There was a rushing, whizzing, throbbing noise in the air. A great body, like that of some immense bird, sailed along, casting a grotesque shadow on the ground below. An elderly man, who was seated on the porch of a large house, started to his feet in alarm. "Gracious goodness What was that, Mrs. Baggert?" he called to a motherly-looking woman who stood in the doorway. "What happened?"