Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-10-02

shore of Monte Carlo.
Straight out to sea / few, guiding
my course by the new eastern sun, un-
I'll the land was only low line behind
me. And presently even that failed
Now nothing was visible but the broad
expanse of the ocean. Here and there.
rising and falling like a cork upon thaz
waters, saw a tiny steamship, no big
ger than a toy boat And even Theses
disappeared at last, leaving me alone
with the sun and the sea and the
wheeling gulls.
Hour after hour went by. Upon q.
favoring wind sped, ever southwark,
while behind me the busy motor
hummed and sang Charles! Charles!''-
mat was It's refrain. | thought of the
incredible dangers that | had passed.
Now the journey was almost ended
and there was little more to overcome.
| swooped lower, until almost
skinned the surface of the waters, TAX
ing sheer pleasure in the splash of
the spray and the undulating waves
that rose and fell as far as the eye
could stretch in every direction. AS
the sun neaEed the zenith | changed
my course, little by little, until flew
Immediately toward it. In the midst
of my exultation, however, suddenly
an awful thought occurred to me.
What if | should miss Corsica!"
IL sobered me. Heaven help me-
then, for l should fly straight south
ward until reached Africa, or fell in
to the sea. And after night a straight,
an even comparatively straight, course
would be impossible.
The sun crossed the zenith and
blazed in the west. Now l changed
my course little by little, until the sun
was on my right hand. By four o'clock
| should have sighted Corsica; by SIX.
| must reach Scouto, for twilight
would then be approaching The sum
began perceptibly to decline. 1t was,
half way down in the sky. And still
no sight of land!
Another thought now came to mind
for the first time and added to my
fears. What IL Zeuxis should, after ALL.
| refuse to return with me? And, fur
Their, what If the added weight impededg
the acceptance!
But forced these thoughts from me-.
and strove desperately forward, as
though by sheer effort of mentality l
could add to the speed of the insensate,
mechanism. 1t must be four o'clock
Another half hour passed-an hour.
The sea was changing from blue to-
black; in the northeast heavy thunder
clouds were looming up. l did not
dare think now. My brain whirled,
the heavens appeared to SPIN the sum-
like fiery Cyclopean eye, drew near
to the horizon. That eye would close;
and then-good night to life and ALI
my hopes for Charles.
For my own life l cared nothing.
but the thought of what would befallf
him was a torment. 1t sent the blood
coursing furiously through my veins
and my heart hammered like a ham
mer of doom. Six o'clock!-for the,
sun dipped and it's fiery edge touched
the water-line. There, immeasurably
expanded in apparent size, it hid itself
| behind the murky clouds and seemed
to leer horribly at me on its passage
into the depths of ocean. l was hope.
lessly lost now. | could only shape my
course mechanically southwark. But
where was |? l stared out over the
pitch-black waters, stirring restlessly
beneath the rising wind. One hour
more, perhaps little longer, and
! then
My hands ached, my body ached,
and an insurmountable lassitudee
weighed down my eyelids. Involun-
tarily l closed them for an instant
Then opening them, l cried out with.
joy.
For far in the distance l saw the
tiniest blur Of brown upon the face Of
the sea. 1t was SO far to port that, had
| not closed my eyes and so relieved
them from the strain of gazing over
the sea, should never have seen 1t.
But as the suns rim dipped under"
the sea l coursed over a high and
rock-bound shore toward a white little
town set on a hill l dropped into the
market square, and from the houses
men came running up, shouting in
some unintelligible speech. When the
machine rested they ventured hear"
and formed circle round me at re-
spectful distance, crossing themselves
and staring in amazement.
Where am II" l demanded in al
most all that knew of Italian.
One hero strutted toward me, toss
ing back his long cloak, and answered:
"Scouto."
had flown all along the coast of
Corsica, to land, by some most fortu-
nate coincidence of fate, at the pre-
else locality of my destination!
He knew me too, and began tremb--
than that alone. For, as l Stared into,
the mans face l recognized-zeuxis!
But the coincidence was greater
ling at the knees. Then, with wild
cry, he fell face down upon the stones
Small wonder when, deeming himself
secure, he saw me swoop out of the
skies to drag him from his living