Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Horror of the Heights
Afewpacesfartheronhepickedupapairofbrokenbinocularglasses.Finally,amongsomenettlesintheditch,hecaughtsightofaflat,canvas-backedbook,whichprovedtobeanote-bookwithdetachableleaves,someofwhichhadcomelooseandwereflutteringalongthebaseofthehedge.Thesehecollected,butsome,includingthefirst,wereneverrecovered,andleaveadeplorablehiatusinthisall-importantstatement.Thenote-bookwastakenbythelabourertohismaster,whointurnshowedittoDr.J.H.Atherton,ofHartfield.Thisgentlemanatoncerecognizedtheneedforanexpertexamination,andthemanuscriptwasforwardedtotheAeroClubinLondon,whereitnowlies.
Thefirsttwopagesofthemanuscriptaremissing.Thereisalsoonetornawayattheendofthenarrative,thoughnoneoftheseaffectthegeneralcoherenceofthestory.ItisconjecturedthatthemissingopeningisconcernedwiththerecordofMr.Joyce-Armstrong’squalificationsasanaeronaut,whichcanbegatheredfromothersourcesandareadmittedtobeunsurpassedamongtheair-pilotsofEngland.Formanyyearshehasbeenlookeduponasamongthemostdaringandthemostintellectualofflyingmen,acombinationwhichhasenabledhimtobothinventandtestseveralnewdevices,includingthecommongyroscopicattachmentwhichisknownbyhisname.Themainbodyofthemanuscriptiswrittenneatlyinink,butthelastfewlinesareinpencilandaresoraggedastobehardlylegible—exactly,infact,astheymightbeexpectedtoappeariftheywerescribbledoffhurriedlyfromtheseatofamovingaeroplane.
