Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-06-24


with me all round as polite as possible. and
treated me as handsome as any gentleman
could
"Iere's health and success TO YOU, my
brave fellow" says Colonel Steward. .'sRi
pleasant trip to MS ALL" and then found
that they were going up in the car with Mr.
Staines.
And now with their light, cheerful ways
AMI pleasant talking. and what with the
glass OF wine had taken. AMI the excite
ment, anil the hum of voices from the crowd
outside, | was in first rate spirits, and as
impatient to be off as racer at the start
ing point. Presently one of the gentlemen
looked at his watch.
"What are we waiting for?" said he
"It is ten minutes past six already"
And so it was. Ten minutes past the
hour, and Grifliths hal not been scon or
heard Of We'll, MIR. Rice grew very unca
sy, and the crowd very noisy. and so TWEEN
ty minutes more went by. Then We made
up our minds to GO without him, and Mr..
Rice made little speech and explained it
to the people; and then there was cheer
and a great hustle: and the gentlemen took
their seats in the ear; and a hamper full of
champagne and cold chicken was put in
with them; and | WAS made fast by one leg
to the base of the trapeze; and MIR. Staines
was Just about to get in himself and give
the signal to cut loose, when who should
we see forcing his way through the crowd
but Griffiths.
N Alar oh. of
this, and delay of eight Or ten minutes
more while he was dressing. At last he
came, and it was now Just quarter to sew
en- o'clock. He looked very sullen when
he founl that he was to be undermost; but
there was no time to change anything now,
even if had been willing: SO his left
wrist and my right hand were bound to-
gether by leathern strap, the signal was
given, the band struck up. the crowd ap-
plauded like mad, and the balloon rose
straight and steady above the heads of the
people.
Down sank the trees and the fountains,
and the pavement of upturned faces
Down sank the roof Of the theatre and faint
er grew the sound of the hurraing and
the music. The sensation was SO strange
that, for the first moment, was forced to
close nv eyes, and felt as If / must be
dashed to pieces. Rut that soon passed a.
way, and by the time we had risen three
hundred feet was as comfortable rs If
had been born and bred in the air with my
head downwaras.
Presently we began our performances
Griffith was as cool as possible never
saw him cooler; and we went through cv
conceivable attitude-now swinging by our
hands, now by ur-fect, now throwing
somcrsaults one over the other. And du
ring the whole of this timo the streets and
squares seemed TO sink away to the r!ght,
aud the noises from the living world died
on the air; and, as | turned and slung,
changing my position with every minute, |
caught strange fitting glimpses of the sun
set and the city, the sky and the river, the
gentlemen leaning over the car, and the
tiny passengers swarminS down below like
ants on an ant-hill
Then the gentlemen grew tired of lean
ing over, and began to talk and laugh, and
busy themselves over their hamper Then
the Surrey hills drew nearer, and the city
sank away to the right. farther and farther
Then there were nothing but green fields,
with lines of railway crossing them here
and there; and presently it grew quite damp
and misty, and we ceased to see anything,
except through breaks and openings in the
clouds.
Come, John" says |. "our share of
this business is done Don't you think we
might as well be getting into the car?'
He was hanging below just then, hold
ing on by my two hands, and had been
hanging so quite quiet for some minutes.
He didn't seem to hear me; aud no wonder,
for the clouds were gathering about us so
thckly that even the voices of the gentle
men above grew muffied, and could hard
Iy see for yard before me in any direction.
SO l called to him again, and repeated the
question.
He made no answer, but shifted his grasp
from my hand to my wrist, AMI then up to
the middle of my arm. so raising himself
by degrees, till our faces come nearly on
level. There he paused, and l felt his hot
breath on my cheek.
'William Waldur," said he, hoarsely,
wasn't tomorrow to have been your we'd
ding day."
Something in the tone Of his voice, in
the question, in the dusk and dreadful sol
itude, struck me with horror. / tried to
shake off his hands, but he held too fast for
t'lat.
"Vell, what ifit was?" said I, after a
moment. "You needn't grippe so hard
Catch hold of the pole, will you? and let
so of my arms"
He gave a short. hard laugh. but never
stirred
81 suppose we're about two thousand feet
high" says he, and it seemed to me that
he had something between his teeth. "If
either of us was to fall, he'd be dead man
before he touched the ground"
i would have given the world at that mo-
mcnt to be able to see his face; but what
with my own head being downwards, and
all his weight hanging to my arms, had
no more power than an infant.
"Johnr exclaimed, .swhat do you
mean. Catch hold of the pole, anl let me
do the same Ny heads on fre!''
"Do you see this?"' said he, catching my
arms couple Of inches higher up, and
looking right into my face. do you see
this?