The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-04-14

lAuleS IN Inc front row Iell sense
less from their chairs, and there was
a general movement upon the plat
form to follow their chairman into
the orchestra. For a moment there
was danger Of a general panic. Pro
lessor Challenger threw up hts
hands to still the commotion, but
the movement alarmed the crea-
ture beside him. Its strange shawl
suddenly unfurled, spread and 1ut-
tered as a pair OF leathery wings,
It's owner grabbed at It's legs.
but too late to hold 1t. 1t had
sprung from the perch and was
circling slowly round the Queens
Hall with a dry. leathery Tapping
OF its ten-foot wings, while a putrid
and insidious odor pervaded the
room. The cries Of the people in
the galleries, who were alarmed at
the near approach Of those glowing
yes and that murderous beak,
excited the creature to a frenzy.
Faster and faster it flew, beating
against walls and chandeliers in a
blind frenzy Of alarm. 1.-THE win
dow! For heavens sake shut that
window! roared the Professor from
the platform, dancing and wiring
ing his hands in an agony OF appre.
hension. Alas, his warning was
too late! In a moment the crea.
ture, beating and humping along
the wall like a huge moth within a
gas-shade, came upon the opening,
squeezed its hideous bulk through
1t, and was gone. Professor Chal-
lenger fell back into his chair with
his face buried In his hands, while
the audience gave one long, deep
sigh OF relief as they realized that
the incident was over.
"Then-oh! how shall one describe
what took place then-when the
full ex~uberance Of the majority and
the full reaction Of the minority
united to make n great wave Of
enthusiasm, which rolled from the
back of the hall, gathering volume
as 1t came, swept over the orches.
ira, submerged the platform and
carried the four heroes away upon
its crest?" Good for you, Mach IF
the audience had done less than
justice, surely it made ample
amends. Every one was on his
rect. Every one was moving, shout
ing, gesticulat1ng. A dense crowd
or cheering men were round the
four travellers. up with them, Up
with them" cried a hundred voices.
in a moment four figures shot up
2bove h crowd. In vain they strove
TO break loose. They were held in
their lofty places Of honor. 1t
would have Teen hard to let down
If it had peer wished, so dense was
the crowd round them. Regent
Street. Regent Street," sounded the
voices. There was q swirl In The
packed multitude, and a slow cur
rent, bearing the four upon their
snou-uers, made for the door. Out
In ;Ie street the scene was extraor.
binary. An assemblage OF not less
than a hundred thousand people
was waiting. The close packed
throng extended from the other side
OF the Langham Hotel to Oxford
Circus. A roar Of reclamation
greeted the four adventures as
they appeared, high above the heads
of the people, under the vivid cleo.
trio lamps outside the hall. "A
procession! A procession was the
cry. In az dense phalanx, blocking
the streets from side to side, the
crowd set forth. taking the route
tof Regent Street, Pail Mall, st.
James Street, and Picadilly. The
whole central traffic of London was
held up, and many collisions were
reported between the demonstrators
upon the ono side and the police
and taxicabmen upon the other.
FINALLY, 1t was not until after mid.
night that the four travellers were
released at the entrance to Lord
John Roxton's chambers In the
Albany, and that the exuberaHt
crowd, having sung, They Are
jolly Good Fellows In chorus, con-
cluded their program with God
Save the King SO ended one OF
the most remarkable evening that
London has seen for a consider o.
time"
Sc far my friend Macedonia; ana
1t may be taken as a fairly accu
rate, II florid, account of the pro
ceedings. As to the main incident.
it was a ~bew1ldering surprise to
the audience, but not. I need hard
ly say, % lie. The reader will re-
member how I met Lord ohm Rox-
ton upon the very occasion when.
In his protective crinoline, he had
gone to bring the Devils chick"
as he called It, for Professor Chal.
lenger. I have limited also at the
trouble which the Professors. bag
gage gave us when we left the pla-
teau. and had I described our voy-
age / might have said a. good deal
of the worry we had TO coax with
putrid fish the appetite of our
filthy companion. If | have not
said much about it before. 1t was.
of course, hat the Professors ear.
nest desire was that no possible
rumor Of the unanswerable argu.
ment which we carried should be
allowed to leak out until the mo.
ment came when his enemies were
to be confuted.
One word as to the fate OF the
London pterodactyl. Nothing can
be said to be certain upon this point.
There. Is the evidence Of two
frightened women that It perched
upon the roof Of the Queens Hall
and remained there like a diabolical
statue for some hours. The next
day it came out in the evening
papers that Private Miles. Of the
Coldstream Guards. on duty outside
Marlborough House, had deserted his
post without leave, and was there
fore contaminated. Private Miles