Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-07-29
CHAPTER |.
WHEN MAIpENs FELL FROM THE SIX

81 Su.: DeaCn lay Ill the sun,
81 white straight edge against
b.Gr. MiSuly through the surf
haze glimn.Cr"d the tower OF Sand is
land light save when obscured by the
smoke pune of fruiter standing in
past Fo:t Morgan for Mobile. 1t was
early fUl InDGn. The yellow globe of
The moOrinG balloon at the fort shOne
in the sun like Il dome Of some auda-
ciOus new architecture flung high into
the rusatiilg air. Two men far down
the cousl toward Pensacola caught the
farOi' sV!eE;i0r and noted In the very
act OF caSt..!S off from ii long, cigar
shaped aeranat-un immense, elongat-
ed bubble Vi quicksilver. 1t fOated
seward, rounded to, stood moment
end Oh. liErating like II balancing top.
"She's boun' TO N'Yawlins. All reck-
on, suh."
The speaker was typical gulf fish
erman, long bearded, soft Of speech.
courteous as diplomat. barefooted.
Weathcred in garments and skin. Over
broad brown blotches which had 1t
not been for their size might have
been called freckleS. He rolled ciga-
rette, lighted it. turned his eyes on
his more youthful companion, repeat
ing, "She's shO' bOun' TO N'Yawlins."
In the mien Of the younger man there
was something of kinship to the elder,
as there might be in Il New England
chemist or engineer something that Is
like his forty-secOnd cousin fishing on
the Newfoundland banks. The soft
ness of speech was modified to sub
tie firmnesS and a subdued decision.
The Slight, tail frame was arrOwy and
erect, rs If the youth had imbibed
from some winier air latent SELF
esteem expressed in the hint of In
cisiveness in speech. The boy also had
the areas of mOttled freckling, overlay-
ing a pink glow. He wore Il blue fan
mel shirt with Il bright silk cravat.
His shoes were secured gray by the
beach sand and his well shaped hat
was powdered with it. His trousers
were of cadet gray and were striped
down the side; seemingly they were
part Of some obsolete uniform. He sat
on q great square timber half buried
in the sand and had been studying
blue green Portuguese man-Of-war cast
ashore and rolled up before the breeze.
dragging its yard long tentacles. On
the beam lay steel square. brace
and bit, roll of bueprints, some steel
drills and Il book Of logarthms The
speech of the old fisherman made
him look up. He picked up a pair or
binoculars from cast-up crate and
studied the distant airship.
"Io' likely bound for Pensacola. cap
tain" he said. 'She's coming tnls
way-a Condor with bow rlldder."
The uerOnat. drawing nearer. SWELL
ed like great silver moon. The men
admired her as they walked insh0re
through soft. trodden sand down to
lower level of yellOwed palmettoes
and scaled a steep dune slope thicket-
ed with curious scrub oaks. Here was
hidden q cabin of rough boards with
wide veranda or gallery. ON the COL
umns of which were to be seen
bleached barnacles. telling Of the
storm tossed voyage which had
brought them hither Abutting on the
cabin by one end was spacious shed
without visible door or window. SO
thoroughly was the edifice concealed
nv the oak scrub and the low growing
stunted spruce that one might nave
uassed q dozen times within stones
throw of 1t without seeing it. and even
from the airships its drab roof powder
ed with blown sand was we'll nigh In
visible. Under the gallery was per-
feet safety from observation from
aloft.
AS seen through the glass. the air.
ship was swe:led to impressive bulk
now. Her rudder stood aslant, a
stripe of brown against the silver foil
of her bilge. On the seward side ran
the darker line Of toy aeroplane-a
matter Of appearance more than use
and slung beneath by a gossamer ma
celle, steady as the deck of a liner,
hung her roomy car. the engine room
astern, the three great screws half In
visible, like the vibrant wings Of bees.
She veered to the north and stood in
land as if to cross the Little lagoon,
that beautiful salt lake which for ten
miles lies within sound Of the gulf
surf, but separated from 1t by little
wilderness Of dunes, then by majes-
tic swooping movement she threw her
whole vast sweep Of .broadside open TO