“Pull that trigger, master carpenter,” cried the supposed Scudder, in downright, plain, unbroken English.
The carpenter and all the people within earshot were bewildered, and thought they were going to be hoaxed, but up rushed the wild, half-crazy Falcon and pulled furiously at the line, when away went Scudder like a bolt out of a forty-pounder, his hat and coat-tails flying behind him; but he had the presence of mind to let loose, by touching a lever, his wings, which flew open in time to give him a check just as he turned downwards, for all the world as if he were making for the lunatic asylum.
“He’ll pitch into yonder trees, mark my word if he doesn’t,” cried Falcon, as if that curve was designed to be the extent of his voyage.
“Ah, he’s a dead man,” cried the master carpenter, “though a pluct ’un, and no mistake!”
“Yes, there he goes into that clump of lofty trees like a heron to his nest,” said a workman.
“On to his rescue, men,” cried some gentlemen of position. Then the grounds were soon vacated after the professor had smashed through the upper leaves and broken the framework of his wings.
Falcon noticed that he held up his arms and waved them as a signal of safety, but some of the bystanders protested that he was knocked all to pieces, a result which Falcon and the master carpenter disbelieved, seeing that he took the tree tops as if it was the only suitable place upon which to alight, in order to save himself and the air-ship, though Eben’s master could see that it was by extraordinary good luck he did not dash into the asylum yard, which was not very far off, and which might have killed him outright.
Scudder, who had well enacted his part, was so embedded in the leaves and boughs, that ladders had to be procured before any assistance could be rendered, but as the foreman of the carpenters ran back to say that Scudder was not killed, only scratched a bit, Mr Falcon affected to feel somewhat restored, though he was quite unable to go with the mob to see about Scudder’s landing.
“Still,” said Falcon to the master carpenter, “I must return immediately to London and report the success of the first flight under such extreme disadvantages.”
“And are you,” said the tradesman, “going to take to flight yourself? Who then is to settle up with me?”