Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-02-05

ning-like aside, and holding his wings
outstretched to their fullest extent
and rigid as bars he came swooping
down upon the heads OF the packed
multitude with almost the speed Of
a direct fall. Down, down in a long,
sharp incline as a wildfowl seeks the
surface OF a lake. he came, head fore
most. his body nearly perpendicular,
his arms outstretched and his hands
clasped as a swimmer dives from a
great height, the whistle OF his wings
shrilling V sharper and sharper in
their ears. And before that majestic
dive those upon the ground surged
backward with the hoarse roar OF a
panic. tanning each other against
the surrounding walls, striking at ran
dom, trampling each other unmerci.
fully. But when only a dozen feet
above their heads the descending one
tiattened his pinions and with a cry
Of such savagery that 1t set the hear.
/ ers' teeth or edge. went skimming
like a meteor above them to the rush
Of wind and vanished In the twinkling
OF an eye over the buildings. Putnam.
dazzled by the unexpectedness and
swiftness Of the others plunge, circled
about rapidly as he sought t again
sight his vanished foe.
For perhaps a minute, a long min.
ute. when men gaZed silently into
each others eyes In the stupefaction
Of those who have just witnessed a
miracle, the flying one remained be-
yond their ken while Putnam, the
whistle Of his fan family audible in
the great hush, patrolled the sky i'm
patiently with his keen eyes. Then
far above them in another quarter and
at least five hundred feet higher than
the aviator. the winged one again ap-
peared and those below caught their
breath with a long, signing gasp in
the instructive realization that the
comedy vas finished and the grim
tragedy about to be performed. So
suddenly had he ~reappeared and so
considerable was his height that Put.
nam did not locate him until a great
ohouN Va hlH6 dlOsc " us carr.
He looked down. saw the direction OF
their pointed fingers and shot an up.
ward glance in response. The Flying
Man was hanging directly over him
like the shadow of death. and with a
quick twist of his wheel he circled
aside and began to ascend as one
mounts a spiral staircase. Up and up
the propeller screaming, the guy wires
humming, the light body Of the ma
chine vibrating beneath the power OF
the motor, up he went straight into
the zenith, while holding his distance
almost to a foot the lowering one
pumped himself skyward in steady
leaps. A mile-two miles-would they
never stop? Three miles! From the
ground the machine looked a toy, the
Flying Man with his thirty feet spread
Of wings, a bat lowering over 1t but
a foot above his pursuer. Uncanny
horror ran through the crane necked
watchers at the very thought Of the
awful altitude to which the demonic
creature from an alien world was lur-
ing his prey before destroying him.
while fifteen thousand feet up Putnam,
gray Of face hut steely Of eye and
steady of arm. coaxed his machine
still higher with every caress his teft
hands had learned to minister. Could
he get but one fair shot at this mock
ing devil all would be well yet and
the half million his alone, and even II
he could ram him and bring everything
and everybody down together In an
unacceptable mass of wreckage and
humanity he would in his last moment
of life make himself immortal, win the
prize for his widow and rid the earth
Of this hateful monster. Quit! He
would follow him to the heart of the
zenith first.
But he got nc chance to shoot. His
antagonist had learned to fear those
fire belching things with which this
mar vas armed and appeared to IN.
derstand perfectly that SO long as he
retained his present position Of above
and slightly behind the other he was
In a region Of comparative safety.
Keenly he watched the ascending ma
chine as It arose slowly and more
slowly in the rarefed air until another
thousand feet had been mounted, then
with the quickness OF thought he ex-
ecuted his plan. Dropping sheer until
he reached the level Of the plane he
seized 1t with his powerful hands and
with one beat OF his pinions tilted 1t
%perilously. Putnam, driven to the full
extent Of his skill TO keep from being
capsized. had no opportunity to shoot,
and the Flying Man with another
mighty heave turned him fairly wrong
side up as n turns a turtle on a
beach. Down went the plane as a
wounded bird falls. Putnam clinging
TO the frame and striving with almost
superhuman energy to right 1t as they
fell, but 1t was a task beyond human
capability and when he had fallen a
mile be became bewildered, missed a
hold and fell. Whirling, spinning,
arms and legs outstretched, he dropped
ten thousand feet at horrifc speed, his
upset machine with its propeller still
whirling shooting downward after him
In grotesque gyrations. The crash Of
their fall upon the top OF the buildings
was heard for a mile, while Tar In the