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iiaxvr. AND BOLD. :9
“Do not go!” cried the terrified doctor. "You will be
killed, you will ”
But Paul waited to hear no more objectioiis. He
touched a small lever at the forward end of the boat, and
the entire affair rose gracefully in the air.
After circling about for some minutes, higli above his
father's head, and showing conclusively that he could
direct the course of the niacliine at will. Paul returned
to the spot from which he had started.
“Well, father. are you convinced he asked.
Dr. Durand grasped his son's hand.
“It is wonderful. wonderful !" he exclaimed.
“Are you afraid to take a trip with me now 7'"
“No! no !"
“Then step into the car, and T11 take you across the
Seine and back."
The doctor obeyed in silence. and again the machine,
obeying the touch of the inventors hand, rose like a bird
in the air. .
But at the moment of Paul’s greatest triumph came an
overwhelming catastrophe. .
VVhile they were directly over the Seine the youth. .111
some way in which he was never afterward able to explain,
lost control of the machine, which was then nearly three
hundred feet above the river.
It descended with frightful rapidity. VVhC11
within thirty feet of the stream Dr. Durand. who was be-
side himself with fright, leaped from the Car.
Paul was precipitated into the river. fie SV.'Zl11l‘tOWIU'Cl
a pier, not much the worse for his adventure. The first
object that met his eyes when he was helped on the PW’
was the dead body of his father.
it was
CHAPTER XV.
THE TRIAL TRIP-
Had Dr. Durand remained in the canoe with his son.
he would, in all probability. have escaped unharmed. He
had fallen, not in the water, but on the pier, and his
skull had been fractured. .
Paul fell unconscious beside his father s body.
The shock was so great to the delicate, liigli-Stfllng
boy that for many weeks he lay raving iiideliritiiii. -
After his perfect restoration to physical health 1115
mind remained unbalanced. He was sent ll" ll” heart‘
broken mother to an asylum. and at the end of six months
was discharged as cured. .
Then he recommenced his experi
gation, unable to resist the passion w
much a part of him as life itself.
His mother died at about this time..and a few n1onthF-
later he had expended nearly the entire fortune of two
hundred thousand francs which he had inherited: all lmd
.$2'0rie in the vain attempt to prove to the world the truth
of his theories. '
Then his mind gave way beneath the P7“S“‘lrC'
he was reincarcerated in the madlioiise.
This time he remained nearly three years. At the end
of this period he believed himself cured. and <le1n.inde('
to be released. hit the physicians took a <l1ffk’1‘t‘“l ‘W“
of the case, and refused to accede‘ to his req11c>‘L
A few weeks later he made his escape, but “"15 re‘
ments in aerial navi-
hieh seemed as
and
captured in less than a month. At the expiration of
another year. however. he was discharged.
lie was then tv.'eiity>four years of age, with only a
few francs in the world, but with ambitions as high as
ever.
He felt that while his life lasted he could not abandon
the strange ambition that had exerted so strong an in1lu-
ence upon his mind ever since his earliest recollection.
But it was necessary for him to make a living in some
way, and he accepted a position as tutor of a young and
very delicate boy. the scion of an aristocratic French
family, who was about to travel for his health.
Just three months later the boy died in Yokohama.
One of his last reqiiests was that his parents bestow a
portion of his fortune on his tutor. for whom he had
conceived a stieiig liking. and in whose enterprises and
:.::i‘.>itioiis he llilil hecoine much interested.
Consequently Durand received, a few days after his
pupils death. the sum of ten thousand francs. Finding
that he could pursue his stu<l'es and experiments as well
in japan as in his native land. and being unwilling to
expend the money iiecess:iry to return to France, he re-
mained in Yokoliama. and lit-ggziri the construction of a
new tlying machine on a plan altogether different from
that of the one which had met with so disastrous a fate.
"Eet is now complete," he said, in conclusion, “but I
have scarcely a franc in ze yorld. and l need yet five
hundred francs to purchase supplies. Moiisieiir, is it to
you vorth lite liundred francs to get to America in five
days ?"
“In five days!" exclaimed Tom, in amazement.
‘"Ccrtaiumizcnf."
“Five hundred francs is only a hundred dollars," said
Tom. “Of course it would be worth that much to me--
a good deal more. But do you mean to seriously tell
me that this machine of yours can make any such time
as that?"
“I do. nionsieur."
“ hit the steamer takes fifteen days."
“Zis machine vill go faster zan ze quickest steamer zat
have ever been built-et'ree times as fast, monsieur."
Tom was silent. The Frenchman read incredulity in
his face, for he said:
“You have not believed me. Ver’ well, irionsieur, you
have in ze Eiiglisli a proverb which says ‘Ze proof of ze
pudding is ze eating,’ have you not ?"
“Yes."
"Vell, I vill give you ze proof.”
“VVhen 7"’
"Now."
“You will show me the flying machine in actual (VIRT-
ation?"
“()m', inonsicur."
“Where is it .7"
"Follow me. Monsieur Peenkney," and Durand arose
and abruptly left the room.
Toni was about to obey when l‘at seized his arm.
“Misther Tonil Klisther Torn !"
“Well. what is it, Pat 7'
“Si1i‘e. ye're not goiiig up in the air wid this crazy
l7riiichnian
“Of course I ams-if he can really take me."
“Oh, wirra, wirral"
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