Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-04

"For Spains" / ecnoed in surprise.
Could this self-conceited country gentle
man reall, deem that we were bound on
such journey as that's / could not help
laughing as l said: Why for Spain,
monsieur
well, Italy would have served me as
well had the wind been westerly one. /
talk both languages equally, and know
every wlne-shop in Cadiz as well as l do
those of Genoa" answered NJ. de Vile
neuve, again chuckling. "Ha, lad, what
are you about that you finger that rope "
swered coldly, I" because it is time now to
sink to lower level and descend -"
8 Descend, ehy' briskly put in my fell
low.voyager. 1--WE may as well under
stand each other at once Hands off the
rope, say, if you would keep the roof on
your SKULL he added threateningly, as
he drew revolver from within his waist
coat and deliberately pointed the barrel
at my head. "I'il show you who's cap
tain up here"
My brain reeled and my blood ran cold
as the horrid thought flashed upon me
that was, at that fearful height above the
earth, in company with mailman. Moth
ing surely save insanity could account for
the extraordinary behavior of Nj. de Vile
neuve.
But suppose put tolerably good
countenance on the matter, for my formi-
dable companion laughed again, but less
ill-naturedly, as he said:
"You face ii out well, boy. l like a
youngster who shows heart somewhat
bigger than chickens. And I'm not so
bad as look-never do ihisi'-he drew
his hand as he spoke edgeways, with a
meaning gesture, across his throat
when l can get my little profits by
quieter means. But you stare at me as II
were mountebank selling quack n,edi.
cines. Can you guess why those gen
darmes were so peremptory an hour ago.
Because they wanted the pleasure OF
my company back TO Toulon, that's all.
Did you never hear, Anglais, of Risque-
son-coug'
- Risque- son -cou?' repeated in per-
plexity.
LAY, Pierre Paul Grincheux, if you
please, dit Risque-son-cou," said the man,
with an odd sort of pride; it's a name, If
you read the reports of our tribunals, that
you may have met with. Toulon Brest,
Lambessa-I know every one of these
charming retreats like my pocket / have
had enough sea air for one while, so gave
myself leave Of absence"
And then remembered to have seen a
paragraph in local paper announcing
the escape from Toulon OF a criminal OF
the worst and most dangerous type, who
had not as yet been recaptured, and whose
grotesque nickname of Neck or Nothing
had been earned by fifty prison breakings
and hair breadth eyasions from justice.
And here was |, Edward Holmes, artist,
voyaging by night in q balloon in com
pany with runaway galley-slave well
armed with knife and pistol and more than
match in strength for me even had he
been less well provided.
My terrible companion was only too
much disposed TO be laxative; and as we
swept onward before the freshening wind
he was kind enough to favor me with IA
few brief anecdotes of his past career, in
which the jocose and horrible seemed TO
mingle in cynic confusion. The one point
on which he was uncommunicative was
the manner of his recent escape from
Toulon; or how-probably owing to the
completely of others--he became possessed
of his weapons. But he told graphically
of the ten days OF hardship and hunger
which he had endured while skulking
among the rocky hills by night and lying
hidden among thorny brakes by day, until
at last he broke into a pecan of triumph
in relating how he had encountered and
robbed the true NJ. de Villeneuve on his
way to the village tete.
Twenty shining maps in his purse, the
idiot" he said exuitingly," and three
thousand francs besides in notes. Well,
WE'LL left him gagged and bound TO
tree. after | had taken the freedom TO
change clothes with him; and there he
stands, no doubt, trembling, but fortunate
to keep whole skin. And found in his
pocket the letter of M. Killick, promising
TO take him as a passenger in the balloon
here, and So"
And so the idea had presented itself to
this daring and ready -witted rufiian 10 per
senate the victim Of his recent robbery,
and thus to procure the means of flight in
what was certainly an unexampled fashion,
while was the luckless scape- goat OF his
audacious enterprise.
Meanwhile the wind, as have said, was
rising, and as we hurried on / looked
downward and saw by the simmer OF the
moonlight on the tremulous waves that
the sea was below us. Icould not forbear
from an exclamation of dismay.
The desperate at my side also looked
down.
+" Bah! sea or land--what matters itE'
he said recklessly. Throw out ballast;
do you hear mef'' and unwillingly ] com
piled.
The balloon instantly rose, and ii pres
emily became perceptibly colder, so that
shivered, and had to chafe my hands
together TO prevent them from stifiening.
My companions iron frame showed no
signs of suffering from the abrupt lower.
ing of the temperature; but after time the
Defiance seemed 10 be nearer TO the sea,
for heard the low roar Of the waves; and
then Risque-son-cou impatiently threw
out another bag Of ballast and we rose.
Vague, like the visions Of dream, are
my recollections Of the voyage Of that
miserable night, spent thus, and in such
company. suffered much from cold and
fatigue, and ii was mechanically that |
obeyed the directions of the escaped gal
ley-slaye, who had now ASSUMED the com
mand. There was no doubt about the
fxity Of his determination 10 continue the
desperate flight until we should be across
the French frontier. How long our aerial
inurnpy mi ght Drnya undertak ON us IL Was