Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-11-05
CHAPTER VIil.-continued.

sSSSfAg he felt the EDOLlOm drop IRON MS
stomach as she fairly leaped across
deadly air pockets where all below
I Yves like q vacuum, covering the gap
as d great runner upon skees sweep
Ing down a mountainside hurls himself
by. momentum alone over broad
reaches Of space. He felt himself
bounding from sinvisi BILE air crest to
invisible air crest with the lightness
5sof one who dances upon "a rope, he
felt the weight OF momentum pressing
against his side and pushing at him
like strong hand as a sWerye to
right or left took them momeL. from
their direct path He looked down.
4 Far below, so far that the trees looked
\ like the toy trees upon the blocks
which children play with, the people.
like toyEmen two inches tall the
beasts 81: the field like the beasts Of
4 a toy}ark, the earth was rushing back
ward as the film Of q moving picture
speeds and vanishes. He looked up.
Space, yawning and infinite, hazy,
igauzy, mystery filled; the moon barely
adistinguishab&e and thin as q ghost
! floating far above like a bubble. He,
gazed to the west. The sun, copperish
and vast glowed as through thin
mesh. They were q mile above the
point Of starting-two miles above the.
level Of the sea and almost even with
the lower reaches Of the eternal SHOWS
*0f the peaks. The chill of upper space
peryaded him and he drew himself
4 closer together as he thieved q quick
glance at the man at his side. The
saviator's face was drawn and deeply
lined. his N eyes glowing, his teeth,
aclenched and his iron finger delicately5
sfondling the wheel as his body swayed
j1rhyt hmically to the slow roll Of the:
machine. He looked ahead once more.
Speeding in front Of them as the
shadow OF a bird speeds was the .hori-
zontal form Of the one whom they.
were pursuing, his body stretched
sstraigh as a shaft from a bow, his
4grotesque face turned over his shout
der, his huge eyes glowing with malev-
client hate, his ape mouth working hid
eonsly. They, heard his cry sweep
past them in the hiss and whistle Of
the wind.
He rubbed his eyes and awoke as
one from a dream. The last OF the
sspecks had disappeared and he was.
gazing into empty space. He shook
himself and smiled. Voices were buzz
ling excitedly all about him, the crowd
Isurging restlessly about, yet SO reals.
tic had been the flight Of his imagina-
ton that for the last few minutes he
had been as oblivious of their pres
sence as had they been upon one Of.
the far distant bodies Of space But
now finding himself upon earth once
more he began peering about. Where
was Doris? He must hunt her up i'm
In the scattering Of the,
concourse before the fight Of the avn
ators he had for an instant felt q
slight worriment as to her safety, but
the knowledge that ,Tolliver was with
her and that his rival was fully com
petent to protect her had eased his
mind. Il Now, however, he would search
4 her out. s5a @ n. Z.
III "A hand fell upon his shoulder and
he turned in his tracks. Professor
Desmond was beaming upon him, and
March took the proffered hand with
genuine pleasure. "Ah, Professor!
Quite able to be around once more, !
see. am glad. So you, too, were
lucky enough to witness the pursuit
Of your unclassihed mongrel of space
by the wholly human fiying-men."
5Desmond's eyes were still sparkling
with excitement.
b Yes, i was fortunate enough to be
rambling around the grounds when
their. ascent took place. 1t was stir
ring almost excruciating. 1t thrilled
me like q 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
I 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 mag
Efue are the sensations of our vanished