The Red Cloud chief., 1884-06-06

D~~A SHNlts G-oi- " q "ulIlSI0l S.tb q
glass full OF water by INV ia never
spilled q drop. Il is only by epnpari
sen that you know that you aae}novingt
Some instinct told ne that nleht tina.
We were being driven forwa; II with /:
fearful velocity. We tried ID kee2 I'D &
conversation. but the awful sobiimity
of the occasion and the va2ug ia,rs tina,
;il'"i rs both kept us from ts.Xing.
haj IN idea TINT we wero aboegt four
r,;:os above the earth's SIlriaep. For
tae ;icS! time ! began to think of the
iIn,ac;3-a- sb,a ABYSS that Law bshw me.
>ei,i"iime> IL dreams voa ha,4 all felt
that rta we've falling into dy til never
scun,1i by pluinme:. or In ugfnr OF
the verge Of a prccipicc over ga eternity
of SAGE that rolled below.
81 fen Somc of this feeling Of horror
urr:tcrahlc stealing oxen me- Sudden
j. felt tie car give an -,.nins US crcak.
lie isitnm was oi wicker-rrOrk. fis-
tened nv ropes to the side. of The ear.
We bolh felt this floor giviar,,a5 undo.
Us. T!c horror of the scene - 1cyOnd
all c~onccpiiUn. A sailor WHO cav the
full of the vessel falling away f&Dm I'M
der him in the midst of a storm tra<fcr-
tunate compared with us. ispf1ng for
the ropes which connected With tho
valve n the top and gave it q strong
Jerk There was no peHcptiblc
fall N the balloon. | gave :aioticY and
Il stronger pull. Tie cord cav way.
md ! found half of il in my hand. 1
sar"s~ INTO the network, and yelled for
L-fehro To- 90 likewise. The balloon
lurcitrd over, ard ! noticed Il few mo-
rlcnt> later that tie force with which
Lefrbrc had jumped from the ear had
detached one side of il and HI ing down
bysmly n few cnrr!s. The balloon now
relied fruE side 10 side. W. were
hanging by the network that any clopcd
II and did not know how long we could
remain Suspended or how soonthc cords
would break. The air. il sepinctl to me.
was becoming colder. NV hnndS were
becoming numbed. Could it ,e that we
were entering a higher and rar- S;ra-
tEm of sir? Were we still a~sccndinc?
| locked down and s~huddcrcd. ! called
to iefcbre. but he failed To an
swer me-. Ny blood almost f,ozc in my
veins ~ the Thought flashed ca n. He
had slipped OF and trcen preci 1ita led in
10 that ir!gitful void. | Gctc mined To
cling un as long - | could. [ tried TO
tie myself IL, in Ice network so that |
couldn't fail. but this WAS ~iInposiblc on
account OF MY almost frozen hArd<. |
wrapped NV hands up as wei as | could
and then waited for daylight. Ii would
be impossible for me 10 try Al dfrll vou
of my >~utfrringS. mental ard pl.~.sical.
knew thai death stared me IA dhr face.
and t!,c rIn>t awful of deaths. ] knew
that ! would he found an unrc sogrizable
mass of mingled bones ard d. sh. felt
my hand S,,wly ~loooening and the cords
slipping sway from me. The Geld be-
gan t. overcome mind and 9ody. and
the intense s'ra%glafor life he gan grad
usily 10 die awa, into Il lan-u,d acquics-
ceG-e. knew | could hold u, bn, a lit
tie while logger. hut t,c thought failed
to give a'sai but a fl nj feel ng Of un-
rest. rs though / were being told that
another MN in far-off country was
All ny thoughts were i'm
personal. felt the air grow warmer,
and q Nv and most vivid ser &c of Ty
dan~crdawnci upon me. le.une To tie
with all my >treagth, and trcm-
lied as | thought this strength would
not lasi nae longer. MY arms acheI.
snl there MAS q dull pain in my bead
that was fast deepening int q rapid
.throni,ing of the temples. the Hood
seeming to ruth and wfirl md roar
about my carS. There comes 5 time
rnan a hunted m;si drops. .yheh the
:i4s II, rsis.s- his aY and /
never felt hcfnrr WHAT feeling must come
aVcr swch Il m:n til then. The last
infinite tl'.t | c"aii c!in- 10 the ropes
was reached. | frit ii;ai no; even for
my life eou'd | hold longrr. With a
on m, liis. NY r:i~Hd fingers
slipped from the cords and | bean 70
.ail. When / became cpnSc:orS The hal
loon was wing a few yards Of in Il hc.p.
and tanric,! in the coriaoe w. Lcfcbrc.
My iirsl attempt la pull open the valve
iad beer successful. and w!irn:I loosened
all holds | was only half n dozen feet
the ground. Lrfcjrr had become
cntangI~d in the network AMI f:inted.
| never went in Il balloon again. :ad nv
are 80 completely shattered that
! can never see one without the Cd feel
of horror creeping over me-
( ,ss.y-Elr fI,-s.- fr,yT