The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05

King 3 palace at ititii Nhtti t''S
was over
"Foreseeing all this, had brought with
| me a large balloon packed away In
secret section OF my trunk, and while my
body guard was fighting win the Prus-
sian troops sent to capture me, ana
nv servant inflated the balloon, jumped
into the car, and were soon high up out
of the enemy's reach. They fired several
shots at us, and one of them would have
pierced the balloon had / not. BY rare
good shot, fired my own rifle at the
bullet and hitting it squarely In the mid
die. as is my usual custom, diverted 1t
from its course, and saved our lives.
1T had been my intention TO sail d.
rectly over the the heads of the attacking
party and drop down into Napoeon's
camp the next morning, but unfortunately
for my calculations a heavy wind storm
came up in the night and / and my SER
want were caught by southerly blast
and blown into Africa, where, poised in
the air directly over the desert Of Sahara,
we encountered a dead calm. which kept
us stalled UP for two miserable weeks"
"Why didn't you come down. asked
Molly.
I'VE didn't dare to, explained the Ma
Cor. "If we had. we'd have wasted a
great deal of our gas, and our condition
would have been worse than ever. AS L
! told you we were right over the centre
| Of the desert. There was no way OF get
| ting out Of It, except by long and weari-
| some marches over the hot, burning
sands. with the chances largely I'm favor
| of our never getting out OF 1t alive. The
| only thing to do was TO stay Just where
| we were and wait for a fayoring breeze.
| This we did. having to wait four mortal
| weeks"
"You said two weeks. a minute ago.
| Major" said Jack.
1.-TWO! Hem! Well. yes. II was two.
| now that / think Of It. It's a natural
| mistake" said the Major, stroking his
moustache a little nervousy. You SEE
! two weeks in n balloon over vast desert
of sand. with nothing to do but whistle
for a breeze. is equal to four weeks any
| where else. That is. Il seems so. Any
| how. two weeks. or four. whichever 1t
| was. the breeze came finally, and along
| about midnight left us stranded again
| directly over an Arab encampment near
! Wadv Halfa. IL was a more perilous
| position. really. than the first, because the
/ moment the Arabs caught sight or us
! they began TO make frantic efforts 10 get
/ lis down At first we simply laughed them
| 10 scorn and made faces at them, be-
caIse as far as we could see. we were
! safely out Of reach. This enraged them,
and they apparently made up their minds
! TO kill us II they could. At first their
| idea was to get US down alive, and sell
lis as slaves. but our ieers changed all
| that. and what should they do but to
| whip out lot Of guns and begin to pep
per us.
"TIl settle them in a minute, I said to
myself. and set about loading my own
II, gun. Would you believe il, | found that
| nv last bullet was the one with which !
| had saved the balloon from the Prussian
| shot"
do?" ~
Il threw cut bag of sand ballast so
| that the balloon would rise just out Of the
| bullets reach. and then as the bullets
| got to their highest roint ana began 10
| drop back. | reached out and caught them
| with dirper In less than twenty
| minutes had every bullet the Arabs had
| fired. With these | loaded my fihe and
shot every one OF the hostile party and
| when the last of the attacking farty
| dropped found there was enough bullets
| left to fiji the empty sand bag aSain'
| so that the lost ballast was not missed.
| In fact there was CROUCH of them III
| weight 10 bring the balloon down so near
| 10 the earth that our anchor rope dangled
| directly over the eDcampment, so that
L
| our gas, could climb dowsl and secure all
! the magnificent treasures IN rugs ana
| silks and rare jewels these robbers OF
| the desc ri had manage 81 TO i;e' together
| in The course Of their depredati ms when
| these were placed in the car anoth'r
breeze came up and for the balance of
| the time we drifted idly abort ia the
| heavens waiting for a cOnve lent place
| 10 land In This manner we were blown
| bif her - ma lhr4.. he
| land and sea. and finally we were wrecked
| upon a tall tree IN India. where we es-
| Carcd by means OF a convenient elephant
| that happened 10 come our way, upon
| which We rode trumphantly into Cal
| cutfa The treasures We had secured
from the Arabs, unfortunately. we had
| 10 leave behind us in the tree, where
| suppose they still are. I hope some day
to go back and find them
Here the Major paused for a moment 10
catch his breath. Then he added. with a
| sigh: "Of course | went back to France
Immediately. but by the time l reached
| Paris the war was over, and the Emperor
was In exile. l was too late 10 save
him-though 1 think if he had lived 1
should have managed TO restore his throne
and lost Imperial splendor to him."
The children gazed into the fire In
silence for minute or two. Then Jack
| asked:
But. Major. what did you live on all
that timer
! Eggs" said the Major. eggs. and
occasionally fish. My servant had had
the foresight when getting the balloon
ready TO include. among the
things put into the car.
| small coop In which were elk
| pet chickens / owned. and without which
never went anywhere. These laid
enough eggs every day to keep us alive.
| The fish we caught when our balloon
stood over the sea-
| But the chickens?'' said Molly. What
| did they live OFT"
! The Major biushed.
Il am sorry you asked that question,
Molly" he said But I'll answer It II
| you Will promise never to tell any one.
| 1t was the only time In my life which
/ ever pracbced an intentional deception
upon any ltvinx thirg. and have always