The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-06

balloon stopped for second as IT it
had struck against some very soft and
elastic invisible buffer. Then with a
bound, il shot off again into space
with al impe tuOsitv wholly new and
after shock attended with vibrations
so violent that we all three fell on
the bags OF sand.
Both the female passenger and j be-
gan to ask questions.
IVY does this mean2-W hat is ltf
What has happened2"
The captain, who was the FIRST to
regain his feet, leaned over the void
The cable is broken" said he.
Secretly frightened. but unwilling
to let It be seen. 7 said.
This is a ca otive balloon, viii 1t be
strong enough to permit US TO land IN
Eafety2A
There are only three of us and the
balloon is inflated for thirty. That's
the medium number of passenger
u 0u viii have only the annoy nee Of
passing two or three hours more than
you calculated in my company and
dOu btless the Inconvenience of not
getting back TO Sydney until to-mor-
row morning
SIN that case. captain I replied.
81 am dOu bly, delighted at the acel-
dent. the ascension has grown excit-
ing, and we could not desire more
courteous pilot than yourself is
not so, madam
Miss. if YOU please" rectifed
the very slight and slender lady.
ssMiss Ara bella Linton, at your ser
vice. And she added. But / shall
miss my asst car for WOoloomOOloof'
From new vibrations the captain
con fectured that we were carrying
suspended below MS nearly the vs. hole
Of the broken ca BILE. Its weight vlsl-
bly, inn eded the ascent of the Condor
of the Andes; and there was reason
Al 8 IN
occasion very grave damages
The aeronaut was. fortunately,
prompt in decision. Like a true cap
tain he armed himself with his rem
knife. and, hosting himself over the
interior abvss of the o~ier basket.
strove to saw away the thick ro @.
How high are we23 n q asked with
out interrupting his difficult and per
ilOus task
Twelve hu1dred and twenty-ave
yards, RESPONDED Miss Arabella, get
ting ahead Of me.
Painting greatly, the aeronaut
added. addressing himself to me-
AS soon as the ga bile is detached,
with bound we VIII ascend to two
The sentence re NAMED unfinished.
At a slight cry I turned around
ceasing TO observe the barometer.
Over the gaping void I could no longer
see either tie man or the ca BILE In
the captain suDre effort, one dra We
ing the other, both had falIenI "A bove
us toward the profound night. still
stretched the unfa thoma Bile space
Mute. but terri6ed-I OWNED 1t
without seeing her, for her fingers had
plunged their nails into my garments
and 6eSh-Miss Ara bel a had seized
my arm. Suddenly she ct go her
hold to stOOn. and I saw that she was
thrO wing our stand over board.
was about to grasp ner uncere-
mOni0uslv hv the Ogicallv
convinced that IN ballasted we would
mount hi rher vet-vvn IN of themStIv
her arms fell I realized that she
was inert "a prey also TO very
painful uneasiness. I cast a glance
OF anguish at the barometer The
atmospheric pressure had sensib l Y
diminished-we had pa -sed 1000
vardsi In the air the oxygen had
rarihed I experienced a sensation /
had ali eadv felt on high SUBMITS.
miss. called j. striving to raise mp
the young girl, but it was in vain. for
I had no strength. My legs trem bled.
nv head sank upon my shoulders; no
longer felt the existence of nav BODY.
had. however. the Will to take the
little lantern ia nv hand, but on
stretching ND to reach IL 1 felt NV elf
envelOped by terrible cold. Ice coated
the Condor of the Andes The
mercury OF the thermometer had fallen
to p degrees below zero.
TIA en- clearly unprecedented that
the end bad come and, wi hout
further striving to recover closed my
eyes and gave myself up
At the horizon, low and distant,
brilliant a nd blue light was appearing.
w hen I returned to the knowledge
of things a magnificent moon was IL
lumina ting the night. My eyes. turn
ing mechanical " to the rim of the
car. distinguished a small silk balloon
fastened to a ST p. 1t bore la bel e
co.
And 1t was savatfOnI NY scientific
attachments enabled me to understand
this-sa lvation almost at my handi "A
few inhalations of that Over-Oxyg gen
ated air would restore me with life
with strength.
I seized the little balloon as quickly
as I was pa bic of doing and. care
fully unscrew wing its stopper, applied
it to my mouth to breath. I after
ward thought of Miss Ara bella and
introduced the slender neck between
her lips. VIII ch I saw were horri ol y
black and swollen
Cool now and completely restored, Fl
was consid ering the quickest way In
which to end our adventure The
more So as saved from asuhyxia and
str ngthened, Miss Upton kept shout -
ing ia my ears ia deafeuing tone. VI
want to descend. Nonsi ar French nan
reDea { to YOU that want to descend
Parbleul also wanted TO descend,
but I could not in reason burst our
balloon under pretext of showing
myse f ga liant toward her
Without losing ime @in answering
her. I strove to maneuver the ropes, I
pulled them one after the other hoo
ing thus to discover that which com
municated with the escape valve.
And ] evidently succeeded for Mi
Ara bella exclaimed clapping her hands
I'VE are descen dIng, monsieur the