THE NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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6YMGPSI8.
Profoffor Desmond of the I'enlc observa
tory cauHex a great nenantlon tlirounhotit
tho country by itnnourirlMK that what up
t irs to lie a sfilelllto In approaching nt
rrlllc speed Dcntrurtlon of ttm earth Is
fm red Panic prevails uvor where. The
"Helllto barely mioses tlio enrth. Tho iit
monpherlr dlturbanre knock people un
coriHcloUH, but does no dntnHRo
CHAPTER III. Continued.
Selection was made tind tlio soven
clioson otiPB departed In several differ
c ,t directions with aHauraneeti that
tlioy would liaston Imck an hooh an
ihoy had observed condltloiiH abroad
In lio respective portions of tho town
to which Ihoy had aaslgned them
welvos nilnff clianca derrced that
Ian, Clay and ProfoHBor Dosniond
whould remain JihIro Fulton as mas
Iter of the Iioubo remained with their
They gathorcd theniHolves Into n
)cloD Rroup. "Your theory now, pro
jffchor'" they nslted bh their fellows
ill. appeared. Desmond, tall nud guunt,
riiRRPd without uncouthnoEB, patiaed
Ills hand slowly over a forohcad lined
fty long years of etudy and thought.
"My lrlonds," ho beRan hesltatlnsly,
"'wp havo not only witnessed but are
Slvlns'to tell of a miracle so astonish
PC that human history contains noth
kiu; which ovon approaches It. You
hvlll tmtlorstnnd pnrfoctly that any at
kenuited explanation upon my part will
Ijo hut my Individual theory, and that
It may bo entirely disproved In the
(light of subsequent developments,
ri'linl being borno In mind, I think up
on your part you will readily concedo
that while my prophecy as to our do
etructlon went nstray, yet our eacapo
wan by a hair's breadth of a few scoro
miles. And while I did not calculate
with entire nccurncy, I did calculate
tven closer than you could have
i-lRhod."
"And our holiiB missed how can
that bo accounted for If tho earth waB
tho object of attack? How can tho at
tracted object miss the magnet and
Ii.ihh on as this body booms to 1'iivo
"It cannot. And that, ls'tho very
IhltiK Unit pioves to us that tho earth
wart not tho magnet In this case, nud
It was the error on my pait which
(tends to oxplnln the miss. The body
rtvlilch passed us waB and undoubtedly
jut this moment (n bound for somo oth
er pofnl In epaco many million miles
tioyoud tin, perhnps for some vast
liody or group of bodlos of which wo
liavo no Icnowledge, perhaps for ono of
tho hugo suns wo can see. Or, again,
jiOHSlbly llko sotno of tho comets It
lias an orbit of well nigh Incalcul
able extent, and llko a comot passes a
certain point every so many years. In
uny ovent It took small notice of us
no more In fact than had wo been a
ponp bubble. Wo inoroly happened to
tie la its path,"
"nut why did not tho earth divert
this much smaller body to Itself when
they wore In such closo contact?"
"That may bo accounted for by as
running thnt becauso of tho entirely
different natutoH of tholr compositions
they did not happen to attract each
othor, as for oxamplo glass ignoros tho
lodestono whllo It on does not. And
Lncauso of tho terrific speed of tho
jtravolor It shot through our sphere of
Influenco by sheer momentum, uu an
Iron ball may be thrown or shot past
u magnet which would divert and re-
tain It had not Its momentum carried
It by. Bonio comets which pnss very
close In their circuit around tho sun
nro only kept from falling Into It by
their awful incjuioptum, tho speed of
noimi of thorn at that period of theli
lllght being ovor a million miles an
liour TIiobo are the possible solutions
lilrli occur to mo nt this time. How-
vor, I atn free to admit that my rea-
onlng faculties havo beon consldur-
bly dlBturbed, and tomorrow I may
ntiroly rovorso my opinion of to
light."
