The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-01
The Land Of the Changing Sun.
By WILL N. HARBEB.
Copyright, 1897. by the Merriam company.l

though it was slowly sinking toward
the ocean of white clouds which hung
between il and the earth.
The two inmates Of the car were in
sensible, their faces were bloodless,
their cheeks sunken. They were both
young and handsome. Harry Johnston,
an American, was as dark and sallow
as Spaniard. Charles Thorndyke, an
English gentleman, had yellow hair
and mustache, blue eyes and fine, in
tellectual face. Both were tall, athletic
in build and well proportioned.
Johnston was the first 10 come 10 con-
seriousness as the balloon sank into less
rarefed atmosphere He opened his eyes
dreamily and looked curiously at the
white face of his friend in his lap.
Then he shook him and tried to call his
name, but his lips made no sound.
Drawing himself up a little with a
hand on the edge of the basket, he
reached for a water jug and sprinkled
Thorndyke's face. In moment he was
rewarded by seeing the eyes of the lat
ter slowly open.
"Where are WEI" asked Thorndyke
in q whisper.
81 don't know" Johnston answered;
"getting nearer TO the earth, for we
can breathe more easily. / can't remem-
Der much after the professor fell from
the car. My God, old man! l shall new
or forget the horror in the poor fellows
eyes as be clung to the rope down there
and begged rs TO save him. | tried 70
get you to look, but you were doing
off. / attempted TO draw him up, but
the rope on the edge Of the basket was
tipping it, and both you and l came
near following him. tried to keep
from seeing his horrible face as the
rope began to slip through his fingers.
/ knew the instant be let 60 by our
shooting upward. -
Il came TO myself and looked over
when the basket tipped, " replied the
Englishman. II thought 1 was going,
too, but i could not stir muscle to
prevent it, He said something desper-
ately, but the wind blew it away and
covered his face with his beard, SO that
i could not see the movement Of his
lips"
1T may have been some instructions
to Us about the management of the bal
loon.
II think not--perhaps a goodby or
message TO his wife and child. Poor
fellowr'
GLOW long have we been out of our
heads!" And Johnston looked over the
side Of the car.
Il have not the slightest idea. Days
and nights may have passed since he
fell a"
''That is true. L remember coming TO
myself for an instant, and it seemed
that we were being jerked along at the
rate of a gunshot My God, it was aw-
full IL was as black as condensed mid
night. felt your warm body against
me and was glad | was not alone. Then
l went off again, but into a sort Of
nightmare. thought was in hell, and
that you we've with me, and that Pro
fessor Helmholtz was satan.
Where can we be?" asked Thorn
dyke.
Il don't know. l can't tell what is
beneath those clouds. 1t may he earth,
sea or ocean. We were evidently
whisked along in storm while we
were out of our heads If we are above
the ocean, we are lost. :"
Thorndyke looked over the edge of
the car long and attentively; then he
exclaimed suddenly:
II believe it is the ocean.
"What makes you think sop
ut reflects the sunlight. 1t is too
bright for land. When we got above the
clouds at the start it looked darker be-
low than it does now. We may be over
the middle Of the Atlantic.
eve are going down, said Johnston
gloomily.
"Tbat we are, and it means some
thing serious.
Johnston made no answer. Half an
hour went by. Thorndyke looked at the
sun.
''If the professor had not dropped the
compass, we could find our bearings,
he sighed.
Johnston pointed upward. Thin
clouds were floating above them. ''Wt
are almost down." he said, and as they
looked over the sides Of the car they
saw the reflection of the sun on the hos
ON of the ocean, and a moment late
they caught sight of the blue billow
rising and falling.
II see something that looks like al
island" observed Thorndyke, lookin,
in the direction toward which the bal
loon seemed to be drifting. lit is darl
and is surrounded by light. 1t is ia
away, but we may reach it If we do no
descend too rapidly"
Throw out the last bag of sand,
suggested the American. ave need
as little now as we ever shall. "
Thorndyke cut tho bag with his knit
and watched the sand filter through tn
bottom of the basket and trail along !
graceful stream behind the balloon
The great, flabby bag overhead steadie
itself, rose slightly and drifted ON tc
ward the dark spot in the vast expans
of sunlit water. They could now cleal
" see that il was small island, nc
moro than N mile In circumference.