Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-09

pull in his cord rapidly and run swiftly
backward. This sent his kite soaring
rapidly, quivering and shaking through
out its frame as it dragged its tail across
Billie's cord Just as the tip swept over
the cord Billie's kite seemed to double up,
the cord fell apart where the tip Of the
tail had touched it and came waving and
winding to the ground, while the kite
went webbing off down the wind and
fell in the very valley where it's VIC
fallen the previous day.
IT'S mine." shouted Jim. and handing
his cord to his friend and went tearing of
after his prize.
kite, explained this odd method of play
ing at aerial war.
"You see this thing here on the end
of the TAIL" he said, holding up what
looked like a lead pencil with glass
fms on it; well, that's the cutter and
it's that that does the business. This
is the way we make 'em. We get a
straight piece Of twig about six inches
long and little bigger than a lead
around the ends. Then we take a knife
and split the twig from end to end
but the cords tied at the end keep II
from splitting wide open. Then we
turn the twig a quarter around and
make another split from end to end
We then get bottle that has a heavy
glass bottom, like a beer or wine bot
tie. and break this up until we have
left only the thickest part Of the bot
glass and. holding it lightly in ou1
hands. strike it quickly against a hard
rock. The glass chips off in. little
flakes from third of an inch to an
inch long. almost always in a crescent
vu,Sth
as razor. You can easily cut a piece
of cord dangling loose by just pulling
one of these glass chips across 1t; you
can see then that 1t would cut more
readily cord that was held taut by
the pulling of the kite. Now we take
about eight of these little glass cres-
cents and push them through the Sits
in the twig. four through one slit,
about an inch apart. and four through
the. slit at right angles to the first. at
the same distance apart. We have the
sharp side up.
1--WE then get the smallest strong
cord we can find and bind these pieces
firmly in place. so that there must be
Then we fasten this to the end of the
kites tail. You'll notice that the tails
of these fighting kites are differen:
from the kind ordinarily used. We get
piece of old flannel garment or worn
out blankets and cut 1t up into strips
These we sew together. end to end.
taking care that the seams shall be
very smooth and without any kinks.
that would prevent the tail moving
smoothly along your enemy's kite cord.
We are also careful in fastening the
cutter to the tail to see that it fits
smoothly and is wrapped tightly with
cord to prevent it's slipping or being
torn off. Then we are ready for fight.
THE thing is to get the cutter against
the cord Of your enemy. and by giving
your kite a vigorous pull make it go up
ward: the pressure of the cord against
whichever Of the cutters 1t comes in con-
tact with will cut 1t in an instant. There
are lots Of tricks in doing this, and we
are learning more all the time. The old
est and most natural was to get the tail
of your kite just above your opponents
cord. then gently drop it until 1t was
just below: then by moving to right or
left bring the tail in contact with the
cord, at the same time pulling in your
kite SO as to send 1t upward. AS the
kite scars it drags its tail along the cord
until the cutter is reached-when it's all
over but getting in the other fellows
kite That trick that Jim worked on
Billie Just now Of making the kite dart
and fling its tail over the cord some dis
lance away-and a dandy trick it is
was first worked last week. Oh, there
are lots Of them. and we are getting new
ones all the time. Most Of the boys in
town would rather fight kites than play
ball, and you know what that means"