Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Horror of the Heights
"AndnowitismyplantogoonceagainbeforeIgivemyresultstotheworld.MyreasonforthisisthatImustsurelyhavesomethingtoshowbywayofproofbeforeIlaysuchatalebeforemyfellow-men.ItistruethatotherswillsoonfollowandwillconfirmwhatIhavesaid,andyetIshouldwishtocarryconvictionfromthefirst.Thoselovelyiridescentbubblesoftheairshouldnotbehardtocapture.Theydriftslowlyupontheirway,andtheswiftmonoplanecouldintercepttheirleisurelycourse.Itislikelyenoughthattheywoulddissolveintheheavierlayersoftheatmosphere,andthatsomesmallheapofamorphousjellymightbeallthatIshouldbringtoearthwithme.AndyetsomethingtherewouldsurelybebywhichIcouldsubstantiatemystory.Yes,Iwillgo,evenifIrunariskbydoingso.Thesepurplehorrorswouldnotseemtobenumerous.ItisprobablethatIshallnotseeone.IfIdoIshalldiveatonce.Attheworstthereisalwaystheshot-gunandmyknowledgeof..."
Hereapageofthemanuscriptisunfortunatelymissing.Onthenextpageiswritten,inlarge,stragglingwriting:
"Forty-threethousandfeet.Ishallneverseeearthagain.Theyarebeneathme,threeofthem.Godhelpme;itisadreadfuldeathtodie!"
SuchinitsentiretyistheJoyce-ArmstrongStatement.Ofthemannothinghassincebeenseen.PiecesofhisshatteredmonoplanehavebeenpickedupinthepreservesofMr.Budd-LushingtonuponthebordersofKentandSussex,withinafewmilesofthespotwherethenote-bookwasdiscovered
