Tales of Terror and Mystery

           "Itwasthedisappearanceoftheairmenthatfirstsetmethinking.Ofcourse,everyonesaidthattheyhadfallenintothesea,butthatdidnotsatisfymeatall.First,therewasVerrierinFrance;hismachinewasfoundnearBayonne,buttheynevergothisbody.TherewasthecaseofBaxteralso,whovanished,thoughhisengineandsomeoftheironfixingswerefoundinawoodinLeicestershire.Inthatcase,Dr.Middleton,ofAmesbury,whowaswatchingtheflightwithatelescope,declaresthatjustbeforethecloudsobscuredtheviewhesawthemachine,whichwasatanenormousheight,suddenlyriseperpendicularlyupwardsinasuccessionofjerksinamannerthathewouldhavethoughttobeimpossible.ThatwasthelastseenofBaxter.Therewasacorrespondenceinthepapers,butitneverledtoanything.Therewereseveralothersimilarcases,andthentherewasthedeathofHayConnor.Whatacackletherewasaboutanunsolvedmysteryoftheair,andwhatcolumnsinthehalfpennypapers,andyethowlittlewaseverdonetogettothebottomofthebusiness!Hecamedowninatremendousvol-planefromanunknownheight.Henevergotoffhismachineanddiedinhispilot’sseat.Diedofwhat?’Heartdisease,’saidthedoctors.Rubbish!HayConnor’sheartwasassoundasmineis.WhatdidVenablessay?Venableswastheonlymanwhowasathissidewhenhedied.Hesaidthathewasshiveringandlookedlikeamanwhohadbeenbadlyscared.’Diedoffright,’saidVenables,butcouldnotimaginewhathewasfrightenedabout.OnlysaidonewordtoVenables,whichsoundedlike’Monstrous.