"Did U touch us at-all?"
I "I think not except ntmoBphorlcal-
, "Why tho vibrations, the winds, the
forcible air proesuro and tho vacuum
n which wo all so nearly porlshed?"
"Moro spoculatloii. Tho earth tin
tlo lU'odly sonsod tho approach of the
in) Serious stranger and evidenced It
to tho extent of quivers of apprehen
sion Tlio other physical manifesta
tions wore probably electrical, mag
netic and ethereal, while the pressure
ktnd vncuum were cfui&od by actual
fihyslcnl contact."
i "Hut did you not say thoie' whb no
physical contact?"
"lOxccpt the physical contact of
tholr buffeting atmospheres, supposing
that tho visitor carried Its own atuios
idioro along with It. or the contact of
lf.fl solid body Itself with our atmog
lihoro lu case It hnd none of Its own.
The result would have boon practical
ly tho same In either case. Now for
tho sako of tho aigumoiit let us as
mi mo the earth to be a ball as large
hh uu applo, and our friend of a few
InomoutB ngo to bo n much smaller
full say tho hIzh of a pea- For the
liurpofie of thw UliiHlratiou we will also
.nuppo'so tho larger ball which ropro
ionts tho earth to b movluR but
It Just skims It but with a distance
the thickness of a piece of papor be
tween them. You will readily under
stand that for an Instant there is con
siderable nlr commotion on a small
scale In that fraction of a Second and
fraction of an Inch when the balls are
so closo together first a rush of wind
as the small bull approaches and
forces tho air ahead of It, next a com
pression of air at tho closest point be
tween them, and third tho suction
which all rapidly moving bodies cre
ate behind them and which Is a partial
vacuum. This Is illustrated by the
fact that a cannon ball may snatch
one's breath awny without hitting him
It wus so with us but upon a much
vaster scale. First wo had our violent
winds, then the compression when the
visiting body was hurtling directly over
our heads, and lastly the vacuum as it
rushed awny dragging the air after It.
Tho galo which followed that was
caused by the air rushing back to
place In the restoration of normal at
mosplioric equilibrium. As coon as
that was restored the wind censed."
"And tho awful roar?"
"It could haidly bu expected that
tho passage of a kit go body through
space at an inconceivable velocity
would bo attended by absolute sllonco
when it comes In close contact with
another body You know tho sound
that a bullet makes in passing through
tho air. Very well. Now that bullet
might not mako a sound that tho hu
man car coufd hear In pausing through
anything as intangible as space, but
you must remember thnt this body of
which wo speak In hundtods ot miles
in diameter nud tint whilst a modern
bullet travolu with, a velocity ot only
two tfiousand mllos an hour, thiB small
world may well be going two hundred
thousand miles an hour ono hundred
times as fast. Therefore, no matter
how thin tho ether of space may be
wo might well expect Bound to accom
pany an object of that slzo traveling
at that onorrnous speed."
"You spoke, professor, of tho vis
itor's having an atmospheio. Would It
bo possible In tho event such Is the
casii that It Is Inhabited by human
beings?"
"I would scarcely think "no. In tho
flrtt pluco Its slzo would hardly seem
to Justify such n thing, yet were Its
othor conditions favorable Its area Is
sulllclent to support .n populntlon of
several millions, that 1b Judging Its
conditions to be similar to those upon
favored places on this earth. But It
may be, safoly assumed that If It does
possess a human population and by
human I mean reasoning nud speaking
creatures, thoy would in all probability
bo vastly different from us physically,
and therofore in tho nature of things,
mentally. Dut as to what theso differ
ences might consist of no ono can have
any conception." Ho Btnrted us
though surpilsed, leaned forward
and rubbed his linger actoss Alan's
boeom. A black streak Instantly ap
poarod lu the wako of tho linger
"Were you hot drosscd in black when
you arrived horo this evening?" ho de
manded crisply. "And you, too, doctor
and you?"
