Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-09
Boys Find New Sport
in the Fighting Kites

you trim down the tops of your sticks
and set 'em true for drop. Don't say
nothing to Billie about it. but get him
into a fight tomorrow"
Just then Billie returned in triumph,
bearing the captured kite.
What you bringing a poor little pigeon
out here to fight my hawk for. Jim?" he
inquired. teasingly.. Want to buy her
back? Sure, I'll sell right now"
When the writer reached Academy Hill
next day the two opponents, together with
a dozen other boys. were raising their
kites into the air. The others, knowing
Jim. flew their kites apart. giving the
duelists a fair field, or sky, to speak ac-
curately.
The combatants handled their kites with
the utmost skill. each one seeking to
gain a position whereby his kite was
nearer to the fliers and a little above
the cord of the other kite. But just as
soon as one appeared to gain the coveted
position the other would destroy his
plans, either by paying out his cord so
other and at great distance thus putting
1t out of harms way, and then, being
rapidly pulled in. would soar swiftly
past the other and gain a higher level,
his opnonent In the very beginning Of
the maneuver, and thus at once gain a
higher point. The main point was to
get your own kite above and this side
tiidt Ol your opponent. let tQdC tnere
was some dangerous weapon concealed
somewhere about the kites there was no
doubt for had not Jim's kite yesterday,
as 1t rose apparently in triumph. sud
denly stopped in midair and tumbled to
the earth.
The contest was even for long time,
and confident Billie was evidently grow
ing worried. The air cruiser of Jim's
rose and dipped obediently as a
trained horse to Jim's manipulation of
fully ,Nlo,
was foiled. but Jim continued to act
almost entirely on the defensive.' He
was Turing Billie on into carelessness in
protecting himself when retiring from
part of those kites lies where it does
in hornet-the tail. Their kites would
approach each other with more or less
Indifference. but approaching the tail was
a different thing
At length Billie got his kite poised with
the end of its tail hanging threateningly
above Jim's cord about a hundred feet
from the kite. Suddenly he let his kite
fall with rapidity until the tip of its
tail was some few feet below the cord
of Jim's kite. Then he suddenly checked
the downfall and sought to make it
mount swiftly into the air, and thus to
bring the tail in contact with the cord
the maneuver. and ere Billies kite had
started back upward he had sent his own
a hundred or more feet higher. SO that
his kite was fully two hundred feet above
Billie's, but farther out.
AS Billie sought to regain a position
above Jim's kite cord. Jim slowly took
In his cord until when the two kites were
about level Jim's was about fifty feet
nearer in and about fifty feet to the
right of Billie's. AS Billie strove to get
his kite out Of this position by sending II
upward, Jim rushed suddenly to the
left, at the same time rapidly pulling i'm
his cord SO as to keep his kite up with
the rise of Billies Suddenly when he
had approached the tail of his kite to
within ten feet of Billie's kite cord he
threw his hands high in the air and
gave his cord a quick, tremendous Jerk.
The kite, now balanced to perfection
'.darted," that is. whirled round like
pin wheel. fiinging out its tail in a wide
circle. AS the tail swung round 1t came
I'm contact with the cord of Billie's kite
which he was now dropping rapidly to
relieve the tension on 1t and to avoid tn.
dreadful tip of that dreadful tail-why
will be seen in a moment. AS soon as
Jim saw the tail Of his kite sweep whirI-
in. into Billie's cord, he commenced to