St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-10-26
want 70 SEQ my Ada That's all car
about"

want 70 SEQ my Ada That's all care
about"
began to fear the worst. Was he
going mad? We're the reports my wife
had heard literally true. and not ex-
aggerated after all? What fool Ihad
been not to be more cautious! Whether
he was mad or not, he was in danger.
ous mood. and my position was far
f1om pleasant To oppose him would
evidently aggravate him and make
matters worse. To humor him was ur-
donbtedly the wisest course.
Look here, Jackv' l cried. "You
say you want to see Ada. can tell
you of a better and surer way Of going
to her than this. If you will listen to
me-(here l involuntarily moved my
hand toward the valve cord)-if you
will listen to me i"
'None of your blarney, man! I'm
not to be wheedled so. I'm too old 3
boy for that. Leave the cord alone.
can't you? I'm not going down again
to-day. I'm 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 S condition. was in q balloon
with a madman, and about four miles
from the earth. felt the cold sweat
on my brow, and my brain began to
reel. But with a tremendous effort
pulled myself together, for my only
chance of safety was in retaining my
self-possession. To attempt to over
power him was out of the question
the strength of a 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, l 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
lyzed all my energies. I felt unable to
move or speak, and even the power to
think was almost gone. In my despair
/ glanced at the valve cord. Owing
to the rotary motion of the balloon it
had unfortunately become entangled.
To free it should be obliged to leave
the car and climb into the ring. But
to attempt such thing (even if were
physically capable of i-) would be GER
| tain to lead to a struggle which would
as certainly send one or both of us out
of the car.
We we're now at such height that
asphyxia was imminent. l could hear
my heart throb quite plainly. I
breathed with difficulty, and \ horri-
BILE sensation like that Of sea-sickness
came over me. The cold was so in
tense that shivered, notwithstanding
my wraps. The mental strain was ter
ribie. l was almost frantic. Know
ing, however. that in q few minutes l
should be unconscious. and that then
oil would be over with me, 1 nerved
myself for one last effort
As rose from my seat my eye fell
on the grapneL Fortunately it was on
nv side of the car. A sudden idea
struck me, here was a weapon to
hand. 1t was an awful thought-it
would be a terrible deed. But there
delay. My senses were going.
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. pushed him over,
and with a horrible yell. which rings
in my ears whenever l recall the oc-
currence, the madman disappeared
from my sight
Almost mad myself am not sure
that l was not quite SO just them
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 seized the cord with my teeth.
and after two or three tugs the valve
opened with a loud clang, and the bal
loon began to descend. Thank heav-
en-! was saved. My hands being use
less, l was obliged to throw up my
arms and drop into the car. where l
Law motionless and unconscious for
awhile.
Nv swoon could not have lasted more
than q few seconds, for when I recov-
cred the barometer showed that I was
still in a high altitude, although the
balloon was descending rapidly. l
rubbed and beat my hands until the
circulation was restored. Then l set
about taking the necessary precautions
against a too rapid descent But
acted more like an automaton than =
conscious agent. for I seemed in a kind
of stupor or trance all the time.
How and whe-e reached the solid
earth cannot say. have only dim,
hazy recollection of being surrounded
by a crowd of people. Some were
bending over me and seemed to be
questioning me. but l couldn't make
out what they said. / felt an awful
pain in my head. and remember moth
ing more until l found myself in bed
in q dark room and my wife bending
over me. This was several days after
ward, and l learned then that had
been brought home in a delirious state
and had had brain fever.
When l recovered my friends con.
graduated me, aud tried to persuade
me that as my homicidal act was done
in self-defense it was justifable-
hope it was, but can never recall it
without misgivi,lgs and horror. and
have never made . balloon ascent since
-Tit-Bits-
CnknOwn and Known.
Charles Sumner once had IN expert.
ence which taught him that he was
both known and unknown. even in
Boston. He was on his way, riding in
= street car, to attend q social meeting
At the Church of the Disciples, to which
hA haA hnmn Tod hx.H H. n