The Irish standard., 1911-07-29

deserted. We have seen no signs OF
life at all. The men have gone ashore
to search, and there is to be gun-fire
If they, find anyone alive. But they
have been out all day and there has
been no sound. You will understand,
think, though, why did not want to
sleep tonight in my cabin in the
yacht; why the ice and the dome of
stars seemed better"
Yes" he said, Il understand"
Presently, after a moments musing,
he added, What seems strange to me.
incomprehensible altogether, is, that
men like your father, and so many
others, should risk and lose their lives
trying to reach the pole
"You can't understand that" she
questioned surprised, you, q man
with wings?"
II suppose It's because of the
WINGS he answered her. Il slept
there once, early this summer-slept,
and rested, and ate meal"
There" she echoed incredulously.
Where do you mean?'
"At the pole, or within half dagree
of it won't guarantee my instru-
ments, nor my hit-and-miss observa-
tons any more accurately than that
and 1t seemed poor place to risk
ones life trying to reach. Just the
ice-pack-the eternal ice-pack; moth.
Ing but that" Then his eyes lighted
little. But I should like to 80 there
some time. in the whit should like
to fly straight ahead. Tor hours and
hours, through the long dark, until
could see the North Star squarely
above my head In the zenith, the CEN
ter of all the universe. That would
be a sight worth having. should
think. Some day, perhaps, shall try
for it. And then one could 90 straight
on across--a week or ten days would
do it all-from Dawson City, say, TO
st. Petersburg"
Dawson City to St. Petersburg"
she repeated; "only creature of
wings could put those two cities in
the same sentence. even in imagina.
imaginary You couldn't do it, really
could you?"
Yes" he said; II could do It,"
You're tireless, them" she asked.
"You would go on flying, flying, with.
| out rest, for u week?"
II don't fly" he told her, cor hardly
at all. The birds don't fly, not these
great sea birds that live on the wing.
They sail; so do l."
But, then, don't you have to go
with the wnd?"
you've sailed n boat, haven't you?"
he asked by way of answer. You put
up sail 10 catch the breeze, and
then you make it force your boat right
up into it; make your boat go against
the wind. by the force of the wind
| itself. That was regarded as a mir.
acle once when men first did It,"
"Of course" she admitted, but you
do that by tacking."
That's the way ] do it--by lacking.
and the force of gravity is my heel"
How long have you lived like
this?" she asked abruptly.
Really lived? Only three months
or So spent the better part of five
years learning 10 fly"
"And you have flown all over the
world?"
"All over this most deserted patch
of It,"
There was another silence. Then
| she said: "And what contempt you
must have for us--for ua, poor wing
less creatures, who cannot CROSS a lit
tie assure in rock or n bit Of open
water without such toilsome labor.
Yes, that must be the feeling-con.
tempt; it could hardly be pity"
"If that's true" he reioined quickly,
ITS only poetic justice. I've only
achieved toward the world the feeling
which the world held for me-"
The words were spoken harshly.
abruptly as If his memory had just
tasted something intolerably bitter.