They looked at each othor in won
derment. From head to foot they
were gray, as gray as had aBhes been
illtored over them through a sieve,
whllo by tho glow of tho lantoniB nnd
brighter electilc lights tho ground
sopinod to be carpeted with a sooty
snow. In their absorbed listening they
had not noticed the phenomenon, but
now us thoy lifted tholr faces upward
they were conscious of tho falling of a
soft, Impalpable substance fine as
Hour, sinking as gontly as thlstlo
down, Desmond brushed a spoonful of
It Into his pnlm, scanned it, tubbed It
botween his lingers, smollod of It, ovon
tasted It, then shook his head.
"Undoubtedly organic dust brushod
from the visitor by atmospheric fric
tion," he muttered. He suddenly bout
ovor with uuothor sharp exclamation
of surprise. "Hollo! What's this?"
A small twig had come twirling
down to his foot and he picked It up
ami turned It over slowly as thoy
crowded aiound him. "Any of you
ever seen anything llko this?" ho de
tuanded at length as ho passed It from
hand to hand. Ciltlcnlly thoy scanned
It. Tho twig was about tho length
and size of a lead pencil and nt Its end
was a loaf black as Jot, perfectly round
ana auoui mo mzo or a stiver dollar.
Upon tlio leaf and extending from rim
to rim was stamped In gllttorlng white
a strange cabalistic design. Doris
leaning forward for a bettor vlow
gasped sharply and clutched'ut the or
u:mont below her throat. Removing
it with a quick motion sho laid II be
side the loaf, whllo from nil sides
arose expressions of amusement. For
lu size, lu color, lu design, lu all re
spects biive that her trlnkot was of
Jade and diamonds whilst the leaf was
nil wgotablo thoy woro Identical.
"A moHt marvttlous coincidence,"
muttered Desmond dreamily, Tils oyos
half closed. "Inexplicable. The plot
Is thiokenlng faht. DuBt falls, Vogeta
tlon descends. Wlmt If lifter all my
Cod, what's that?"
Ho turnod his face quickly upward
From nbovo camo Ilrst a strnnge cry
unlike any sound they had over hoard
before from tho thront of man, fowl or
beast, quavering yet sharp and In
sistent, bearing tho notes of both ap
peal and tiireat ns though the thing
that uttered it knew not what his noxt
aet should be and In his Indecision ut
tered the double note. And whllo those
below wore still staring open mouthed
and speechless before the oncoming
of tills now mystery, there camo a
rush as of mighty wings, a fanning of
tho air that swept their faces, whllo
from out. of the darkness there set
tled before them a monstrous shape
that rooted them In tholr tracks and
himself forward and thrust aside tho
rlawllko hand that was descending
upon her.
"Oct out," he cried, as though ho
woro speaking to ono who Bpokc his
language. "Clear out."
Tho hand remained poised In the
air, and from the distance of a yard
March gazed Into tho faco of the new
comer. And In thnt Instant of sus
pense and tension the fentures of the
Flying Man became photographed up
on his memory as upon a sensitized
plate. His forehead was broad and of
good height, Indicating a brain equiva
lent in volume at lenst to an ordinary
mans. His hugo eyes were Hlmy but
caused every iinir upon ineir nouns 10 i iumous within, his nose beaklike,
prick and pull Manlike of head and hls n)0Utn CnormouB and studded with
limbs, yet manllko In such a way as no magnificent, oven toeth save for tho
mortal eye had over seen before, with
huge bulging oyes, n cavernous mouth
hung with loosely flapping lips, thin
arms and logs that seemed to be made
of cords instead of Hcsh and munclo
and his reddish body loosely hung
nbout by a strange skin, ho was more
the fantastic apparition of a delirium
than any creature known to man since
the grotesque Hying shapes of prehis
toric ages. And more mnivelous than
all oIbo, attached to his shoulders by
hugo brachial muscles that ran down
ward to his hips' were a great pair of
batllko wings with a spread of full
thirty feet, and with these now fully
extonded he crouched before them In
tho attitude of a bird Just alighting.
