The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-29

my main hope was that Innez's workman
ship would prove defective, and l would
have thus purchased, without putting 1t to-
the test, a reputation for undinching
bravery.
''Done!" answered Innez. 81 will con-
vince you that this thing As you call 1t,
can hold us. The paper is strong, for on
the under side tits lined with stout cotton
there was no silk TO be obtained in Ajacio.
So, as usual, I sought assistance from my
books. and well they have served me-
1nnez placed small whistle to his lips
and blew a shrill blast. Immediately there
responded to the summons about dozen
negroes.
Fetch out the net" commanded Innez.
The men went into the basement of the
house, and soon reappeared. dragging an
enormous net This net was placed over the
paper. Upon one of the men lifting a por-
ton of the great sheet, saw that it was
doubled. the whole being huge bag with
a narrow neck. Running of from the cen
ter of the net were agout 20 stout ropes.
which were fastened to points in a circle
about the lawn. A basket car, five feet in
diameter, weighing about 70 pounds, stood
near by, ready to be attached to the bal
loon as soon as it should be filled with gas.
large iron ring was fastened near the
neck of the balloon; this ring, SO Innez
informed me, was the main ring to which
the car would be attached.
1--WE shall have to wait until after dark
before beginning the inflation," said Innez,
cor we might be hit by a shot. Besides,
this is an exposed position here on Capitol
Hill, and our object would soon be devined.
Come with me and see where manufacture
the gas.
1 followed him into the house and was
shown into large room which had formerly
been used for dining hall. The table had
been removed, and in the center of the room
stood two large watts, and in one corner was
a bin filled with scraps of zinc.
when 1 place the zinc in the dilute
hydrocloric acid it generates oxygen, as you
perhaps know" said Innez, adding some
thing about I'm plus 2HCl gives In Cl2,"
and lot Of other chemical jaron, which was
utter Greek to me.
An hour after dark the tubing which was
to convey the gas into the balloon was con-
nected up and the valve was opened so that
the hydrogen could enter the receptacle pre-
pared for it. Far into the night we watched
the great paper bag as it rose, cracking and
city. Passing through the gardens in front
rumbling from the ground; at first, a great
white, convex wafer; then huge Brob-
dingnagian muffin; finally, a majestic dome
standing above the ground. Fortunately,
the night was neither absolutely dark nor
too light; for, in either case the great
white object would have been a conspicuous
mark for the insurgent rifles and cannons
outside the beleauguered town.
CHAPTER TWILIGHT
Two hours before dawn the balloon, with
! Its car attached, stood ready to depart. 1t
was too late now for me to withdraw from
the enterprise, so, with a quickly beating
heart, which to me sounded like hammer
on an anvil stepped into the car. A few
moments afterwards Innez gave the word to
the negroes to least off the ropes" and,
with slight bound the car was lifted from
the earth.
For the first time in my life felt thor
oughly frightened, and regretted exceedingly
my foolhardy consent to go with this anna
teur aeronaut. A vain regret, however, for
in few seconds We were over five hundred
feet from terra firma, and rapidly ascend
ing each moment. sensation of awe
almost overpowered me, so that, even had
desired to speak, 1 could not have done So.
Though 1 could feel no motion whatever, I
knew that the earth was rapidly receding
from me, and realized that my life was abb
solutely at the mercy of the most precarious
Of all the elements.
Looking down over the edge of the car,
hundreds of feet below, I could discern the
lines of the beseging army extending about
and encompassing AjacO with many ramifi-
cations. Though the sun had not risen, still
there was a grayish dawning light, as from
the still-lingering stars which made things
tO n
the east l could few streaks of light
close down on the horizon; though to the
west lay broad areas of the earth still
shrouded in night.
The great paper sphere above me cracked
and groaned as the ropes impressed them
selves on it's sides. Looking up, l saw that
the mouth of the valve was wide open. My
companion observed my surprised look, and
answered it.
"Of course, the gas cannot escape down.
ward. The pressure of hydrogen is upward,
being SO much lighter than atmospheric air.
The valve at the top would let it out were
| it open. 1 shall have to open it little SO
soon as the sun is up
When up about 5000 feet we struck a
current of air which carried us rapidly off
to the south.
That's the wind l want" exclaimed the
successful balloonist, with enthusiasm. eff
it holds here we shall soon be in sight of
Donatelli's forces And then for the SAL
walton of AjaciO."
l answered nothing. I could only wonder
at the mans ingenuity. Besides, l feared to
speak. somehow; it seemed 1 might turn
the car upside down, something of the
sort. Leaning over the edge of the car
riveted my eyes on the panorama spred be-
low me. 1 could see the silver thread of the
Guardaloupe river winding away toward the
Blue Parrot range of mountains, the ridge
appearing like penciled line drawn across
the landscape toward the north. Lake
Amuere, to the south, seemed like a piece of
silver about the size of shilling, and the
surface of the earth appeared divided into
patches, like quilt made of fragments.
CHAPTER V.-ACCIDENT.
About an hour after sunrise our attention
was attracted by a strange, tearing noise in
the paper above us.
looked nervously at Innez.
1.-The sun is shining on u.s. he said, land
that makes the gas expand. shall have to
let some of it out"
He took hold of the cord and tried to
pull back the flap of the escape valve AS
l watched him, saw his face grow suddenly
very pale, and over his features came an
expression Of horror.