The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-05-08
:
.......
: Flying
::>>>>> Man >>.,>
BY
Harry Irving Greene
AuE6or Of
"The Lash of Circumstauce, -

AuEbor Of
"The Lash of Circumstance -
Barbara of the Snowy


copy rlsuL, Dy EaFTT irving GTee1sl
Yes, I was fortunate enough TO be
rambling around the grounds when
their ascent took place. It was stir
ring-almost excruciating. It thrilled
me like a fife and drum regiment
marching away to do battle for my
country. longed TO accompany
them, TO join in their dangers, to smell
the powder Of my own rife and share
the brunt of the shock. So today did
/ thrill with desire to sit beside one
Of them and hear the whistle Of the
wind. IN fact, in spirit I did soar
with the air feet, closed my eyes and
experienced quite wildly what I mag
inc are the sensations of our vanished
aviator friends But I fear I am
super-ima ginatiye and that ! am lay
ing myself open to ridicule. An.
see you are smiling already. I had
feared So" MARGINS smile grew broad
er.
II presume we were all carried a
little beyond ourselves by our enthu-
siasm. But tell me what news you
have" The astronomer tugged thought
fully at his mustache.
q don't mind letting you know, al
though l am not advertising it as yet,
that is, generally speaking. I have
conceived a little idea that the Off
Gals are putting into execution, but
until it has been tested I am no in
clined to speak much of it. However,
the idea is this: as you know, we
rrrE,+
the observatory, and nights of late
l have been in the habit Of throwing
It about the neighbOTing cliffs and let
ting it rest for a while here and there
as a matter of experiment. Well, TO
make the story short, upon two OCCa-
sions after it had remained stationary
for a while l have found the flying
creature within the center Of the light
l had reasoned that It's glare-being
something new to him-might attract
him as it does almost all night flyers
and 1t seems that 1t did, for he put
himself before it and for several mo-
ments remained mOtionless and dis
tinct, apparently as fascinated by it's
brightness as had he been an elk or
second idea and the authorities adopt
ed it. They are rigging up a rapid
fire gun to be placed Immediately over
the searchHght and which will move
in perfect conjunction with it, the
gun to be so sighted that when an OBJ
ject is in the center Of the spot light,
the weapon will be automatically
pointed at him. Then ali one will
have to do will be to operate the
mechanism of the gun and stream Of
high velocity bullets win traverse
down the center of the lane of light
and in all probability riddle the target,
be it Flying Man or anything else.
While the idea has not been demon
strated practically, / am fairly proud
Of the suggestion, for being purely
mechanical it does away with the I'M
certainty Of human aim. You have
only to set your straight travelling
light, await until your victim appears
before it and then work your straight
shooting gun. The bullets follow the
central light rays and must of reces-
sity find their mark"
Alan was impressed. "Theoreticany
at least it seems perfect Within say
a miles range l think it would prove
effective upon a target the size of the
one we have in mind. Yet how much
more satisfactory it would be if we
could catch him alive" The eyes of
the elder man glistened rapturously.
"Ah, he would be invaluable, abso-
lutely priceless. Science could afford
to pay millions for him. Through him
a veritable Gordian knot of mystery
might be unraveled. Astronomy might
leap forward hundred years in a day
and the other sciences advance in pro
portion. And if we could only learn
to communicate with him by word of
mOuth"-the speaker sighed and
stroked his half healed BROW would
cheeTfully forgive this everlasting scar
If he would tell me the sights he has
seen in his mad flight through space.
Even his impressions of our world
as he approached it would be Of most
absorbing interest. If but some lucky
shot would break one Of his wings and
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