Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-09-01

possible to do SO, l gave up the job
and, dragging my aeroplane to slope
favorable to getting start, rose over
their heads and few away. Some Of
them gazed after me in wonder, while
others kept their faces on the ground.
/ circled about, the wonder of va
rious groups of natives. Finally dis
cerned two lines Of men engaged in
combat. They were SO intent on kill
ing one another that they did not see
me till l was nearly over them. Then
one after another looked up at me,
and, forgetting the human enemy in
the monster bird. they took to their
heels, gradually disappearing as they
obtained cover.
1t was now beginning to get dark.
l sailed over different parties, but too
high to attract their attention. Final
ly, seeing a dozen men tied to stakes,
l descended to get a nearer view.
They were evidently prisoners taken
in battle, who were to be roasted alive
and eaten afterward, for under each
was a pile Of wood, some Of which
was already lighted, a small flame
curling up near their ankles. It was
too dark for them to discover me. and
the ground was not favorable to alight-
ing, so, taking up roman candle,
lighted it and bombarded them with
the balls. Looking up and seeing the
dim substance Of huge bird lowering
over them vomiting fire balls, they fell
on their faces.
called to them till they looked up
and made signs to them to unbind
their prisoners, which they did, and as
soon as the last man was loose I
drove the would be devourers away
at the point Of another roman candle.
Then 1 rose, firing rockets as l ascend
ed with a view to striking terror into
them, hoping that they would con-
slider themselves forbidden by the god
bird from further returning to their
captives.
I then returned to where had left
my supplies and. after partaking of
supper rolled myself in my blankets
under the shelving rock and went to
sleep.
The next morning after taking in
fuel and oil sailed away again. By
this time some Of the natives had got
sufficiently accustomed to me to con-
slider me amenable to attack and made
attempts to bring me down. Suddenly
while making some adjustments which
took my attention great stone pass
ed within a few feet of my aeroplane.
Looking down, saw tribe who were
working a machine that looked like
Roman catapult They were directly
beneath me and about to throw an
other stone. If it hit me it would
break my aeroplane. Not daring to
risk taking time to rise out Of range,
/ picked up a stick Of dynamite and
dropped it on them. I saw dust, smoke
and fragments, and after the two first
had cleared away looked for the ma
tives and their catapult. Where they
had stood was capacious hole in the
ground.
Observing a native village beneath
me, l determined to descend among
them and remain with them till they
had got used to me in order that /
might commune with them. When yet
some distance away could see them
standing together watching my ap-
proach. The first evidence Of their
solicitude was when l came near them
and began to descend. Then they all
ran away. But when l had alighted
I waited patiently till they should
come back. Presently saw heads
peeping at me through the long grass.
The children came first, the women
next and last the men. worked with
them some time in order to establish
communication, showing them my
wonders. Rigging a telephone, / told
a man to 60 some distance away and
would make his wife talk to him.
Having arranged matters for him, l
placed a receiver at his ear and, going
back to the woman, motioned her
to talk through the transmitter. At
the first words spoken the man drop
ped the receiver and looked about him
as though he expected to see his wife
near him.
Then l established a wireless and
placed man between the two ex-
tremes. He could hear the clicking at
both. one in keeping with the other.
He looked about for some connection,
but finding none. ran away from me
and the machine.
To cap the climax I took a little
child from its mothers arms and set
1T beside me in the machine. The
mother was frantic, though by signs
endeavored to make her understand
that would bring her child back safe
ly think she believed was a super
natural being and was about to fly
up to heaven with the little one. No
one dared oppose me, and, rising in
the air. 1 flew away. When ten min
utes later I returned and placed the
babe in its mothers arms she tainted
for JOY. Then l was sure she had ex-
pa,,tad not RI 600 II again