Slowly ho scanned them, his great
oyes glowing luminously In tho dusk,
his bioad mouth working fantastically
and his head craned forward an
though trying to read In their faces
what mnnncr of creatures they were,
and whother his next movement
should be ono of friendship, antagon
ism or flight. Then his eyes settled
upon Doris, who now paralyzed by a
terror infinitely greater than had pos
sessed her at the approach of the hos
tile world, could only staro at the
monster like ono chained to the spot.
Then slowly he raised one long arm
until its index linger pointed at tho
ornament which she held in her hand,
and with a strange croaking sound
arid a curious birdlike hop he camo
straight towards her.
CHAPTER IV.
The Battle on the Lawn.
The, deathlike hush that had fallen
upon them was pierced by a Bcrcam,
so sharp and terror filled that It
stabbed the night air like a ocal dag
gey, such a scream as a woman might
utter lu finding herself in the clutches
of a (lend Yet It was not Doris who
i& B JPLSKtlSPI
WmiS jar- . 1 Efedralvx''
4T j?l
i an
t lowly. Now you throw tho Binallor
till oast tho larger ono bo closoly that uvury eye following, ovary oar alort
". ,
He Struck Lightning Blows as
Eagle Strikes.
utterod it. but some womnn who stood
closo bcBido her. Shrill and piercing,
it cut to tholr very marrow, yot so un
canny had beon tho night and so brief
tho Intorvnl between tho buttling pas
sage of tho monster ot tho skies that
had bo nearly snuffed out tholr lives
nnd tho appearance of this grotosquo
thing from another world, that tholr
overstrung nerves wore still all
nqulver and beneath tho woman's wild
cry thoy swerved and loapod baekwaid
as a horse swervos and backs beneath
a slashing whip cut, wild ojed nud
quivering. In n solid bunch ihoy hud
died ngalnst tho front of tho Fulton
home, tho men thrusting the women
bohlnd thorn as thoy turnod, unarmed
but desperate, to combat as best they
could this monstrous Hying thing thnt
had bison brushed from a world gone
forever Into space, and who now cast
among them In nil likelihood possessed
of Satanic malice as well as of super
human means of tisnotiortlng himself.
Maroh cnught lu the pi ess and for n
moment rendered helpless, forcod his
way to tho front rank Just In time to
see tlmt Doris, still rooted to tho spot,
stood nlono before the advancing ono.
With n lnartloulato cry ho launched
long canines. His ears were those of
an average human being, his head
covered by thinly scattered and ex
ceedingly coarse brown hair. Taken nil
in all It was tho face of a human be
ing of a species different from any of
this world, yot of one who as Desn ond
had defined it was "a reasoning, speak
ing creature," and who possessed tre
mendous possibilities for destructive
ness and yet who was not wholly de
praved or vicious. And now as ho
faced him lu determined opposition
to his desire to reach the girl, and
yet opposing him without gesture of
threat or violence, March fancied ho
saw tho first fierce glare that had
greeted his opposition fade Into a look
of half appeal. With a final command
of his hand for tho Intruder to remain
where he was, Alan began hustling
Dorfs towards the stop3 leading into
the house. But scarcely had ho gone
a yard when tho winged one was
again clutching at her over her pro
tector's shoulder, not angrily as It ap
peared, but moro as an insistent child
keeps reaching for a coveted bauble,
or a man grnsps for somo cluslvp ob
ject which ho greatly desires to pos
sess. Steadily March warded off the
attacks with patient determination to
frustrate them at all cost but with no
attempt at retaliation, whllo as stead
ily tho other pursued with no attempt
to Injure either of his quarry. It was
thrust and parry, thrust and parry
llko a pair of fencers, and with the
lower rise of tho porch benenth his
foot and but a dozen moro steps be
tween them and safety bohlnd tho
stout doors, Alan's hopo nioso and he
whispered a word of encouragement to
the automatically moving girl. And
then at tho very threshold of pacific
escape the armistice was suddenly
shattered.
