Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-11-06
.srhrow over your satchelm s.id9

ouy saiuS cisc 4Ou nave ABOUT YOU
that weighs an ounce"
1.-two men ever worked hard va
did The car was emptied OF every
thing 1t contained excepting our
selves 10 less than half minute, snd
the noise of the breakers grew less.
foa can never know with what snx.
iety we watched the silvering edge
that told where the moon would
emerge from behind a heavy cloud
that covered half the sky. Would
her light show US the cold bosom of
Ontario close beneath us, or the dull
grateful color of firm ground ? 1t
was question upon the solution OF
which hung life and death. When
al last as with bound the cloud was
cleared, we stood looking over the
edge Of the car. frozen with fright
for there. directly below US and not
a IN ,usand feet away, lay the crawl.
Ing surface Of the lake, the black and
misty shoreline stretching hopelessly
along the view 10 the south and fad
iug every instant II required very
little time 10 show us that the bal
loon was going down with
STOW Bur FATAL CERTAINTY.
Hale" said the professor, looking
at me fixedly, do you know how far
il is to The Canadian shore ?''
said that | did not.
an tell you," said be. ave ere
about ten miles of the New York
shore, and as nearly as I can Judge
by that light, opposite the port OF
Charlotte. From Charlotte to the
Canadian shore lie sixty miles. j
conclude, therefore, that We have rot
to make this thing sail fifty miles, or
one or both Of us must drown"
said nothing in answer to this.
was in no case to talk. The pro.
lessor on the contrary seemed peg.
fectly cool and at ease, but he said
nothing more for several minutes, un.
til like a ghost sweeping upon the
borders OF no land, sail swept BY
us. lacking to the south. Then he
shouted, and joined 10 the cry. We
heard an answering shout from the
vessel and the sound of feet upon the
deck, aud then she was gone and We
were alone again.
"Did you notice." said the profess
sor, show near we came raking the
top of her mast ?"
had noticed it, and with start;
for we were but little more than a
mast's height above the heaving wa
ter. thanked God that the breeze
was brisk, and that we must be
passing rapidly over. was foolish
enough to indulge hope that we
might live until the other side. L
can not tell you what an agony of
conflicting emotions that | endured.
| won't try. only know that be.
fore the bottom of the basket sps.ted
the water. which it finally did, I had
GROWN TEN YEARS OLDER.
That first contact with a wave
came near ending my share in the
adventure. 1t tipped the car, and
the balloon, rising with the relief,
righted it again with jerk that came
very near pitching me head foremost
overheard. frightened my grip lust
in time, but found myself swung ont.
side OF the ropes, and clinging peril.
ously with my face turned inward
as another wave struck us, and then
another. then another-and then the
floor of the basket OF the balloon re-
manned in the water, and the balloon,
still obeying the breeze, careened
over, and began to drag us with
frightful velocity through The tumb.
bling pillows.
Heaven But for The moment this
lasted il was dreadful! | chung 70
tS RPs E9R si5diggr taksaa6 aSSd .fbs5ja6s
but the Professor was ahead OF noe,
and as be climed be called out:
Hale, one Of us can 90 to Canada
and the other must iced the fish. I've
got family aud I'm going to Cana.
da"
felt that it was
MY DEATH SENTENCE.
and when the next instant saw the
flash of his blade around the ring
above the car. and saw the same
haleiul light in his eyes that / had
seen before, | knew my time bad
come. Nevertheless | made fierce
struggle aud leapt toward him, IN
the hope that might clutch the ring
or some of the upper rigging, HE
shining knife between his teeth, shot
upward like the rising fight Of some
great bird, and | was struggling
with the waves | sank, but only
for few seconds. / had alwsye
been a stout swimmer, and struck
out TO keep myself afloat az long as
| could. 1t was gruesome pros
pect there in the middle OF Ontario.
MITE OF HUMANITY IN AN ISFINITY
OF WATER.
could only hope to keep alive few
hours at the longest, but meant to
fight it to the end. These things
rushed across me like fash, while l
was yet under the surface. The very
first stroke | made my heel struck
something. l turned and saw the
basket, bottom side up, within three
feet of me. Tony Joy, discovered
that while it was OF willow it was
waterproof; and having capsized
suddenly, was in condition to be used
as buoy, and so ! used it.
That was long and weary wait
for morning, bat the sun blazed ont
of the east at last-and then l wished
it hadn't, for the light was binding.
| looked in vain for land. Evidently
| had been dropped in the middle Of
the lake, and must take my chance of
being picked up by some passing
craft before night. Failing that, /
knew must die. But after a morn.
ing that seemed year, my aching
eyes were suddenly frightened by
the sight Of a steamer blowing
straight toward me. / thought she
would never reach me, but in about
an hours time che did, and came
very near passing me by unnoticed.
was nearly half mile from her
course, but she was put about and
line was thrown 10 me, and in FIVE
.,s.,taa aftar loo to,rt.rn ~ 81.