The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-04-02

g TITS a desperate thing to do," said
Frank Wright, and he shook his head
$doubtingly 3 n 5
81 don't know as it is as desperate
"a thing, Frank, as it is a plucky and
scientific one" replied the one ad-
dressed. .sI tell you I've been study
ing 1T out$all summer, and it is so SIM
pie that I wonder it hasn't been
thought of thousand times. sEver
since our class took up astronomy, and
learned that the world turned COM
pletely around in twenty-four hours,
have known that this scheme of mine
is not only possible, but that it is the
simplest thing in. the world to accom-
plish. ! have not breathed word OF
this$to any one but you, Frank, and
now. instead of jumping at the chance
of Joining me in this adventure and
winning great name, you hesitate ana
seem half scared at the idea; and yet
only yesterday you went up in the bal
loon at the fair grounds, and told me
that you enjoyed it hugely
THAT is all right enough, Bob, ana
I think your plan grand one, but l
don't like the idea of stealing the bal
loon It might get us into trouble
do you call borrowing a thing the
same as stealing it? Why, we will
;. only. take French leave with the big
silk. bag for exactly twenty-four hours,
and at the end of that time, almost to
a minute, we will land again and re-
Vxynil
we and our great circuit of the globe
will be talked of all over the world!
i tell, you," continued Bob Arnold, ex-
,citedly, 'it will be the grandest and
: most, .ori ginal adventure that has ever
been. known"
Frank Wright came under the con-
tagion of his friends self-reliance and
eloquence.
."AHmright, Bob; I'm with .you," he
1 exclaimed extending his hand, which bic
the other grasped and shook heartily;
*sbut please goSover the plan once more,
SO that I will Understand it thorough
ly, for it is sosexeiting to think of that
I may have missed few points"
y why, you. see, Frank, the earth
turns completely over in twenty-four
hours, revolving from west to east, so
that if a person was situated above the
earth and looked down he would see
the.entire globe roll over beneath him
in the timesI have said Now how is
person to get sucn perch as that?
Why, in the simplest way possible, and
that is by means of a balloon. All
you have to do is to go up until you are
above the wind currents, then simply
, rest, and let the earth turn over be-
meath you. AS we hang there poised in
the air we will first see New Jersey roll
past u.s., then Pennsylvania, Ohio and
other western states; then will come
California, the Pacific ocean, China,
the countries of Europe, and last of
all the Atlantic ocean will appear; and
when that has passed away to the east
ward, we will find New York approach
ing us. so that all we will need to do
will be to calculate the time it will take
us to sink to the earth, then, when
ready, open the valve and throw out
the anchors. When the people hear
how I'VE traveled-or rather how the
entire earth travelled around beneath
US in twenty-four hours, you can
imagine the wonder and talk it will
create! I tell you, Frank cried Bob,
with eyes flaming and cheeks aglow,
Il wouldn't be surprised if we should
be made heroes of, and asked to write
an account of our experiences-the way
in which the adventure first came to
be thought of, and how it was planned
and carried out. It will make that par
ticular balloon so famous that the
owners of it will realize an enormous
fortune by exhibiting it. Why, they
will be grateful to us all their lives for
what we are going to do, so don't let
4 the thought of borrowing it worry you
a little Bit
81. Hadn't we better take our overcoats
:a1ong, Bob?'' asked Frank. sI've heard
#thatit is mighty cold up in the clouds;
and, by the way, how about grub?"
BY George! had clean forgotten
about that part Of it, Frank. You see,
I've had my mind so full with the great
points Of the expedition that the ques-
tion Of food never suggested itself to
Sme. Yes, you bring along your heavy
pcpat and whatever YOU can rake up in
the way of eatables, and I will do the
same. And, Isay, Frank, it might be a
sgood idea to leave a line on your bureau
telling the folks not to worry; that we
sswill be back day after tomorrow at
sdayIight. Now, Frank, remember that
sthe sun rises at half past six, and that
about five: o'clock we must be ready to
start, for that will be the darkest hour,
and a time when all the hands about
the fair grounds will be asleep. All
4Hth at W. will have to do is to cast loose
the four guy ropes, then get into the
basket and slip the anchor rope. Don't
sgogto bed to night, as you might over
sleep, then the whole thing would be B
SPOILED After the folks have gone 70