e had no fears of
staying there.

Alfred suggested that the first start be made from the steeple of the
Episcopal Church. Node seemed pleased with the suggestion. Later, when
they walked by the church and gazed up at the heights Node concluded the
wings and rear extension would have sufficient air pressure to make the
rise from a hill.

The work had progressed to the point where an experimental trial was in
sight. Node had been strapped in the frame-work several times. The wings
worked perfectly; that is, so long as Node's arms kept in motion. The
rear extension did not work so well. Node explained that it would not
work until the thing got up in the air where his feet would have free
play. He would sit astraddle of a bench, Alfred would hold the frame off
the floor, and Node would work his feet. Her "tail" would wobble and fly
up and down at a great rate. Its eccentric actions excited the
admiration of Alfred. He assured Node that her tail would be the wonder
of the world.

"Why, Black Fan's tail never flew around like that, even when she got in
the bumble-bee's nest," asserted Alfred.

Node had made several attempts to raise himself from the barn floor, but
there was not space to work the machine properly. They determined to
arise early some morning, take the machine to Hogg's field, just below
the pike and give it a trial. The apparatus was carefully carried to the
little mound on the high hill overlooking Dunlap's Creek.

Alfred cautioned Node not to fly down the hill, because it would be a
job to carry the machine up the hill.

[Illustration: Trying Out the Flying Machine]

Lin, gazing out of the kitchen window at the chickens picking around in
the yard, said: "Lor' a-mighty! What's happened them chickens? They
ain't one uf 'em got the shadder uf a tail."

Alfred had even stolen the big fly brush, made of peacock feathers, to
birdify Node's flying machine. The extreme end of the rear extension
held the long peacock feathers.

That the bird man idea should be carried out Alfred had made a head
dress of turkey feathers down the nape of the neck, and chicken feathers
in front. When placed on Node's head, with his beaked nose and tuft of
chin beard, he appeared very much as one would picture Uncle Joe Cannon
robed in Maude Adams' "Chanticler" costume.

Node was strapped in the frame, his arms adjusted to the wings, and
Alfred adjusted the head dress against Node's violent protest. He
argued: "The dam thing