THE CONQUEST OF TIME AND SPACE 



operating this artificial bird the captain proposed to 

 stand in the boat and control its flight by these sets of 

 levers and by balancing his body. 



Having full confidence in the ability of his invention 

 to soar once it had been given an initial velocity, the 

 captain selected a morning when a good breeze was 

 blowing and hired a cart-driver to carry him out into 

 the neighboring fields. The machine was placed hor- 

 izontally upon the cart and fastened to it with a rope 

 which could be loosened by the pulling of a slip-knot 

 held by the captain, who took his position in the boat. 

 On reaching the open country the driver put his horse 

 into a brisk trot when, the levers controlling the wings 

 being set, the machine rose gracefully into the air and 

 travelled forward a distance of perhaps a hundred yards. 

 At this moment the running-rope in some unaccountable 

 manner became wound about the body of the driver, 

 hauling him unceremoniously from his seat, and dan- 

 gling him writhing and shrieking at the end of the rope, 

 several feet above the ground. As it happened, his 

 weight was just sufficient to counterbalance the wind, 

 so that acting in the capacity of the tail of a kite, he 

 assisted materially, if involuntarily, in keeping the 

 artificial bird in flight. 



When the captain became aware of what was going 

 on below, he altered the angle of the wings and came 

 slowly to the earth, descending without accident either 

 to himself or to his machine. All things considered, 

 this was a remarkable performance, and it was so con- 

 sidered by people in the neighborhood, who made a hero 

 of the gallant mariner. His next attempt, however, 



[250] 



