The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-22
THE SKY-MAN
By
HENRY MITCHELL WEBSrEk
AnthoT tsCifh Samuel MeTtrinl ef Ce3gmr &
Copyright 1910 by The Century Company

! I'm have To admit" sald the old
gentleman, that my explanation
Z doesn't adequately account FOR that"
The oppression " the Younger man $
! face was perplrxeJ rather than incred-
ulous.
But. uy boy" cried the elder man.
think ut il. H. comes down out Of
the sky ARA says he Just dropped in
/ from Point Barrow. and that's ave
hundred miles away. That's just as
Impossible rs IL wotld be 10 material
izc an Eskimo throwing stick uut of a
dream. every nit
No hardly that" said Tom judicial
iI, What was his asropiaue like
What Was it made of Did you no.
tiee il particularly %
Yes" she said u helped him fold
It up. Il was made Of hladders and
. bamboo and catgut, he said
And his motor ." cried Tom. What
was his motor Ike
There was no motor at au." she
said; Just wings"
There VOL see, Tom interrupted
his father. 'absolute nooushiue.'
Bat still the younger man shock
doubtful head No ne said the
things not imposs ible-uot inCouceiV-
able at least The big birds can fiy
that far, and think nothing of IT.
The old man snorted. They're buiit
that way Think of the immense
strength of their wing muscles"
Not So enormous said the younger
man. Il dissected the wing II an aba
tross once to see Its NOT by main
strength they keep aflnat iH che air;
rs by catching the trick of it
That's what he said the gill cried
eagerly. lie told me he could fiy
across the North Pole. from Dawson
city Ia 81. Petersburg aud when /
asked him il he could keep flying. fly
ing all the time like that, he said the
biggest birds didn't fly they sailed,
and he said he sailed, too, and the
force Of gravity was his keel
Her story was making its impression
on the younger man. at least. even IL
his father was as imperyious To 1t AS
he stiIl seemed.
We'll if you dreamed that said
Tom, 'tt was q mighty intelligent
dream. I'll say that for H."
But ii wasn't a dream at ALL" she
cried Didn't / help him lake the
thing apart and fold it up into bun
die? And didn't he say that he was
taxpayer, and that his name WAS
Philip Cayley?'
She was addressing the elder man
as she spoke. and as she mentioned
the BAi1N~iL WAS tIlf liEsN VINE Sitf
had mentioned 1t to any one-she saw
him shoot a startled inquiring glance
ct his son. Following II, she met Tom
Faushaws eyes staring AT her in utter
aInszement.
"Cayley." he said. half under his
breath; Philip Cayley--"
THAT was the name" she answer
ed
And yet, I'd be willing to swear"
he said I've never mentioned that
name TO you in my life
NO she said "Why should you?
| know you didn't. / knew | had never
heard 1t before when he told me it was
his" She hesitated momqnt. then.
Did you ever know man named
Philip Cayley, Tom
lie let the question go by, unheeded
and, Tor a long time, gaZed silently
out over the land Il suppose" he
said at last that a coincidence like
this, any coincidence, If only it be
strange enough, win bring q touch OF
superstittous fear to anybody. | never
had even n touch of it. before, in all
my life. and / always had u little feel
ing of contempt for the men who show
ed it. But now--well. well. / wish poor
old Hunter hadn't straycd away last
night. / wasn't alarmed about him
before, and I've no rational ground for
alarm about him now. only"
He did not go on until she prompted
him with a question. And has the
sky man, Philip Cayley, anything TO do
with the coincidence"
Still II was a little while before he
spoke. Il suppose I'd better tell you
the story-a part OF il, at least,
couldn't tell II ali to you" He turned
to his father You, | think, already
know it," Then, with evident reiuC-