Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-03-08

she added; But | shall miss my last
car for Wooloomooloom
From new vibrations the captain con-
jccturcd that we were carrying sus.
pended below us nearly the whole OF ,
the broken cable. Its weight visibly /
impeded the ascent of the Condor OF /
the Andes, and there was reason to fear
that on the descent II would occasion |
very grave damages
The aeronaut was, fortunately, |
prompt In decision Like a true emp.
tain, he armed himselfwith pcnltnilc, |
and, hosting himself over the interior
abyss Of the osier basket, strove to saw |
away the thick rope.
How high are wep" he asked, with.
out intcrrupting his difficult and per-
ilous task.
Twelve hundred and twenty-five |
yards" responded Miss Arabclla, get |
ting ahead of me again.
Painting greatly, the acronaut added,
addressing himself TO me;
AS soon az the cable Is detached |
with bound we will ascend 10 two"
Tho sentence remained unfinished.
At u slight cry turned around, ccas-
ing 10 observe tho barometer over
the gaping void | could no longer scc
either the man or the cable. In tho
captains supreme effort, one drawing
the other, both had iallcnl Above us,
toward the profound night, stiu
stretched the uufathomablc space.
had not much time for pity; tho
balloon, suddenly freed, scaled the in
accessible with u prodigious bound
And without any idea Of aerial nayiga.
ton, lost IN space and' darkness,
found myself alone with an ignorant
young girl, as unconscious rs she Of
| the DANGER unable to attempt tho
| slightest vancouver
Mute, but tcrrlncd--I OWNED IL
| without seeing her, for her fingers had
! plunged their nails into my garments
| aud ilcsh-Miss Arabella had seized my
arm. Suddenly she let go her hold 10
stoop, and saw that she was throwing
our sand overheard
was about to grasp her uncerc.
moniously by the waist-logically con.
WINGED that unballastcd we would
mount higher yet-whcn Of them-
selves her arms fell; realized that she
was inert A prey also 10 very painful
uncasincss, | cast glance Of anguish
ut the barometer Tho atmospheric
pressure had scusibly diminished
had passed four thousand yardsl In
the air the oxygen had rarchcd | cx-
pericnced sensation | had already felt
ON high submits.
Crawling, ! dragged myself TO tho
barometer and saw with terror that
the Thermometer had gone down to
Zcro-83a That was the equivalent Of
siXty-tive hundred yards In height, the
altitude Of Chimborazo or OF the kuucn-
Loun chain. by the light 81 the little
lantern noticed that my hands were
growing black and swclling, My pulse
counted the improbable number of ono
hundred and thirty to one hundred and
forty beatings. simultaneously with
an insurmountable desire TO sleep, the
forerunner Of asphyxia, cadaveric in
sensibilty was gaining possession Of me.
had, however, the will to take the
lantern In my hand, but on stretching
up to reach IL felt myself envcloped
by terrible cold. Ice coated the Condor
OF the Andes. The mercury OF tho
thermometer had fallen 10 twenty'fouI
degrees below zero.
then clearly oomprehondcd that the
end had come, and, without further
striving TO recover, closed my eyes aud
gave myself up
When returned TO the knowledge OF
things magnificent moon was illu
minating the night My eyes, turning
mechanically 10 the rim of tho car
distinguished n small silk balloon fas.
"A l.l. II
Oxygen Mt seventy-five per cent" And
II was salvationl My scientific attain
ments enabled me to understand this
salvation almost at hand A few in
halations OF that over-oxygenated alt
would restore mo with life, with
strength.
seized the little balloon us quickly
US was capable OF doing, and, care
fully unscrewing its stopper applied II
10 my mouth TO breathe. afterwnrd,
thought OF Miss Arabella, and intro
duced the slender neck between hei
lips, which saw were horribly black
and swollen.
y Grecdly, as she returned TO life,
took II from her again, and then en-
sued between us strange struggle Of
ferocious, fanlshed creatures
g Cool now and completely restored,
was considering the quickest way Ia
which to end our adventure. The NOR,
D.. 30, as, saved from asphyxia unC
strengthened, Miss Upton kept shout
u ing in my ears In deafening tone: 81
mr. want TO descend, Monsieur Frenchman
le / repeat 1t TO you that | want to de
)" scendl"
, without losing time in answering
= her, | strovc TO maneuver the ropes
20 pulled them one way after another
Of hoping thus to discover that which
~ communicated with the escape valve
And evidently succeeded, for Mis-
~ Arabella exclaimed, clapping he
10 hands:
le I'VE are descending, monsieur; tn
in balloon is descending"
And later when the anchor, which
- had finally succeeded In casting over
board, caught In II vineyard in the en-
virons of Tonggabbio, she threw he
arms around my neck and said to me
- between two kisses, Monsieur, | ow
you my life"
have often seen Arabella since then
ii Indeed, see her almost constantly, 70
4 4 Z