From out of tho front low whore ho
had stood with the other men stnrlng
at tho strange spectacle before thoin,
Tolllver now stepped with a revolver
gleaming in his hand. He threw It up,
aimed quickly and fired, and at tho
cr.'sh of tho weapon tho Flying Man
reeled with a pathetic, animal like cry
and a convulsive clutching at his side.
Again the weapon Bpoke and ngaln
the creature quivered and screamed,
while Alan baw leap into his eyes In
plnce of the mild luminosity that had
abode there a glare so ghoulish that
it frozo his blood as though tho other
had suddenly been tiansformod into a
man eating tiger. Ono glance showed
him that his pursuer's gaze was not
now fixed upon Doris but upon Tol
llvei, and taking advantage of the op
portunity he hustled her up the stops
with a rush and thrust her behind tho
stout door From without there burst
forth a wild medley, of shrieks, yells,
deep bellowed croaks and the sound
of heavy blows, nnd releasing tho girl
ho wont living down the stops to tho
aid of his companions
Tolllver was lying upon his back
white and motionless, tho Flying Man,
his faco now hideously distorted, leap
ing about and ovor tho prostrate ono
nB with amazing strength and agility
ho alternately attacked and defended
hlmsolf from the tushes of thr llvo
men who assailed him from every
side with a cyclone of kirks and
blows. Ills wings now closoly folded
somowimt llko a fun projected not
over a yard on elthor sldo of him. but
with them he struck lightning blows
as an ongle strlkoa when battling
close In with Us onomy. Doctor Ray
mond, a heavy and poworful man,
launching hlmsolf fairly upon the oth
er throw an arm about his neck with
tho purpose to pull him dow n, only
the next second to bo hurled bodily
Into space by Ills onomy whose limbs
though thin seemed to possess tho
Iron tendons and strength of the foro
logs of a horse I'rofossor Desmond
attempting to rush In roceivod a
blow across the forehead from a Joint
ed wing that cut it opon as by a
spado, and fell unconscious upon his
back with a broad soar gnping wido,
the mark of which Is plainly to bo
soon upon his brow today. March ar
riving with a rush at this moment
saw nr. oppoit unity to launch himself
bodily upon tho othor's back and did
so, onolroliiiK tho throAt with one arm
and belaboring his foe an host ho
could with his powerful list. Hut oach
time his kuuckls landed thoy
sooined to be fulling upon a Btono
wall.
JudgQ Fulton, Edwards and King
still remained upon their feet. Of
those tho Ilrst named was corpulent,
short of wind and Incapable of doing
more than running about and feint
ing In order to divert his foe's atten
tion, but this he was doing to tho
best of his ability. Kdwards, stronc
nnd active, was seeking nn opportun
ity to closo In, his pocket knife hold
open In his hand; whllo King, who
had evidently been partially stunned
by a blow, was stumbling about tho
lawn as though In search of some
weapon, a stone or a club. In his
position upon the other's back and
between tho wings March had a tre
mendous advantage, yet despite his
strength nnd Immunity from attack
found that he could do little moro
than hnmper tho creature's move
meifts. Edwnrds seeing tho foe thus
encountered rushed headlong In with
his knife ready for a sweeping thni3t,
and March, keenly alive to the oppor
tunity, threw all his strength Into a
l backward surge In an attempt to over
balance the one he held in order that
the blade might find its mark. Hut tho
one benenth him reared and leaped
asido as a horse might beneath Its
rider, and the'next instant March
found himself arising half Btunned
from tho grass several yards distant.
Edwards lay inert where he had been
felled by a tremendous blow or kick
delivered with sijch lightning quick
ness that none but tho ono who deliv
ered It ever knew from where it came.
