The Raymer enterprise., 1914-04-02

~ "toAs W AAc oquCdilu6 VI LIE ple
had lighted lantern and, gun in hand,
hastened to the pen with the thought
that some wild creature of the noun
tains had descended in search of fresh
meat, only to find the sty empty and
no trace Of the missing porker, yet
a moment later he was sure he heard
faint squeal from far up In the air.
From another place came the news
that a belated traveller had heard a
raucous cry from above and in a
great fright threw himself behind a
rock, from which, moment after
wards. he heard through the dark
ness the whistle Of powerful wings.
But SO unsatisfactory were the differ
ent rumors, SO vague, and emanating
from so many different quarters that
the awaiting ones soon began to ac-
cord them but little credence, little
later ceasing to place any confidence
In them whatever. Then after several
OF the aviators had actually departed
In disgust there came seething mes
sage from Dentonyille, two hundred
miles to the westward, so full of hor-
rible details that none who read even
the expurgated report OF the papers
could doubt but that the Flying Man
had again been located and had once
more shed human blood, this time
with a flendishness of which he had
heretofore been only suspected as be-
ing capable. The victim this time was
a middle-aged negro woman who lived
with her husband In lonely place
two miles beyond the town, the prin-
cipal narrator being the negro him
self, a rather simple minded and
peaceable man of good repute. who
made his living by doing odd Jobs in
his vicinity. His report of the occur
renee as taken in shorthand by a
newspaper reporter and after having
been expurgated. read as follows:
Il done lef' de house early In de
mawnin' TO to done some wuk To-
Mistah Lewis, who am buildin'
fence ovah on his place erbout two
mile away. l done got finish at foah
erclock and starts TO home. When
| gets up clus to de house | done no
tice dar's something dat ain jes'
right, 70 dar amt no noise inside.
Alters when | comes home befo'
can heah dat woman O. mine er meek
in er racket, singin' or whistlin' er
slammin' dem dishes erbout lax she
were gwine bust 'em up, but dis time
1t am so still ! could heah my, haht
er beatin' lax drum. stan's dar
for er minnit a-wonderin' what am
de trubbil, an den tries de do. It
am locked. Den tries de back do
an dat am fasten' too. ] tries to
peek In de windows, but de curtains
am down an | begins to get suspi.
cious, tho amt nevah seen no
tracks Of any other man aroun' ma
place since we been married. But
is gettin' mad all oyah an | poun's
on de do and says, Woman, yo'
open dat do or Use gwine bust 1t In
wifi rock At dat ! heahs little
SCUM inside an picks up big stone
an smashed de lock an den ! steps
inside quick. Oh. Cord. what er sight!
Dere a-settin' on de kitchin' table
all hump up, war de debbil hisself
wifi his wings folden ovah his haid
an his chin a-hangin' down an a
winkin' an blinkin at me wifi eyes
as big as ma fis', an dar on de fio'-
Lawd, folks, can't tole yo' what
sees. / jes' screech out screech
an flies to de barn an locks myself
inside an grabs de pitchfawk an
peeps out er crack. Well, pretty soon
out comes dat ole debbil, still a-blink-
in an looks eroun', but he doan' see
muffin an 80 he flaps his wings lax
er rooster an tries to fly. But he
can't get often de groun, an bimeby
he climbs up on de fence an meks
little hop an dis time off he goes
poundin up in de air slow an heavy
lax turkey buzzard. | waits until
he am mos out er sight an den
goes a-shoutin' TO- help. So help me
Lawd. dis am de truf ef | done get
hanged TO- tellin' it."
The corroboration of his story by
the whites who had hurried to the
scene In response to his suffered
story had convinced all of the entire
truthfulness of the narrative, and the
wires had Immediately spread the
grewsome news far and wide. Extra
editions Of the local press were upon
the streets almost before the tele-
graph key had ceased clicking, and
again nameless horror and unspeak-
able rage filled the hearts OF all who
read. For although the papers sup
pressed the most grewsome of the
details, enough remained to make
even the stoutest.hearted of those
who read the story through shudder.
Upon the field the aviators we're Civ
Ing their machines last test with
nervous haste, working silently, fierce
ly. horror and hatred stamped deeply
upon their faces. Doris, rushing
bareheaded across the block which
separated the Fulton home from the
little park where the airships rested.
thrust small package into North's
hand Just as he mounted his seat.