Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-30

We saw camels, asses, goats ana norses,
with many people moving about, and we
had only got sight of them when they saw
us. Some fell down and Others ran away,
and we were laughing at their fright when
we heard the sing of bullet and the report
of a gun.
cover with the ballastr' shouted Mazam,
and the next instant we were so far above
them that their horses appeared to be mere
speclzs on the earth.
eve have lost the breeze and are stand
ing STILL" said my companion as ! went
over to him II don'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 bull
lets. If we went higher there was fear
of meeting with a current of air that
might set us of over the sea again; and as
the Arabs continued TO blaze away, we then
hanging rigkt above the camp, Mazam
opened the safety valve with the remark;
Lets show them that two can play at
this game. We don't want TO kill. but let's
give them good scare.
As we dropped down we began firing
over the edge of the basket down among
the fiocks and in two minutes there was
a rumpus which set us both laughing.
The entire village made a rush and aban-
doned everything Some of the men leaped
upon their horses and galloped away, while
others fed on foot, and women and chill
dren ran for a grove near by and reached it
to throw themselves PROSTATE on the earth.
For an hour we hung above the place as If
anchored there, and then a gentle current
carried us to the northward into the prov
ince of Muscat. About mid afternoon,
while sailing along a 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
we would descend and replenish our stock
Of water and see what was 10 be seen.
After the anchor had trailed along the
ground for a 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 a small water
course. and while ! was filing our keg
Mazam shot a couple of fat birds, and we
built a fire and cooked aud ate them on
the spot We then gave the balloon a care
full inspection, 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 OF necessity would have to follow
to keep the balloon above the earth There
was not a breath of air stirring below, and
by watching the clouds we saw that the
set of the upper current was toward the
sea. II was therefore deemed best TO wait
more favorable hour but the afternoon
wore away and no change came. At dusk
breeze did come, but it would have sent
US of to sea, and it was decided to make a
night Of it 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 n quiet
night But darkness had hardly come be-
fore we heard the roaring of lions, and there
was such a chipping 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 a
watch. and both went to sleep about the
same time Atmidnight Mazam shook me
and whispered in my ear:
Come, now. but here is a sight worth
seeing. BE careful TO make no noise
rs looked over the basket he pointed
1 TO the west There, on the open ground,
made almost as light rs day by the rising
4 moon. was a large male lion. Then he
/ pointed 20 the east and turned my eyes
/ that way to discover another Taking our
4 balloon as a center, each animal was about
/ five rods away and facing each other.
"They were roaring at each other for
| fifteen minutes before ! woke you" whis-
/ pered Mazam. at was challenge to com
! bat, and now you will see some fun
The animals approached each other as
/ you have seen two dogs, each carefully
lifting his paws and setting them down,
\ but they did not diminish the distance over
a rod before both stopped and stood rs il
cut from stone. The only signs Of life
were the low growls of defiance. BY and
BY one turned to the right as if to halt
| circle the other This was met by coun-
ter movement Then he turned TO the
! left, and was countered again. Then he
backed off and the other advanced. Then
he advanced and the other backed Off. The
play had been going on in this fashion fol
at least twenty minutes when the one &c
the east of us made rush so swift and
| sudden that we could not follow him. The
beasts grapped 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, holly pursued by tn,
victor
The remainder of the night passed with
out incident, and as daylight came a breez,
from the north came with it. After a colo
bite we lifted our anchor and were Off bu
now we found that after every pound o
the regular ballast had gone overheard We
were not above rifle shot from the cart h
And we had scarcely begun to move befor'
we found ourselves above long drawn GU
caravan or moving village which had jus
taken up its line Of march. Perhaps al
knew our craft TO be balloon; perhap
they believed it to be some great bird. A
any rate they began firing at us, and tn
very first bullet struck the basket 1t wa
an open country, and such men as wen
mounted on horses could keep up with us
',Now, then" said Mazam, as the bullet
continued to sing about US, "overboart
J with that key Of water, all extra clothing
everything to give us lift out of range
and will do some shooting for myself.
He seized a rifle and fired at a horsemai
/ almost under us, and then exchanged 70
/ the other-and fired at another. and by thi
time we were in the clouds and drivin
E away at a much faster pace. Inside Of a