The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-01-24

~" iohb COull keep my
mold? The balloon might rise above
the clouds, with me dangling n thou.
sand feet below it till L must drop
from exhaustion.
must have something on which
my feet or legs could press. The sen.
salon that they were weighing me
down was hideous. / lifted one leg
as If to clutch it round something
firm. You know how man will do
that when he is holding on by his
hand and beginning to lose his grin.
lt is an unconscious movement. Well.
my leg touched the trailing rope-the
rope which passed down in front of
my body, and which followed slantino
behind me, just as the rope above
slanted up from me to the balloon.
AT touch of the rope | instinctivelv
threw forward my legs, but failed to
hold the rope between them. With
that, great shout came up from n
brigade of our infantry over which
was passing. The soldiers, L suppose.
had not quite understood the horror
OF my situation till they saw the move
ment of my legs.
With the sense of being watched
by thousands [ felt certain new
strength come. thrust forward nv
left leg till / felt the rope inside the
thigh, then clutched with the right
leg aud held the rope. Then [ kicked
my right foot round and got better
hold. This gave good deal of relief
to my hands. Then [ looked down.
Directly beneath me were the
spiked helmets of a German regiment.
All were gazing upward. Fifty thou
sand enemies looked steadily as me.
They had stopped, overcome with
wonder.
Rifle firing between the outposts
must have ceased as L was dangling
over their ground, for shooting seemed
to break out afresh and distant as
looked down into the faces of a SQUAD
ron of Uhlans.
The Uhlans pointed in amazement
at me with their lances. One must
have raised his carbine to fire at me.
for | distinctly heard loud cry:
No! Do not shoot. We will fol-
low and capture the balloon. and the
officers in it. If you kill the man he
Will fall, then his weight will relieve
the balloon, and up it will go again. y
Up 1t will go again! Again! II
was well for me [ understood Ger.
man. The balloon must then be fall
ing, aud quickly, too. Hope aud
strength revived me. understood
better than the Uhlans what WAS han
pcuing.
My officers, away up above, were
releasing gus. They were riskino
capture to save me. They were try
ing to pat me so near the ground that
/ could drop safely.
Looking up, / saw family for an
instant th2'r white faces gazing down
aud back at mine. They waved their
shakos at me.
They were indeed trying to save
the poor private soldier! God bless
them for brave men and honest off
GERS! Ircsolved to drop when within
thirty feet of the ground, an thus save
them.
The balloon as it descended. must
hove reached breeze of little spsed.
for the Uhlans, whom I had boord cn1
sometimes seen Gathering further and
further behind, were again Ralloping
beneath me. Every man was LOOKING
upward. All wcrc taking bitches aud
hedges in their strides With tho OK.
ci'omcnt OF tho chase they BEGAN TO
Yell Their leader silcnced them with
M angry command.
They now carried their Ianoos
pointing straight NJ by their knees.
every butt i'm it's sockcf T Lo1 tbo
thought thai ! must, when ! fell. be
impalcd ON those Offering points. n
was necessarily turning, aud grew
more andmoro gildy. ! attempted 70
seize therope with my teeth, and failed.
Expressions Of pity came from the
galloEiug Uhlaus.
Poor mani said their leader
poor fellow Here. Fritz. trv and
pat mp your lance in the loon. Thep
gallon q little faster, and you may
help him down.
The loop, I had forgotten the
loop, they will haul down tic balloon
and capture my two lieutenants. n
must drop
Drop ! did, right uuon the back
OF one Of ibo rhlaugl The shock
brought him aud his horse both u.dcr
me Co the ground. The man was
buddy hurt bu, i'm glad mo didn't
die, for inc saved my life, though not
as me meant to-
"I remember being clulched hv
hands, ald lifted 7 remember nm
angry shout o. Its gone nor rbo
balloon, freed from my weight. had
riecu instantly, carrying the loon be-
ycnd my captors' reach.
Then ] INNS. hayo lost my senses
for bali minute or $50.
When Z came To- there werc ONLY
two Uhlan7 with me. Both wcro look.
ing intcnt'y upward, and toward
where wGs q sound Of musketrv not
far away. The Ublans were SHOOTING
vainly at the vanishing balloon. NV
Iicuteuauts were waving their signal
flags in derision.
what became oi the balloon and
my officers / do not know 10 this day.
The Germans kept nae prisoner tin