St. Paul daily globe., 1890-05-18

| W6 &dND lOSG Tie UIt6Zc anu dIt
standing still" " said my companion. as
! went over to him. "Idon't know what
| those fellows take us for, but they seem
bound to bring us down."
There were four or five of the Arabs
shooting at us at this time, and now and
! then we could catch the noise of their
bullets. If we went higher there was
a fear of meeting with a current of air
that might set us off over the sea again;
| and as the Arabs continued to blaze
| away, we then hanging right above the
camp, Mazam opened the safety-valve
with the remark:
Lets show them that two can play
at this game. We don't to kill, but let's
give them a good scare"
AS we dropped down we began firing
over the edge of the basket down
among the flocks, and in two minutes
there was a rumpus which set us both
laughing. The entire village made a
rush and abandoned everything. Some
of the men leaped upon their horses
and galloped away, while others fed on
foot, and women and children ran for
a grove near by and reached 1t to throw
themselves PROSTATE upon the earth.
For an hour longer we hung above the
place as if anchored there, and then
gentle current carried us to the north
ward into the province OF MuScat.
About midafternoOn, While sailing
along thousand feet above the earth
at slow rate, we came to an open
country which seemed to be destitute OF
human life, and Mazam announced that
that we would descend and TepleniSh
our stock of water and see what was to
be seen. After the anchor had trailed
along the ground for hundred yards,
it caught in the limbs of PROSTATE
tree. and we soon hauled our craft down
and secured her. We were within ten
rods of small water course, and while
| was filling our keg MaZam shot a
couple Of fat birds, and we built a fire
and cooked and ate them Oh the spot.
We then gave the balloon careful IN
specton, and were considerably cast
down at the result of our investigations.
1t was full of folds and wrinkles, and
after we had thrown out the regular
ballast left which was not above ten
pounds, articles of value necessary
would have to follow to keep the balloon
ABOVE THE EARTH
There was not breath of air stirring
below. and by watching the clouds we
saw that the set of the upper current
was toward the sea. 1t was therefore
deemed best to wait a more favorable
hour, but the afternoon wore away and
no cange came. At dusk a breeze did
come, but it would have sent OIL to sea,
and it was decided to make night OF 1t
where we were.
At dusk we entered the basket and
let go our line until we were hundred
feet above the earth, and then prepared
for a quiet night. But darkness had
hardly come before we heard the roar
ing of lions, and there was such chirp-
ing of insects that one could hardly
make his voice heard without shouting.
AS we had seen no people about we did
not think it necessary to keep watch,
and both went to sleep about the same
time. At midnight MaZam shook me
and whispered in my ear:
"Come, now, but here is sight worth
seeing. Be careful to make no noise."
AS looked over the basket he pointed
to the west. There, on the open ground,
made almost as light as day by the riS-
ing moon, was large male lion. Then
he pointed to the east, and then L
turned nv eyes that way to discover
another. Taking our balloons as cen
ter. each animal was about five rods
away and facing each other.
"They were roaring at each other for
fifteen minutes before l awoke you"
whispered MaZam. lit was chal-
lenge to combat, and now you will see
some fun"
The animals approached each other
as YOU have seen two dogs, each care
fully lifting his paws and setting them
down, but they did not diminish the
distance over rod before both stopped
and stood as If cut from stone. The
only signs of life we're the low gr0wls
of defiance. By and by one turned to
the right as if to half circle the other.
This was met by counter movement.
Then he turned to the left aud was
countered again. Then he backed off
and the other advanced. Then he ad-
vanced and the other backed off The
play had been going Oh in this fashion
for at least twenty minutes, when the
one to the east of US made rush so
swift and sudden that we could not fol-
low. The beasts grappled and rolled
over and over, making a tremendous
fuss; but after two or three minutes of
this one of them turned tail and ran
away, hOtly
PURSUED BY THE VICTOR.
The remainder of the night passed
without incident, and as daylight came
breeze from the north came with it.
After cold bite we lifted our anchor
and were off; but now we found that
after every pound of the regular ballast
had gone overheard we were not above
rifle shot from the earth. And we had
scarcely begun to move before we found
ourselves above long drawn-out cara
van, or moving village. which had just
taken up its line Of march. Perhaps all
knew our craft to be balloon; perhaps
they believed it to be some great bird.
At any rate they began firing at US, and
the very first bullet struck the basket.
1t was an open country, and such men
as were mounted on horses could keep
up with us.
Nov, then" said Mazam, as the bull
| lets continued to sing about us, cover
board with that keg of water, all extra
clothing, everything to give us lift out
of range, and / will do some shooting
for myself"
He seized rife and fred at horse
man almost under US, and then eX-
changed for the other and fired at an
other, and by this time we were in the
clouds and driving away at a much
faster pace. Inside of an hour the bal
loon began to approach the earth again,
and as we were driving toward Mirbat
| we threw over our Overcoats, the spy
glass and the box of bread. We shot
upward and drove ahead for about fif-
teen miles, and then descended until we
were no more than 500 feet above the
ground To maintain this distance we
had to throw over the two rifles, and
twenty minutes later we dropped into a
field of maize just outside of Mirbat.
What happened after that will be told
in a ske tch by itself