The Sauk Centre herald., 1898-06-09
CHAPTER I.

between it 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 a 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 to come to con-
sciousness as the balloon sank into a less
rarefied atmosphere. He opened his eyes
dreamily and looked curiously at the
white face Of his friend in his lap.
Then ne shook him and tried to call his
name, but his lips made no sound.
Drawing himself up little with a
hand on the edge of the basket, he
reached for water jug and sprinkled
Tborndyke's S face. In moment he was
rewarded by seeing the eyes of the lat
ter slowly open.
''Where are we?" asked Thorndyke
in whisper.
81 don't know" Johnston answered !;
"getting nearer to the earth, for we
can breathe more easily. l can't remem-
ber much after the professor fell from
the car My God, old man! shall new
ar forget the horror in the poor fellow s
eyes as he clung to the rope down there
and begged us to save him. tried to
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 I came
near following him. tried to keep
from seeing his horrible face as the
rope began to slip through his fingers.
7 knew the instant he let go by our
shooting upward.
81 came to myself and looked over
when the basket tipped" replied the
Englishman. ''I thought I was going,
tco, bat 7 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.
ST think not--perhaps goodby or q
message to his wife and child. Poor
fellowr'
How long have we been out of our
heads?" And Johnston looked over the
side of the car.
81 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. felt your warm body against
me ard was glad was not alone. Then
went oil again, but into sort of
nightmare. thought was in hell, and
that you were with me, and that Pro
fessor Helmholtz was satan. y
Where can we be?" asked Thorn
dyke.
81 don't know. I can't tell what is
beneath those clouds. 1t may be earth,
sea or ocean. We were evidently
whisked along in a storm while we
were out Of our heads. IL we are above
the ocean, we are lost
Thorndyke looked over the edge of
the car long aud attentively; then he
exclaimed suddenly:
81 believe it 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. =
''We are going down, said Johnston
gloomily.
t'That we are, and it means some
thing serious. -
Johnston made no answer. Half an
hour went by. Thorndyke looked at the
sun.
eff 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-
OL VI the ocean, dHu mUIHeHt ldt6I
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. 1T 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 bis knife
and watched the sand filter through the
bottom of the basket and trail along in
q graceful stream behind the balloon
The great, fabby 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
~ see that itswas a small island, not
more than a mile in circumference.
b How far is it?' asked Thorndyke.
"Aoout two miles, answered the
american laconically. It isl chance
for rs. but q slim one. "
The balloon gracefully sank. F)r 20
minutes the car glided along not more