The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-02-17
in front Of ssKeenan's Joint"

eA@~-@4
full word Of thanks. He was man Of
about forty-fve. brown bearded, pale
and serious, but there was firm look
In his blue eyes that showed pluck and
skill, and his mouth, clean cut, trifle
thin, but graceful, gave evidence Of de-
termination and perseverance.
The first words OF the aerial visitor
after thanking ''the boys" were earthly
and feshly.
''Can get anything to eat here, gen.
tlemen?' instinctively addressing Gale
Whitley.
"The best in the landr' 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 yet. Come in. stranger. while
tie your hoss."
Thisp 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
in a Norfolk jacket, knee breeches and
a cork helmet it is highly probable that
he would have met with 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 in his costume.
Balloons were unique, so were bal
1oonists' clothes, was the natural YER
dict, unspoken, almost unthought. Yet
all eyed him curiously, while. kindly, and
waited impatiently the completion of his
modest repast.
His eyes were 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 and 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 he had finished Gale tossed the
paper in which the lunch had been
brought into the street and said: 'tNow,
stranger, let's hear your story. This is
the first time we've had 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 in the balloon, and was
carried south till near Colorado Springs,
where the current changed and carried
me northwest. was compelled to re-
main in the car, the nature of the coun-
try net permitting an easy landing.
am making an attempt to cross the con-
tinent in a balloon. That is my story,
gentlemen, all there is of it, and thank
you for your kindness"
Finding so tame an explanation of the
phenomenon, most of the crowd soon dis
persed.
Gale Whitley and the sheriff somehow
felt themselves to be in a measure
Pierce's hosts, and felt the improperly of
indulging in Evans Gulch's only amuse-
ment while their guest refrained there
from.
When Pierce inquired for the hotel
they both ''smiled loudly" and stated
that the place had not risen t. that dig
nity yet-fourteen saloons, nine faro
banks, postoffice, provision store (also
a saloon) and lookup constituted.
apart from sundry quartz erushers, tine
entire borough; but they wished to eek
tend to him the hospitality of their own
'shanty'--the best in the place too."
Thither they conducted him at once,
seeing therein a way out 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 unfolded themselves to Pierce
eyes, and he recognized their thorough.
practical American worth. The sheriff
was transparent; simply big, good
natured Jerseyman by birth, who had
lived in various parts of the west since
boyhood, having made several small for
tunes, spent them an expected to make
another-a type frequently to be fount
all oTer the continent. Gale White!
was rot so easily read. He was NOR
beneath the surface AMI was harder Il
| get at, but Pierce had seen too many lner
of learning and refinement adrift in thest
western wilds to probe too deeply int
any mystery he might imagine III Gale
past. He was content TO fsrd in the2
both materials that he might use. 1
was nearly ten O'clock when he said:
81 am here for a purpose in which yol
might, if you are inclined. aid me ma
terially. It's rather long story, but
| will make 1t as short as possible"
He lighted his Eipe, IS t.ae other tw'
had done, and smoked y f1sE minutes il
silence, while they drew their chair
closer. Then he began:
1.-TWO years ago l had p balloon mad
and left San Francisco III the month @
June, with the wind taking us rapid,
eastward. With me was a young maj
J named Eric Gilbert. He was abou
| thirty years old and one of the bright
est men / ever knew. A linguist,
ecieAtist, mechanic, an artist; in fac
he was possessed Of more practical knowl
edge and cultivated accomplishment
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