The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 148: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

144 thought it all out in the last five min- utes. It’s astonishing that it never oc- curred tome before. Now, these wings, you see, are so constructed 7 ““See here, Hawkins,” I said, “do you mean to say that you expect to get out of this thing alive?” “ Certainly,” replied: the inventor in astonishment. “ There’s no danger. I can see that now, although I was a trifle startled at first. It’s only a matter of minutes when we shall go near enough to one of those big office buildings to grab it and stop ourselves.” “And clamber down the side— twenty or thirty stories?” | “And even if we can’t land, we shan’t fall. The construction of these wings is such id “Qh, hang the construction of your wings!” I cried. “ We’re going right toward the bay—suppose the wind dies down and lets us into the water? ” “ Well, these wings are water-proof, you know,” said Hawkins. “ They might 7 ~“ Yes, and the bay might dry up, so that we could walk back if we escaped being broken in pieces, Hawkins,” I sneered. Hawkins subsided. The breeze did not. , It was one of the most impolitely persistent breezes I have ever encount- ered. It seemed bent on landing us in New York Harbor, and before many minutes we were suspended high above that expansive and, in some circum- stances, charming body of water. Furthermore, having wafted us some- thing like a quarter of a mile from shore, it proceeded to die out in a man- ner which was, to say the least, dis- heartening. Hawkins grew paler by perceptible shades as we progressed, ever nearer the water and farther from hope; and it was not until I opened my mouth to vent a few last invidious criticisms of him and his methods that the inven- tors face brightened. : “By Jove, Griggs! Look! That ferry-boat! That fellow on the roof! He’s got a boat-hook! Hey! Hey! Hey, you!” The individual gazed aloft and nearly collapsed with astonishment. THE ARGOSY. “Catch us!” bawled the inventor frantically. “Catch the basket with that hook! We want to come aboard! Hurry up!” The boat was going in our direction and rather faster. The man on the roof seemed to comprehend. He reached up with his hook. He leaped a couple of times in vain. And then we felt a shock which told of our capture! I breathed a long, happy sigh. In dealing with Hawkins’ inventions, long, happy sighs are premature unless you are positive that your entire an- atomical structure is complete, and likewise certain that the contrivance hes at your feet in a condition of total wreck. The basket was suspended from a thin steel frame, from which several dozen stout cords rose to that idiotic pair of wings. When we were fairly caught, Hawkins cried: “Now, Griggs, stand up and catch the frame and pull the whole business down with us. And you, down there, pull hard! Pull hard, now! ” I seized the steel frame on one side, Hawkins on the other, and we pulled. And the man with the boat-hook pulled. And at the psychological moment the wind rose afresh and pulled at the wings with a mighty pull! Some seconds of dizzy swirling in the air, and the clothes-basket .portion of the Anti-Fire-Fly lay on the roof of the ferry-boat, while Hawkins and I hung far above, entangled in the cords and clutching them wildly and rising stead- ily once more! “Great Cesar’s ghost!” gurgled the inventor. “ This is awful! ” “ Awful!” I gasped when breath had returned. “ It’s—it’s——” “Lord! Lord! We’re going straight for Staten Island. Don’t move, Griggs.” “T can’t,” I said. “I’m caught tight here. Good-by, Hawkins.” , “We’re—we're not done for yet,” quavered that individual. “We may hit land. But isn’t—isn’t it terrible? ” “ Oh, no,” I groaned. “ It’s all right. No more climbing down red-hot lad- ders through belching flames! No more throwing children from——~” ~ COL ElOOO (COL