The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-07-09

their sight b: a thick gray mist,
N What has happened now?" whis.
pered Walter, drawing closersto Paul.
st think we must be- q cloud Re.
piled Paul; sRud dering
A :momentsago T could hear railroad
cars and q bell, but nowit is dreadful
still, ossaid Wa Tier, beginning to cry.
Don't cry Walter" said Paul.
"That won't do any good.
But suppose we never come down
again r. sobbed Walter. 1--WE may be
miles and miles away. from home aud
never find our way back. I"
~ don't care, so that it's earth again. ),
replied Paul. "There must be some
way of going down besides being pulled
back back by rope and, windlass. What
was :tha It Mr.: Le Clerc,; said about let
ting out the gas 2" Z - .,.I3t 81
Something about valve and q cor d
but did not pay much attention. re-
piled Walter. sSsf5sse =.
Il remember now" criedPaul. "The
valve was. on. top, but the cord that
opened it hung in the car somewhere. y
There. it. is, = said Walter, looking
up: { But you, can't reach it, .
!. Paul sprang; to his feet, and saw that
the cord had in some way become Cd
tangled in the net work which covered
the balloon. It was not more than seven
feet above their heads, but it was en-
tirely out of their reach. So Paul sat
down again, and looked ct Walter. 50.
1T is no use to try," said che, with a
white face. ~ vi s.s.@-sssz = = s:
After while they rose above the
cloud, and saw it hanging below them,
while over their heads the sky shone out
dark and lovely blne.. tsSa e y - Il "a
How cold it is !" said Walter, SILVER.
This made Paul ,think-so of something
he hid once read of Two men WHO had
taken a journey in balloon, and one
of them had become insensiblo from
cold when OF great distance from the
earth. ! III ,,S 1.sSF"
"We, must get that valve cord!" he
said to8himself; then heSbegan to look
around. him and think. Then. lie sud
denly cried, !asWalter!s Walter I know a
way to reach it; will sling it." ]
But you haven't. any Irvine long
enough!" said Walter, hopeless1y.
II have the piece saved from my
kite this morning. s.,..,,s..sss82. Il
Paul then produced several yards OF
Irvine, wound on q stick, and tied his
knife securely to one end of it; and
presently the two boys almost forgot
their peril in the excitement of trying
to throw this sling into the loop made
by thefentangled rope. MEANWHILE the
balloon drifted higher and higher,@- and
farther, and farther westward.
After great many failures, Paul
succeeded in reaching the cord. \ Then
they pulled it within theirhands. 4 ,.Es
Now weare sayedp cried Walter;
clapping his hands, 3 y ,'5.5
Z. Panl.pulled The: cord: gently, for he
thought perhaps there might be dam
ger Of letting too much gas ont at once.
For some moments the boys could not
tell what effect this had; but presently
the air around them became much
warmer, and they were again enyeloped
in thick mist : s5 n! ~; :...
Walter was in despair. He slipped
off Of the BENCH, and seating himself
on the floor of the car, covered his. face
with his hands. i, NJ "a III 81. III
Presently Paul, who had been earn
estly looking over the side, said, oval
ter, I think we must have dropped a
great distance 5S'::' ~ 55T.#a 80 4.
aWhy ?n asked Walter, trying hard
to keep his voice from trembling.
Because we are in the clouds again, y
replied Paul. T.. s,.s $5s5sss.e-
"Are we2D said Walter, raising. his
head. As he looked up he caught
sight of something under the seat.
"Here is q. queer kind of anchor cried
he, pulling at q rope attached to q greut
hook with o number Of prongs.
can anchor!" exclaimed Paul, with
some surprise: What is that for, I
wonder a'?. E y, So
"AIaybeif We let it,oyer tie side the
balloon will go down faster. :, = q I
...Tt"I don't think So, replied Paul,
glancing down again. Then lie cried
out, COB, Walter. We are below the
clouds now. I can see q river with
lights on it just below us. 81 < 49,
.''sThen don't let. out any more gas,
Paul.. We: shall be drowned if you
do" ,; 3 IS: .;.i g
Paul let go Of the valve cord, and the
boats seemed to, fly away beneath them,
and they passed the river in safety.
: The balloon had sunk so low that
now they could distinctly see the roofs
of houses; but 1T had grown 30 dark
that no one observed the balloon.
The'ligits and houses grewImore and
more scarce as they passed over dark
fields and Il woods. II They could see
branches of, the trees bend, and hear the
wind bowling among them, and the two
boys knew that. they were being driven
along through the air at q rapid rate.
eff we cannot stop the balloon" said
Walter, Eve shall hbe torn to pieces by
the branches Of those trees when we
get o little lower s5sssss s4s
Just. then the little car they5were in
gave 10 lurch which almos threw them
out. sThe boys seized the nearest rope
and looked down. They were directly
above o thick forest, and one great pine,
tallersthan the others, had almost over
turned them. N 952$5
Paul and Walterstretched ont their
hands to grasp the; branches but in an
instant they were wrenched away, and
the balloon rushed on again. al
Perhaps that hook will help us now,
said Paul, suddenly remembering the
anchor. twill haul on the valve cord
and when we come to thick trees, :you
let the hook right down among tie
branches: iS
Paul peeped down into the darkness,
while Walter held the anchor suspend
ed over the side Of the car.
"Nowln cried Paul, and the anchor
went crashing down among the crooked
branches Of an K immense sycamore.
Then the balloon tapped back and