The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-11-22

Thank you. l prefer to keep my own
counsel. So sure as we drop where Ma
poleon Is emperor prove that one can
keep secret better than two"
"There's something wrong with the
valves" said my companion, roughly,
m hour later; "the gas is coming down,
and We are sinking. It's for you,
aeronaut, to ascend the netting and stop
the escape Of gas"
was very reluctant TO obey. To
climb the netting OF q balloon, when at
great height above the earth, is never
o very pleasant task; but to do 80, lcav-
ing behind me ruflian who might at
any moment pistol or stab me as I de-
scended, thus relieving himself from m
inconvenient witness, was indeed irk-
some. However, Risque-son-cou evinced
such vehement pertinacity that at last I
complied; and having adjusted the valve,
crept back to the car, sick and giddy,
but unhurt.
The moon had faded away. There
were pale crimson streaks in what took
10 bo tho eastern sky, and below lay
piled up gloomy masses Of black
cloud, through which cleaned at inter
walls something white aud lustrous, like
the marble piunacles OF the cathedral nj
Milan.
"We'ro steering straight. Fatality,
for once, befriends me-" exclaimed the
desperate sharer Of my journey, fer
those are the peaks Of the Eastern Py-
reneos. Chuck over ballast, boy, don't
let us ground on them"
We were, in reality, floating amongst
the serrated submits and snow-clad
mountain-tops OF tho huge chain Of
mountains TINT form a natural barrier
between Gaul and Spain. Below, the
sullen cloud-banks menaced elemental
war, and already low-muttering gowls
OF thunder reverberated among the SER
rated ridges beneath us.
"Throw over moro ballast" COM
manded my ruflianly companion.
I flung ont, with some misgivings,
the remainder Of the Inst bag OF sand
and small pebbles, but the Defiance did
not rise with its former buoyancy.
Much gns Ind been lost. The once
smooth surface Of the silk, painted in
gaudy stripes Of pink and blue, was
wrinklcd new, and fluttered loosely i'll
irregular iestoons. More than once it
seemed rs though We must be dashed
against rome one Of the towering peaks
above which the balloon slowly revolved.
Day had broken the sun was rising,
red and angry, in tho stormy eastern
sky, and rs n current Of mir waited the
balloon rapidly forward, could dlmly
distinguish forest, and meadows, and
spurs Of wood.clothed hills, lying to the
southward Of US. The snowy peaks,
rosy.pink in the morning radiance, were
being gradually left behind us.
"Hurrah |" cried out the galley-slave,
triumphantly, as lie too scanned the
landscape. "We're well across the
frontier now, and Pierre Paul Grin
chuck is rs safe as any other French
man from the odious summons to trudge
back to the chain.gang. Thank your
stars, Engishman -
A stunning peal Of thunder cut short
his boastful discourse, and rs it did so
the Defiance heeled over, and was
driven like dead leaf before the gnlo,
by the sudden rush Of mighty wind,
that bore us almost to the surface Of the
ground, and hurried us along with head
long rapidity.
Whnt was that, like river of glAncing
water, on the dusty high road beneath
us. tho yellow road like ribbon wind
ing amid rocks and thickets1 Troops
on tho march, no doubt, the sunlight
glinting on their bayonets. I could see
that rs We approached they came con-
fuscdly to n halt.
"Again, hurrah !" shouted tho galley
slave. "A cheer, noble Spaniards, for
your guest, Pierre Paul, now safely =
As he spoke saw the earth very near
us, saw the soldiers run to right and
left, as though to clear the way for our
passage, aud then, with n sickening
crash, the balloon aud tho car seemed
to strike against rock, and thousand
sparks Of fire filed my bewildered eyes,
and then all grew dark.
"Hc'll live, this one, never fear"
said q CHEEKY voice speaking in the
Spanish language, which partially un.
derstood, rs awoke to find myself lying
upon trucklc.bcd in wayside cottage,
surrounded by group of oftice,s, while
n rcginental surgeon was feeling my
pulse. "Only couple of ribs the
worse, think"
"And-and tho man that was with
met" asked, feebly.
The doctor shook his head.
"Not your father or your brother, l
trust, Caballeroi" he said. "Ah, then,
may tell you TINT hin head was dashed
against rock, and his neck-a tough
one, by-the-bye-very efrectually dislo-
Gated" ..r.
And 80 it was. Risque.son-cou had
shared tho proverbial fate Of the pitcher
thnt goes too often to the we'll.
Strange to say, my fortune was, to a
qualified extent, made by the Accident
which had so nearly put IN end Alto
gether to my worldly an1ieties. The
kind protectors who had picked mo up,
n wayworn stranger, with two ribs
broken, by the roadside, had me con-
veyed along with them on litter to the
garrison town OF Girona, whittier they
were bound, and in the military hospi-
tai Of this place I was cared for, until
youth and robust constitution enabled
me- to get the better Of the fever that en-
sued. My story was noised abroad. and
all Barcelona seemed eager to sit for its
portrait to the young English artist who
had visited Spain in so singular man.
ner; and thence, with good professional
recommendations, I passed on to Mad
rid, Paris, and London, and have never
aincn known tho nctnal nreRNiro Of