The Monticellonian., 1895-09-06
want to see my Ada. That's all care

l Whht Vo see my Ada mats all carc about"
 began to fear the worst. Was he going mad2 Were the reports my wife had heard literally true, and not ex- aggerated after all2 What a fool Ihad been not to be more cautiousl Whether he was mad or not, he was in a danger ous mood, and my position was far from pleasant. To oppose him would evidently aggravate him and make matters worse. To humor him was un- doubtedly the wisest course.
 Look here, Jackl' l cried. You say you want to see Ada. can tell you of better and surer way of going to her than this. If you will listen to mediocre 1 involuntarily moved my hand toward the valve cord)--if you will listen to me T."
 None of your blarney, mani Pm not to be wheedled so. Pm too old boy for that Leave the cord alone, can't you? I'm not going down again to-day. Pm going to see what's up there. and don't you try to stop me, and he glared fiercely at me.
 The horrible nature of my situation was now only too apparent-there could no longer be any doubt of Tun- nicliffe's condition. was in balloon with a madman, and about four miles from the earth. 1 felt the cold sweat on my brow, and my brain began to reel. But with tremendous effort I pulled myself together, for my only chance of safety was in retaining my l ca al a1F-nnsSaccfar, power him was out of the question the strength of madman is so well | known. My only hope of escape was to outwit him. But how? Forced in- to unnatural activity as my brain was by my desperate situation and by the necessity of prompt action, could think of no device or ruse that would do any good; was completely at the mercy of the madman.
 The hopelessness of my case para 1yzcd all my energies. I felt unable to move or speak, and even the power to think was almost gone. In my despair l glanced at the valve cord. Owing to the rotary motion of the balloon it had unfortunately become entangled. To free it l should be obliged to leave the car and climb into the ring. But to attempt such thing (even if were physically capable of i9 would be cer- tain to lead to a struggle which would as certainly send one or both of us out of the car.
 We were now at such a height that asphyxia was imminent. l could hear my heart throb quite plainly. I breathed with difficulty, and a horri- ble sensation like that of sea-sickness came over me. The cold was so in- tense that 1 shivered, notwithstanding my wraps. The mental strain was ter rible. I was almost frantic. Know ing, however that in few minutes I | should be unconscious, and that then all would be over with me. 1 neryed myself for one last effort.
 As 1 rose from my seat my eye fell on the grapnel. For tunatelv it was on my side of the car. sudden idea struck me, here was d weapon to hand. It was an awful thought-it would be q terrible deed. But there was now no alternative, no time for delay. My senses were going. 1 stretched out my hand, but the mad man. who never took his eye of me, had detected my purpose. With a sud den movement he darted forward and seized the grapnel, but in his eager ness to forestall me he had precipitat- ed himself too far over the side of the car and almost lost his balance. He made a desperate effort to recover himself but, seized with q sudden and irresistible impulse, 1 pushed him over and with a horrible yell which rings in my ears whenever l recall the oe- eurrence, the madman disappeared from my sight.
 Almost mad myself-I am not sure that l was not quite so just then-I climbed into the ring to reach the valve line. But my hands were so stiff and numb with the cold that I could not grasp the cord. By a kind of inspiration which seemed providen- tial l seized the cord with my teeth, and after two or three tugs the valve opened with loud clang, and the bal loon began to descend. Thank heav- en 1 was saved. My hands being use- less, l was obliged to throw up my arms and drop into the ear, where I lay motionless and unconscious for awhile.
 My swoon could not havo;asted more than few seconds, for when l recoy- cred the barometer showed that l was still in a high altitude, although the balloon was descending rapidly. I 1 rubbed and beat my hands until the circulation was restored. Then l set about taking the necessary precautions against a too rapid descent. But l acted more like an automaton than a conscious agent, for l seemed in a kind of stupor or trance all the time.
 How and where l reached the solid earth l cannot say. l have only dim, hay recollection of being surrounded by crowd of people. Some were bending over me and seemed to be questioning me, but l couldn't make out what they said. l felt an awful pain in my head, and remember noth- ing more until l found myself in bed in a dark room and my wife bending over me. This was several days after ward, and l learned then that l had been brought home in a delirious state and had had brain fever.
 When recovered my friends con graduated me, and tried to persuade me that as my homicidal act was done in self-defense it was justifahle. 1 hope it was, but l can never recall it without misgivings and horror, and l have never made a balloon ascent since. -Tit-B Bits.
 Unknown and Known.
 Charles Sumner once had an experi-