Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-06-02

8 mand seldom fails of its effect, how.
j ever questionable may be the right
: of him who uplifts it, and the mer
{ addressed, in their astonishment
] mechanically obeyed. The balloon
: rose a little, nothing now restrain
5 ing its upward fight save the trig
: ger-cord, firmly moored to a post
: bel NV, the spring being IN my grasp
z MOntons, camaradei Of we go
exclaimed the passenger, with jo-
: vial laugh that had scarcely the ring
! of honest mirth in it.
Perhaps III. de VilLeneuve, for all
! his staggering department, was i'll
at ease as to the results of our yoy-
age, and stroVe to carry it of gaily
such were my thoughts as the Cath
erine wheels began to reVolve in cas-
J cades of whirling fire and the crowd
to cheer. 1t was the moment for
our start, but ] hesitated to pull the
} trigger, for now a strange hustle
and confusion below attracted my
attention.
A mounted gendarme, his sabre
and carbine clanking, had ridden up
at the full gallop of his reeking
horse, followed at some distance By
three others, who spurred furioasly
forward. There were a few hurried
questions, then a smolhered outeTy,
roar of voices, and a sWaying
| backwards and forwards of the ex-
cited populace.
| looked down at the crowd of
upturned faces.
Stopl stopl Au nom de la loil
Englishman, stayl cried out the brig
| adhere of the foot police.
Let go, fool! thundered the man
who sat behind me ia the car.
But It isthe police-I began think.
ing that M. de VilleneuVe had sud-
denly taken leave of his senses.
Come down. stop-haul the robe!
was the shout from below; but as
the words reached my ear my com
panion bent forward. Something
CLEANED in his hand-s dagger
knife-and the cord was cut, and
the balloon darted upwards.
In the name of the iaw-ah! you
won'tP ITEMS! cried gendarme,
discharging his carpine, an example
which was followed by his comrads;
but the balls whistled idly by, while
we rose and rose until the Inn and
the gardens and the shouting crowds
and Che sputtering fireworks had Idi-I
minished TO p gmy size, and present
ly disappeared altogether, and the
balloon rode on, solitary, through the
fields of air. 334.5
A nous deux. mantenantl said H.
de Villeneuve, with a chuckle that
was incomprehensible to me. A
singular salute our friends gave us,
eh, when they bade us bon voyage (?
The moon, half full, had now risen,
and could see the face of my com
panion-the swafthy, keen face Of
man 80 years Of age, with short dark
hair, slightly grizzled, frey black
eyes, and very white, strong, sharp
pointed teeth, which gave him, when
be smiled, somewhat the expression
of laughing wolf. He was man
of powerful frame, and the fingers
of the gloved hand which he now
pressed upon my arm were as strong
and supple as steel
Avow, said this strange passenger,
with grin that an ogre might have
envied, avow that you take me for
queer specimen of the French
provincial gentry, helm? But first,
how comes it that the pere Killick is
absent, and q blancbec of your age
has the honor to be my pilotS
l told him briefly and in offended
tones Whist had occurred, and how it
was that he and / found ourselves
together so far above terra frma, at
the same time cautioning him not,
as he had done before, to interfere
with the management of the balloon.
We must now, ] added look out
for place to descend, for the wind
is freshening, and
Let it freshen, rudely interrupted
NJ. de Villenuve. Sets fair for Spain,
i
does it not?
For Spain I echoed in surprise.
could this self-conceited country
gentlemen really deem that we
we're bound on such journey as for
Spain? / could not help laughing
as l said, Why for Spain, monsieur
Well italy would have served as
well had the wind been westerly
one. I talk both languages equally,
and know every wine-shOp in Cadiz
as well as / do those of Genoa, an
swered NJ. de Villenueve, again
chuckleing, Hs, lad what are you
about that you finger that rope?
/ am opening the valve above, |
answered coldly, because it is time
to sink now to > lower level and de-
seend-
20 Descend eh ? briskly put in my
fellow voyager. We may as well
understand each other at once.
Hands of the rope, / say, if you
would keep the roof on your skull, he
added, threatningly, as be drew
revolver from within his waistcoat,
deliberately pointed the barrel at my
head. I'll show you who's captain
here. a
My brain reeled and my blood raa
cold at the thought of being at that
fearful height above the earth, in
company with madmsn Nothing
surely save insanity could account
for the extraordinary behavior of
N. de Yilleneuve. asga7
But ! suppose l put a tollerbly
good countenance on the matter,
for my formidable companion laugh,
ed again, but less ill-naturedly, as he
said:
You face it out we'll, boy. ! like
. youngster who shows a heart
somewhat bigger than a chickens.
And Pm not bad as look-uever do
thisl-he drew his hand edgewise,
as he spoke, with a meaning ges.
ture, across his throat-when / can
get my little profits by quieter means.
But you stare ct me as if l were q
mountebank selling quack medicines.
Can you guess why those gendarmes
were so peremtory an hour ago 2
Because they wanted the pleasure Of
- .-.-.,>.,,rv haoI tO Tnul0n fhaf3s