Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-09


light. however. and the monster came
sweeping along. the ropes end trailing
up the street until Gale, seeing the OBJ
iect of the aerial voyagers shouts and
signs, cried:
Get hold Of his rope, boys, and stop
him."
A moment moro laughing, rolling
mass of men hilariously tumbled over
each other in their efforts to seize the
rope, like lot of frolicking boys, and
an instant later the giant mass swayed
and tossed few feet from the ground
III front of "Keenan's Joint
The aeronaut. leaning from his basket
car, directed them to draw him down,
and alighted among them with a CRATE
full word Of thanks He was man of
about forty-hve, brown bearded, pale
and serious, but there was firm look
in his blue eyes that showed pluck and
skill. and his mouth, clean cut, tri1e
thin, but graceful gave evidence of de-
termination and perseverance.
The first words of the aerial visitor
after thanking 1.-The boys" We're earthly
and fleshly.
Can ! get anything to eat here, gen
tlemen?" instinctively addressing Gale
Whitley.
Tho best in the land.' readily replied
Gale. "Anything in reason from soda
crackers to canvasback ham. We're
out of whisky, but there's lots of beer in
camp vet. Come in, stranger, while We
tie your boss"
This proceeding. however, the stranger
directed and assisted in explaining that
he feared lest Impractical hands might
cause the loss Of precious gas. He then
entered the building one story struc-
ture with very wide doorway, where
the faro table, in full view Of the street,
occupied the central space, with many
stools and narrow chairs scattered about.
The lean boy who had first espied the
balloon had been dispatched TO procure
the guest some lunch, and he made such
haste that he returned with it by the
time the stranger had seated himself.
Surrounded by the crowd of rough, long
haired and bearded men he presented
striking contrast to them in his neat at
tire. Had he walked into Evans Gulch
i'll Norfolk jacket, knee breaches and
a cork helmet it is highly probable that
he would have met with a far different
reception and been treated with the
scorn and contempt of the entire popu-
lace in their own wild western way
But his attire was BETTING his advent,
the first of the kind that the Gulch had
been treated to, and the Gulchers saw
nothing inappropriate III his costume.
Balloons We're unique, so We're bal
loonists' Clothes was the natural ver-
dict, unspokeu, almost unthought. Yet
all eyed him curiously, while kindly, and
waited ilnpatiently the completion Of his
modest repast.
His eyes We're busy, too, roaming
| frankly from face to face in a way that
| somehow told them he was sizing them
up as Gale expressed it afterward,
! glancing at the faro table, the specimens
of quartz, porphyry, lead ores aud car
Donates upon the narrow shelf on the
wall and the big broken roulette wheel
in the corner, tilted up on its side to af-
ford more room to eager gamblers around
the faro table.
| When lie had finished Gale tossed the
| paper il which the lunch had been
brought into the street and said: "Now,
stranger, let's hear your story This is
the first time we've had a balloon up
here and we're naturally interested
The stranger, with good natured
smile, looked around at the eager. toll
hardened and sin hardened faces-many
Of them-and began:
My name is Pierce-H. r. Pierce, of
San Francisco. / left Denver the day
before yesterday i'll the balloon, and was
carried south till near Colorado Springs
where the current changed and carried
me northwest. | was compelled to re-
main III the car, the nature of the coun,
try not permitting an easy landing.
ain making an attempt to cross the con.
tinent in d balloon. That is my story
gentlemen, all there is of 1t, and thank
You for your kindness"
Finding so tame AN explanation of the
phenomenon, most OF the crowd soon dis
pcrsed.
Gale Whitley and the sheriff somehow
felt themselves 10 be in "a measure
Picrce's hosts, and felt the improperly Ct
/ lHuulSlnS III Evans NrulCH > only dlHuSe
ment while their guest refrained there
from.
When Pierce inquired for the hote
they both smiled loudly" and statet
that the place had not risen to that dig
nifty yet-fourteen saloons, nine fare
banks, a postofIice, a provision store (alsC
saloon) and lookup constituted
apart from sundry quartz crushers, tn,
'ntire borough; but they wished to EEK
tend to him the hospitality of their OWL
'shanty'-,he best il the place too"
TEitner they conducted him at once
seeing therein "a way ont of their di
lemma. for they both felt the agony Of
witnessing the game while being pre-
vented from playing.
A long, rambling conversation ensued
during which the characters of the two
men uniulded themselves to Pierce,
eyes, and he recognized their thorough,
practical American worth. The sheriff
was transparent; sifaply a big goot
nstured Jerssyman by birth, who hac
ia, I'D, ,,se t,a ,f,,