The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-01-30

scarcely disguised contempt. At last the
balloon arose with the fan whirling and
moved against q light zephyr toward
the Spanish camp Its unfortunate in
ventor watched It with intense. interest,
for he felt that his life depended on its
actions.
"How soon will it begin to shootf"
asked General Carambo.
''It ought to begin in about ten min
utes," said Kulparker, looking at his
watch.
"very we'll If it doesn't commence
then, we will" replied the general
ominously. 1--WE are not here to be tri-
fed with
To inspire confidence in the inventors
mind the rebel general ordered a file of
his ruffians to cover Kulparker with
their guns and to fire when he gave the
order. Much as the unlucky scientist
wished for an adequate test for his bal
loon, he did not yearn for it under these
conditions, and 1t is probably the only
case on record where a man on the solid
earth was in more danger than II he had
been up in the flying machine. Kulpar-
ker watched his invention with much
anxiety, and it soon became evident that
it was attracting attention from the
Spaniards underneath. Puffs Of smoke
were seen in the valley below. They
were firing at it.
All at once Kulparker saw something
drop from the balloon. It could not be
cartridge, for the balloon was not due
to begin firing. Besides, he could not
have seen cartridge drop at that dis
tance. It came fluttering down very
slowly, and once as it overturned in the
air he realized that it was the fan which
propelled the automatic, A rife bullet
had doubtless deranged the machinery,
and the fan had whirred itself off. The
balloon hung motionless in midair for
moment, then slowly the light wind be-
gan to drive it back over the rebel
camp. Kulparker's hair began to bristle
with the horror of the situation. He
was between two fires, for if the balloon
began to drop dynamite he would run an
excellent chance Of being blown to
pieces, while the moment Carambo no.
ticed that it was returning the suspi-
cious wretch would see a plot in the
whole scheme and would order his pris-
oner shot.
General Carambo had taken Kulpar-
ker's watch on the plea that he had
none and wished to time the firing. The
inventor did not expect to have his watch
returned, and subsequent events justified
this suspicion, but he now looked anx-
iously at the general, who was busy
studying the face Of the watch. wonder
ing what would happen, when he turned
his gaze upward and saw the balloon re-
turning.
The automatic opened the ball by 60
ing into business on it's own account A
she'll dropped from it struck about half
q mile down the hill. The explosion
was terrific and startled the whole
camp. Carambo slipped the watch in
his pocket with an oath and it was only
few minutes before he took in the sit.
uation. The second shell dropped per-
ceptibly nearer and rent the rock some
distance below them.
"It is a plot" yelled the general.
"He is minion Of the Spaniards, as I
thought from the first. Shoot the low
scoundrel. Attention Fire |"
The balloon answered his command,
but not the soldiers. They. frozen with
terror, were watching the approach of
the aerial monster, which was steadily
dropping bombs and raising consecutive
earthquakes with the accurate mathe-
matical precision Of minute gun.
"Shoot, do you hear!' shouted Car
ambo.
| I,n f,,or 11nr1c icod fhoi "
bines, but the balloon got its work in
first. The dynamite struck within few
hundred yards Of where they stood, and
the conclusion knocked down most of
the squad and sent panic and flying rock
among the rest. Carambo was stunned
by stone. Kulparker had flung him.
self face down on the ground and spent
an eternity Of wild suspense wondering
whether he would be struck hrst by the
bullets Of the brigands or the dynamite
hitting him in the small of the back,
for the balloon seemed directly over.
head. As he turned over after the crash
he rolled down the hill for some dis.
tance, and there he flatters himself he
lost his senses with the tumble, al.
though don't think he had any toe
much sense when he undertook to in.
vent such an idiotic contrivance as the
automatic balloon. The balloon foateG
gently over the ocean, and it is to be
hoped in the interests of the mercantile
commerce of the world that the dyna
mite bombs are all spent. There are
dangers enough at sea as it is, without
an irresponsible gas bag dropping shells
unexpectedly on vessels deck from al
altitude of half mile.
Kulparker 1:lGnaGed to work his way
back to the coast. where he got into hi
lugger again, and the crew, not know
ing what had happened, landed hin
according to instructions ON the Florid;
sands once more.
The spanish government have made |
requisition for the body Of Kulparker
and they don't seem to be particular
whether the body is dead or alive. Th'
United States began searching for him