The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-10-19

bulge an inch, and the balloon was stlll
going up-upward!
Great drops of perspiratian stood upon
my brow.
Irose to my feet, and I jerked in every
possible way at the rope. .~
/ looked at my fellow voyager.
She appeared to be wholly unconscious
of the impending danger.
Her eyes were on and her soul alb.
sorbed in the grand panorama that,
like map, was spread out far beneath
us.
"Miss Staples" at length cried, tive
are in imminent danger"
She looked at me with an expression of
! surprise.
1--WE are on the verge of eternity"
added. 1.-THE great bag cannot continue
much longer to hold out against the pres
sure of the gas within. Every moment
the air is becoming thinner and colder.
can hardly speak now without great pain:
Should the balloon burst we would be
hurled to the EARTH"
8" Is there no way of saving ourselves ~
she asked, quickly and collectedly.
If we could reach the valve which is
at the top of the balloon. 1t has become
wedged in I suppose. But we cannot. 1t
is not possible"
"Cannot!" she cried. I could hardly
hear her, and it was becoming intensely
cold.
For a moment lost my vision. When
it returned to me, was alone!
Had my companion hurled herself out
of the basket, and was she now beyond all
the horrors-the agony that was mincs
would follow her!
had grasped the edge of the basket
Another second and would have clam
bered over it, and the air-ship would have
been tenantless!
In that moment, however, saw what
supposed to be cloud descending the
netting.
Then heard a voice say-it sounded
very far off:
Pull the cord! The valve will now
open"
I did, mechanically, as was hidden.
was dazed.
The rope responded to my hand, and 1
suppose the valve opened.
1could hear no rush-no issue of gas,
however.
The air was too rarified for that,
suppose.
In two minutes we were within half a
mile of the earth's surface.
The air was denser and warmer, and
the balloon was full of wrinkles.
"You had better close the valve" Miss
Staples said. Her voice was loud enough
now.
l did close it, and then we sailed along
very pleasantly down the Santa Clara val
ley.
At shutdown we landed in safety.
"But," asked listener, " Professor,
how did you get the valve so it would
work ?"
~ hardly dare tell you, for it is re-
Election on my manhood. That girl DELHI
erately climbed the netting, under and
over, away to the very crown of the bal
loon, and there saw where the difficulty
was. The valve cord had got wound
around the netting in some way. She re-
lieved 1t. Then she descended, unframed,
to the basket! 1t was a heroic act, indeed.
l afterward learned that she had been con-
nected with circus, SIS rider, and was
wonderfully courageous. Had it not
been for her temerity, I should not be
here to relate my first adventure in bal
LOOM"
but you declared just now" said an
other of the Professors listeners, "that
you would never want to go up in a bal
loon with woman. I should think
you'd be rather pleased to have one with
you"
mo, sir; and for this reason" re-
sponded Boynton; "a woman is, in my
opinion, SO much more courageous than l
am, that I'd be ashamed of myself in
their presence in moment of terrible
DANGER