The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-05-28

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less time than it takes to tell it.
A moment after, it tore one Of the
top rails from q fence, AMI caught in
a pile of apple tree brush, a snarl of
which we dragged after US across sew
eral fields and pastures till we struck
a road which chanced to run in our
course. For some distance We trailed
that mass of brush along the road.
Just then l saw on the road ahead
a load of wheat piled on rack cart,
drawn by yoke of oxen.
Turn out! turn eut!" we both
yelled at once.
"Gse, Buckp shouted the man
driving. But before ho could turn
half round we were overhead. A
young fellow on the load gave 4 yell
and leap off at the same moment
not too soon, either, for ne took the
rail of the rack on the nigh side, and
left the appIe-trse brush on the load.
"By jingo!" l heard the fellow
sing out, cole Split-huf hisselfs out
fishing tonight! Dye see his big
hook"
But "dad" was screaming, "uhoa-
hish! whos-hish!" trying to stop the
oxen. The cattle. frightened half
to death, were trying 20 run away
despite the whacks the old man dealt
them with the pitchfork. We could
but look back as we few on, to see tho
result of the mischief we had unavoid-
ably caused.
A minute after, our basket almost
grazed ledge of rock on the crest of
Il hill, and 10, right down in front of
us lay a great pond. In the dim
light, it looked like q sea! A fog
hung over it.
That's fatal for us, I'm afraid"
cried Ned. awe shall be down into
it. | can't even see she other side!"
We were not half mile off from
- DIock and cheerless enough the
water looked.
Ned gave one glance and decided
what to do. "Good- by, Frank" he
exclaimed. "Stick to the basket. Ill
drop off and take my chance. Then
the balloon will rise. and you will
cross the pond" Before l could even
speak he swung out of the car and
went down the anchor line, hand over
hand. The rapid motion whirled him
round and round. The grapnel itself
was trailing and bouncing along the
ground. We were close to the water
before Ned was half way down the
long line.
"Drop!" screamed, cor you'll be
drowned!'
He looked downward, but even
then it was too late. The line switch
ed him violently through some willow
tops, and the balloon sailed out over
the water.
A man of less nerve would assured
ly have lost his presence of mind and
fallen into the lake, for, of course, no
one could hold on to small line like
that for many minutes-switcned and
ierked about as that was,
For my own part, shudder of hor-
ror went through me. Then calling
out to him to hold on, l began to
haul him up with might and main as
rapidly as l could. To my surprise,
Ned called out to me to "hold on|-
to "stop!"
CHANGING down, l saw that he was
still cautiously descending, hand over
hand. There was less wind, and the
balloon was running slswer.
"Ned! Nsdl" l shouted. care
you crazy? Are you going to drown
yourself? You never can swim ashore
with your boots on"
But already his feet were sPatter-
ing in the water; moment more he
VIA. waist-deep-borne along like
huge bob. For some distance he was
carried on thus-and then | began to
divine his motive.
We we're slowing up. Ned's weight,
dragged in the water, had still more
checked our headway, and the water,
partly supporting him, prevented the
balloon from sinking lower.
The pond was not so wide as we
| had feared. Immediately l saw that
we were close to wooded shore.
The wind had died away, almost,
and so well checked WAS the balleen' 8
speed that, directly Ned's feet touch
ed the shore, with dextrous turn OF
the line round stump, he brought
it to a standstill. | had then only to
/ lei out the rest of the gas; and thus
our voyage ended.-Youth's Com
nsniOn.