown. to weight the
balloon so the 'bogie" wouldn't turn
turtle.
Frank planned his entertainment so
that the flying bogies" were to be its
climax, as will be explained later. In
the meantime something happened that
pretty nearly put a climax TO Franks
very existence.
one afternoon the young balloon
builder went down TO the balloon
shed" as he called the former COW
shed which he used for his workshop.
He thought it queer to find the door
open, but stepped in without dreaming
any one else could be inside save Bill
The next event happened so quickly
Frank was never quite able to fully
describe il. He remembered confront
ing a big black man. who rushed at
him with q heavy stick.
When Frank recovered Consciousness
he found himself lying on the floor
bleeding from a deep cut over his fore
head. ne managed TO get back to the
house, weak and sick from his awful
T guess that coon wanted to fly
away in one of the airships" remarked
Bill.
aPu make him wish he could fly If
ever see him again" boasted Frank.