The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-03-28

you drop this balloon, anu noio II IoNS
enough for Harding to take the girl
away9 He is the best looking one
among US, and really there will be nc
resistance.
"I'll try it," responded the aeronau'
firmly, with a look at the coming
tempest.
Slowly the balloon settled, swayine
in the slight bright, until the ca,
touched the earth, amid the PROSTATE
forms of the superstitious natives.
.'No time to spare. Lively now,
Hardingr' shouted Small, looping the
rope around one of the temple pillars
'Quetzal! Quetzal!" murmured the
people, still kneeling, as Harding
strobe to the sacri6cial altar.
He rapidly freed the captive, and led
her to the car.
Small loosed the rope, while Young
and Bolton tossed out bags of ballast
sufficient to make up for the extra
weight Of the girl, and the balloon arose
quickly, amid the entreaties of the peo,
pie to stay. ~ hit that numbering old
priest whack that he'll remember
when ! sent the ballast out" muttered
Young.
"Hlt him with another bag; then.
the tempest is coming, and we must 60
above the clouds, or we are ost!'shouted
Small.
The wind increased, the air grew
dark and misty, and soon the hidden
city was indeed hidden from them by
the dense, black storm.rlouds below
them.
The upper current of air, although
not gale, was sufficiently strong to
carry them fast.
"But we're not going toward homer
questioned Bolton.
"Bless your stars that you ere safe
anywhere" nodded Harding.
The clouds swept by, but the payster>
ious city was no longer in sight.
s'Those folks will be more supersti-
ticus shan ever because We vanished
with the tempest" laughed Young.
ssBut what shall we do with our prize
now we have got her? that's the ques'
tion," asked Harding.
"You ought to have asked that be-
fore you took her from her people, "
said Bolton, gravely.
eff you can leave me near Fort Mel,
SON. began the girl, laughing at
their astonishment.
"What! are you not an Aztec?' cricd
Young.
"No. Ny father is an officer at the
fort. While enjoying g ride on my
pony last week, I ventured too far
away, was captured by a band of the
Aztecs, and but for you should have
met horrible death. I can never
thank you"
"Don't try" advised Young. II as
assure you it was pleasure to US. /"
T., "And you are not at home yet, "
added Small, significantly.
The wind continued to blow htfully
sometimes from one direction, some
times from another, butalways keeping
the balloon above the uninhabltec
country.
Darkness came, and toward morning
the moon shone out in tropical beauty,
giving a weird, ghastIy effect to earth
and sky.
Before sunrise the wind Increased
and set ir steadily toward the land OF
the stars and stripes.
s'There goes the last bag of ballast.
and still we are descending" said
Young. "Butw are out of the woods,
or over them, for l see houses In the
distance.
"The old lady knows thing o.
two," answered Small, brushing the
siIken cushion of the car, ''She won't
carry us safely so far to wreck US at
last.'
He was true phrophet, for the bal
loon descended until the car touched
the ground, not far from farm
house.
"How fur to Fort Nelson? Bout ten
mile," returned the farmer, whose
whole family ran out to see what
monster had dropped from the clouds.
Horses we're soon hired, and Hard
ing set out to escort the maiden
thither.
1t is needless to tell of the rejoicing
when they arrived at the fort.
(Which of you married the young
lady?" I asked of Harding, when he
told me the story five years after.
"Hum! Well, none of US. She NIT.
tened US all for a bit Of corporal
that's scarf of his own shadow VIII en-
he hears gun fired"
But what of that hidden city?' l
persisted.
81 don't know a thing more about
it. l expect 1t is there yet" was the
careless reply.