As for the Flying Man, he now stood
crouching In the center of tho battle
field with his wings half spread and
his hugo eves glowing like those of
an ehormous beetle. He was moaning
and the blood was running profusely
from his side where Tolllvcr's bullet
had raked him across the ribs.
Some of the women had fled beneath
the treeB or gone screaming down tho
street In search of assistance, but oth
ers still romained huddled against the
steps In wild eyed horror and" incapa
ble ot movement. With a hop that cov
ered at least ten feet tho creature was
close before them, scanning them,
peering Into their faces and seeming
to bo bowildered as they collapsed be
fore him without having beon struck
a blow. Then turning about he saw
Tolllver, whom he appeared to have
momentarily forgotten, as the latter
was attempting to rise, and with a
malevolent scream leaped upon him
That ho purposed some terrible act
against this man' who had beon tho
first to assail and wound him, none
who saw his face and attitude ever
questioned. But Alan getting upon
his feet at that instant and stumbling
forward empty handed with the des
peiato resolve to do his utmost to de
fend his rivul, felt Ills foot fall upon
a hard object. Stooping ho grasped
Clay's revolver. He cocked It as he
straightened himself up.
Warned by the sharp click of tho
upraised hammer the Flying Man
leaped off his victim and from his lips
burst a wild bcroam that unmistakably
denoted that he had learned to fear
this fire spitting thing which had stung
him so keenly With a leap aside of
inconceivable quickness he landed up'
on tho steps of the porch, tho blood
now streaming down his leg and leav
ing its dark mark wherever ho
stepped. Alan sighted quickly and
pulled tho trigger. Tho hammer fell
with a metallic clack upon an Imper
fect cartridge and no explosion fol
lowed. Once moro ho cocked It, but
us he raited his arm Ills antagonist
leapod llko a great fiog into the air,
the huge wings flow out ns released
springs uncoil, bent downwind with a
power so tremendous that the blast
fiom them swept tho watchers as a
gale, boat ngaln and upward between
the trees the body of tho Flying Man
shot Into tho murk llko a mammoth
prehistoric bat, disappearing In a
flash. But a moment luter his
sjcream came back to them, malicious
and exultant.
Alan threw his useless firearm down
with an imprecation upon Its false
ness. And as he did so thero burst
tlnough tho door and camo dart
ing down the stops a llguro with
hair flying and eyes ablaze, bearing In
her hand a naked, lusty cutlass which
sho thrust into March's hand as her
eyes flow about. "Where Is he? Oh,
whore is he?" bIio gasped. Alan
pointed upvvaul
"Qono flapped away llko a chicken
hawk," ho burst forth angrily, his do-
slro for buttle fully moused and Ills
disappointment aeuto that tho invader
had escaped. Tho girl's fnce darkened.
Doris was ot good old fighting Mock as
well as hlniBolf. Hnd not her great
grandfather been a minute mnu? And
had not her grandmother shot an In
dian with hor own hand when tlte
savages attacked their prairie schoon
er way back In tlio '50s? And now
Doris hersolf, warm heartfld and Im
pulsive, was fooling for tho, flrt time
lu her life the fierce wailike strain of
blood of hor forbears coursluj; through
hor veins. Hor small bauds tightened.
