On a Torn-Away World; Or, the Captives of the Great Earthquake

drops of lacquer from the paintbrush he had been

ore her trial trip," admitted his chum, M

wrong with her, old cr

ughing a

ereof; not in chewing the pudding bag string',

wings, she was also a plane. She was white all over and her name was the Snowbird. Jack and Mark had spent most of their time during this vacation fr

t on the seacoast, about ten miles from the town of Easton, Maine. At this spot had been built many wonderful things-mainly the inventions of the

r opened just behind the two

rooster?" queried the black man, plaint

Mark. "You're always bothering us about that rooster,

suah some conclusive. When I lets him out fo' an airin' he hikes rig

call him back?" demanded Jack Darrow, chuckling. "If I did, M

Doesn't he kn

arkey, scratching his head "Ye see, it's a suah 'nuff longitu

smile at Washington White, too, for Professor Henderson

rgettery, suah 'nuff. Leastways, when he starts off on one o

that wonderful bird, Wash? I know it begins with the discovery of America and wanders down through the

serious face the

Columbus Am

gton Abraham

Thomas Edison

tt

n to that!" gasped Mark, while Jac

che to say it, Wash?" cried the

!" rejoined the darkey,

a life speakin' de ber

h lang

uncing them,"

kly. "But de copy book say dat it is better to have

k, when he starts to play truant, with all th

" said Washing

he mind

e struck motionless in

a

fin' with dat name-it don't 'pear to stop him. An' be

key had come into the great shed and was slowly walking around the flying ma

?" queried the da

inly is,"

done named Nebbercudsn

ing, bright and early, we shall sail on its trial trip. The profe

lways wished to be considered very brave, but who was really as ti

be busy at?"

, I shall hab ter go snoopin' aroun' de kentry a-huntin' fo' him. H

to go with us," declared Jack to Mark.

you're not afraid, Wash," returned Jack, chuckling. "You're only scared to death. But you go ahead and hun

t rooster is so fat he c

ery high; eh?" retorted Jack, letting

kin fly high," said Wa

at he's flowed as hi

word, Wash," chuckled Jack. "Ah

were not in the least impaired by advancing years. He had taken the two lads, Jack Darrow and Mark Sampson, both orphans, under his care some year

the various mechanical contrivances that went to the make-up of the flying machine. H

enthusiasm as Jack and Mark themselves displayed. "You have completed the m

Professor?" asked

ng on at the other end of the shop?" qu

lank there, with some kind of a compress

u mean, Professo

lt which, had it been known to the ancients, would have enabled the hosts of Joshua, for instance,

lying machine in the usual way," said the professor. "I see you have wheel trucks all ready to slip under her. We

essor!" cried Mark. "

e tried it," retorted Pr

start working on this

a

thing," replied the inventor,

haven't joined forces with some department

ing how keen this young man

eplied. "And I'm sorry I

k. "And no doubt this mac

ific world. For the present I shall confine testing

fessor. "Just as an aeroplane can literally be shot into the air within a very short space, so can your airship. Of cour

ssor," added Jack. "Excitin

said Mark ent

he scientist. "Moreover, my super-catapult mus

e to launch the Snowb

a

e of your machine, I am sure of my catapult,

ington White had indeed disappeared-possibly in search of his Shanghai rooster-and Andy Sudds

ssor, had already donned their aeronautic uniforms, and he now strapped himself into the pilot's seat. The steering apparatus, the levers that cont

the trigger from the flying machine. Mark said he was ready; th

a second before I release the compresse

, quivering flying machine, which had been run out of the hangar on to the steel plank of the catapult, lurch forwa

an hour ere the flying machine left the steel plank, and shot int

nt from the easy, swooping flight of an airship as usually begun. Like an arrow the Snowbird was shot upward on a long slant. I

airship should have been raised, so as to clear the tops of the forest trees and every buil

the stable by a fraction

ok

ne. Before the young aviator could swerve the flying machine to escape the vane upon t

he kept on across the fields and woods towards Easton, never rising very high, but occasionally sinking so that she trailed