As it sped away into the blue it was
soon practically invisible to the naked eye, although the telescope of
the transit enabled me to follow it with ease.
Glancing across now and then at my companion, I noticed that he was
having considerable difficulty in, at the same time, managing the kite
and manipulating his transit. But as the kite continued to rise and
steadied in position his task became easier, until at length he ceased
to remove his eye from the telescope while holding the string with
outstretched hand.
"Don't lose sight of it now for an instant!" he shouted.
For at least half an hour he continued to manipulate the string,
sending the kite now high towards the zenith with a sudden pull, and
then letting it drift off. It seemed at last to become almost a fixed
point. Very slowly the angles changed, when, suddenly, there was a
flash, and to my amazement I saw the paper of the kite shrivel and
disappear in a momentary flame, and then the bare sticks came tumbling
out of the sky.
"Did you get the angles?" yelled Hall, excitedly.
"Yes; the telescope is yet pointed on the spot where the kite
disappeared.
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