"As boon as you left mo I relnod
posfiosslon of inysdlf, and when I
hoard tho shouts and blows I looked
out of tho door. You were all light
ing and striking and running and
Jumping and I wanted to help but did
not know what to do. I knew 1 would
only be in tho way unless I had a
weapon, so I went raging through tbo
house try lug to remember If wo ha1
any such things. Finally I thought
of this old sword which my uncle
ho was In the Spanish-American war
you know brought back from ono of
tho sunken battleships. Well, It was
hanging over tho flroplnce In tho room
ho used to have when ho lived with
us, and I got on a chair nnd Anally
munagod to get it down and camo
running out here But of course I wna
too late. If I could only havo got ono
stroke at him "
Her fierceness vanished In a flash
at s,lght of tho white face of the
women who had bo recently gazod into
tho eyes of tho departed one from the
dlstanco of a foot, and sho went scur
rying up to tho place where they had
immediately fled after tho flight. Tlien
after a moment she came down again
an rapidly as sho had ascended and
ran to her father, who was supporting
Desmond. King had returned from his
fruitless search for a weapon, Dr. Ray
mond had regained his feet and no
one appeared to have been Injured se
riously. "Whcrq Is Clay?" sho de
manded. None knew. He had been seen
to arise a moment before but in tho
rapid happening of events that fol
lowed all had lost sight of him. "Doris
brow clouded. "Ran away! I don't
bqllevo a word of It. Ho Is not that
kind," she announced In reply to nn.
Insinuation. "I hope the poor fellow
Is not seriously hurt. Suppose wo
look about tho place for him, for ho
cannot havo gono far In so short a
time." Sho started off byM4io sldo
of March.
"Do you think Clay U3ed good Judg
ment In shooting the creature when
ho was not attempting to harm us?
Perhaps he was merely bowildered or
trying In his way to be friendly." sho
said. March' became emphatic.
"Indeed I do not. Ho was altogether
too impulsive and raised tho dickon3
by it. But of course wo were all
highly wrought up, and the appear
ance of the creature was not condu
cive to tho quieting of one's nerves.
Yet I am convinced that ho Intended
us no harm until ho was wounded.
But It was plain enough to bo seen
that either you personally or that
ornnment you wear appealed to him
strangely. Its resemblance to the leaf
is wonderful and perhaps excited him
somewhat. Ho appeared to wish to
detain you and try and communicate
with you more than to do any Injury
as well as I could judge by his move
ments and tho expression In Ills oyes
Had Clay restrained hlmsolf wo might
have beon able to establish some sort
of an understanding with him which
would eventually have led to our be
ing able to communicate intelligibly
with each other. For I am convinced
that he Is some sort ot a human being
who speaks some sort of n language.
And try and imagine what a leap tlmt
would be for human knowledge! ac
tual mouth-to-ear communication with
a being from another celestial body.
Heaven only knows what might have x
come of it if lie could tell us of his
travels on that flying home of his.
But as It Is, I am afraid we havo un
leashed a flend upon ourselves 3
creature who with his wonderful gift
of flight and imbued with tho bello
that our only deslro Is to do him
harm can If ho so deslrc3 wreak a
tcrrlblo vengeance upon us. And that
he now considers himself nn outlaw
with a prlco'upon his head I havo small
doubt, and being afraid to again trust
himself amongst un and with no pos
sibility on his part of escape from
this world, thero is no tolling what
crlmo or series of crimes he may ak
tempt." .
"And suppose thero should bo more
thnn ono of them, a dozen, a hundred,
a thousand!" she exclaimed In un
awed voice. The man's faco grow very
serious.
"Then so much the worso for the
wot Id. For If thoy possesB tho intelli
gence and potential vlndlctivoness'
which I am afraid thoy do, a scoro of
them could well nigh drive a nation
frantic. They could swoop down upon
Isolated places and equip theniBelvea
with guns and dynamite. They could
destroy from above In tho blackness
of night. They could retire to fast
nosEes whenever they desired to
rest and plan now war. Until they
wore dotioed ono by ono thoy could
lay tribute upon tho kind for our
wealth, our btock, our goods, our mu
nitions In fact, anything wo possesa
except our woman and children. And
tlfOfeO "
"And those!" she cried quickly,
"And even those they could steal
one by one as vultures stoal chlekons."
The girl shuddered.
(TO BK CONTINUED.)
Greater Than Conquerors.
Wo cannot conquer fnto and necessi
ty, yot wo can ylold to them In such
a manner as to be greater than If we
could. Laudor.
Tr
r