The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-03-26

ment 4 thought Of breaking NV bottle
and using the foot Of it for a knife
but q reflected that I should deprive
myself of the drink which had sus-
tanned me and of which might still
have need. d
After once more yainly searching in
all my pockets, with a feeling Of des-
patti passed my hand round my
I Wa1sIpand and felt sharp prick in one
OF my fingers-the buckle Of my trous-
ers! With an almost frantic move
ment1l tore it from the band to which
1T was attached, and found that it had
three sharp prongs. These I plunged
into the balloon as high as could
reach. Three Kisses burst from it,
swelling into whistle like that Of a
b1acksmith's forge The balloon had
begun to empty itself. To say that it
had begun to descend was more than
knew for it did not seem to change.
its position in the least. At the end Of
few minutes, however, I felt posi-
lively that the cold was diminishing
and that I could breathe more freely.
a fresh uneaSiness overlook me. The
material Of which the balloon was
made was rent and the slit was per
ceptibly growing longer and longer.
IF that goes on I said to myself,
''the balloon will open from bottom to
top, and you and it will fall in
mass" Fortunately the meshes Of the
net afforded me little hope, for on
reaching the cord the opening APP
peared to stop. A warm breath Of
wind shook the balloon and turned it
round. The mist grew thinner and
thinner. and by degrees, as though a
gauze veil, perceived beneath me an
Immense stretch Of green and yellow.
1t was the earth.
Here the captain paused, as if suf-.
located with emotion, his big eyes roll
ing and his lips quivering. After a
moment he continued: .@
Earth In Sight Again.
At sight of the earth went out OF
my senses. I shouted, I wept, re-
cited paters and aves, | sang Marsel-
laise songs, flung my limbs about as
II | had been dancing. On we whirled.
The space below me changed color
One part became pale and unbroken
plain Of blue. Another a dark green
streaked with deep yellow, or light
brown. I comprehended that the blue
part was the sea, the other the land
The balloon gave a fresh "slish!' fol-
lowed speedily by two more: The
sounds sent thrill Of terror through
me, but, on looking up and seeing the
increased rent, I only said, "Split if
you must; I can do no mOrer' But
still hoped that we might reach the
ground before the rent extended from
bottom to top. At the rate at which
we were being sent along the end Of
the voyage could not be far of, for I
felt. my hair lifted by the air through
which we were driven. Every mo-
ment the colors beneath became more
positive-every moment objects sep
arated themselves from the plain. All,
mountain. prairie, a lake! The
lake grew wider, wider; trees sprang
up on the borders of it and became
enormous. The balloon descended to-
ward it-lower, lower. A flock Of birds
sped across the water. Sounds came
up from the earth-the cry Of beasts.
The wind made the balloon deviate a
little from it's course, and it was so
iolent as nearly to prevent my breath
ng. ra. a.-.." q. - ...a.,.. =. ,.r
On, on. we whirled.. We are not
more than sixty feet from the water.
The wind grows stronger; we fly more
quickly; but the gas is escaping; the
balloon is splitting-is falling, lower
and lower; we are within thirty feet Of
the water! Another thirty feet and we
shall touch the shore; twenty leet
more and am in the water! A furi-
GUS gust raises the balloon few feet;
one more, and am saved!
The gust exhausted itself. The bal
loon continued to descend, the wind
driving it to within two PAGES of the
shore at the foot of a ledge Of rocks.
drew my body out of my belt, and
swinging myself with my hands drop
ped into the water, swan to the rock
and clutched hold of it. was saved.