The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-09
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER ].
The balloon seemed scarcely to ls0ve
though 1t was slowly sinking TOWARD
the ocean Of white clouds which hung
between 1t and the earth.
The two inmates Of the car were In
sensible, their faces were bloodless,
their cheeks sunken. They were bott
young and handsome. Harry Johnston,
an American, was as dark and sallow
az Spaniard. Charles Thorndyke, at
English gentleman. had yellow hal,
and mustaohe, blue eyes and fine, in.
tellectual face. Both were tall, athletic
In build and we'll proportioned.
Johnston was the first to come to con.
seriousness as thu hauonn sank intn a less
rareiied atmosphere. He opened his eye
dreamily and looked curiously at TIT
white face Of his friend in his lap
Then he shook him and tried to call bill
name, but bis lips made no sound
Drawing himself up q little with {
hand on the edge Of the basket, hi
reached for q water Jug and sprinkled
Thorndyke's face. In moment he wal
rewarded by seeing the eyes of the lat
ter slowly open.
"Where are WEI" asked Thorndyke
in a whisper.
II don't know. " Johnston answered
"getting nearer to the earth, for we
can breathe more easily. I can't remem.
her much after the professor fell from
the car My God, old mani Ishall nev.
or forget the horror in the poor fellows
eyes as he chung to the rope down there
and begged Us to save him. I tried h
get you to look, but you were dozing
off. I attempted to draw him up, but
the rope on the edge Of the basket waf
tipping 1t, and both you and I came
near following him. I tried to KEEP
from seeing his horrible face as the
rope began to slip through his fingers.
I knew the instant he let 60 by our
shooting upward"
II came to myself and looked over
when the basket tipped" replied the
Englishman. II thought I was going,
too, but ] could not stir muscle to
prevent it. He said something desper-
ately, but the wind blew 1t away and
covered his face with his beard, so that
Icould not see the movement Of his
lips"
1T may have been some instructions
to us about the management Of the bal
LOOM"
II think not-perhaps q goodby or a
message to his wife and child. Poor
fellowr'
How long have we been out Of our
heads?" And Johnston looked over the
side Of tho car.
II have not the slightest idea. Days
and nights may have passed since he
fell"
"That is true. 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 1t was as black as condensed mid
night. I felt your warm body against
me and was glad / was not alone. Then
went off again, but into sort Of
nightmare. thought I was in hell, and
that you were with me, and that Pro-
fessor Helmholtz was SATAN"
where can we bei" asked Thorn
dyke.
II don't know. I can't tell what is
beneath those clouds. It may be earth,
sea or ocean. We were evidently
whisked along in a 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 1t is the ocean,"
"What makes you think so?"
1T reflects the sunlight. tt 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.
ave are going down." said Johnston
gloomily.
"That we are, and 1t 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. "We
are almost down." he said, and as they
looked over the sides Of the car they
saw the reflection of the sun on the bos-
ON Of the ocean, and moment later
they caught sight Of the blue pillows
rising and falling.
II see something that looks like an
island" observed Thorndyke, looking
in the direction toward which the bal
loon seemed to be drifting lit is dark
and is surrounded by light. It Is far
away, but we may reach It if we do not
descend too rapidly"
'Throw out the last bag Of sand,"
suggested the American. "We need it
as little now as we ever shall"
Thorndyke cut the bag with his knife
and watched the sand filter through the
bottom Of the basket and trail along in
q graceful stream behind the balloon.
The great, f1abby bag overhead steadied
itself, rose slightly and drifted on to-
ward the dark spot in the vast expanse
Of sunlit water. They could now clear
ly see that it was small island, not
more than mile in circumference.
"How far is itp" asked Thorndyke.
About two miles," answered the
American laconically. ut is a chance
for Us, but slim one."
The balloon gradually sank. For 20
minutes the car glided along, not more
than 200 feet above the waves The is.
land was now quite near. 1t was bar
rem mound Of stone, worn into gullies
and sharp precipices by the action of
the waves and rain. Hardly tree or
shrub was in sight.
ut looks like the rocky crown of
great stone mountain hidden in the
ocean," said the Englishman. Half
mile to the shore, 100 feet to the water.
At this rate Of speed the wind would
smash US against those rocks like cou-