Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-11

the balloon began to sink, and had hopes
ttat we might reach land safely. But Mont
gomery knew better. The balloon kept sink
ing faster and faster, as more and more
gas escaped. and in little while we were
dropping down almost as fast as we would
have done had the balloon burst. The earth
wasn't long in coming in sight, and the
trees and fields and houses seemed to be
rushing up to meet US.
There was a good breeze blowing when
we were. as Montgomery judged about a
mile high. and it drifted us westward to-
ward good-sized lake.
If we can OF ly stay up till we're over
that lake we shall be all right said Mont
gCmery. Colonel, just heave overheard
everything there is in this car
with that he seized whatever he could
lay his hands on, and did the same, and for
minute or two it just rained instruments
and things over that section of the country.
"'Of with your boots, coats, waistcoats
and hats yells Montgomery. Professor, if
you've got any more portable teeth, heave
EN- over We must get rid of every ounce of
weight II we want to reach that lake
"'Well we reduced our clothing down to a
pretty low point, and Van Wagner went so
! far as to throw over his glass eye, he having
| no more teeth ready for discharging. Then
| we sat down and waited to see what the end
would be.
we were perhaps quarter of a mile high
| when we came over the lake, and the mo-
| ment we got where the water looked as if 1t
| might be fairly deep, Montgomery caught
| the professor in his arms and threw him
| over. without waiting to ask him if he was
| ready 10 60 Then Montgomery yelled to me
to jump, and we all three left that balloon
so suddenly that we all struck the water at
| pretty near the same time
| I went down to the bottom, which was,
| as judged, about fifty miles from the sur
face though afterward heard that the lake
was nowhere over forty feet deep. When
| came up, Montgomery and the professor
| were already swimming for land, and l fol-
lowed their example. All the people in the
L y~n iurht Norh
| there was already crowd of men, women
| and children on the shore waiting for us to
land.
This is exceedingly awkward says the
| professor. L really can't face those people
| with only one eye and no teeth. Colonel
there's the balloon floating out there; think
| We had better swim back to her and wait fol
| an opportunity to land after dark
| " In going ashore said Montgomery
| and I'd go if l hadn't limb left, and every
| female boarding school in Illinois was stand
| ing on the shore However, the professor
general appearance was SO CHASTITY that mos
| OF the women and children didn't care tc
| wait for us.
1--WE came quietly ashore. and a farme,
| rugged US out with dry clothes that fitted
| about as badly as a French soldiers uni.
form. and then drove Us twenty-five miles
| to New Berlinopolisville.
| Ihe professor seemed as happy as &
| young man coming back from picnic wit;
| his best girl. He kept On talking about the
VI
| fortune there would be in it when he
| should have invented some way of getting
| IT down from the clouds at a reasonable
| pace. But Montgomery was mad all the way
| through. He wouldn't open his mouth til
| we got to our door, and then he turned o,
the professor and told him that sooner thar
| go up in a balloon that scien tific man haG
| Inverted he would take and fill his pockets
| with dynamite and then get a New Yorl
| policeman to club him Then he said goot
| right to me, and went off down the street
| swearing to himself in way that was real
| ly unfit for publication. l never saw Of
| heard of the man again.
| There was one thing 1 will say for Mont
| Eomery. When the balloon began to sink
| he might have thrown both the professor
and me overheard, and considerably light
| ened the machine. for he was twice a:
| strong as l was at the time, and the profes
| sor had too much science in him to hav,
any muscle. A selfish man would have don,
this. and that Montgomery didn't do it wa
greatly to his credit. OF course he threv
the professor into the lake out of kindness
Knowing that Van Wagner wouldn't juml
promptly enough to save himself. Well, a.
said, I've been in tight places good man,
times. but was worse scared in that balloon
| than 1 ever was before or since"