Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-07-16

| clamation and question escaped him at
| sight of a yellowish streak trailing be-
hind the balloon, like the tail of a
comet, or waterspout obliqued by the
wind. At the same time he sees that
they in the car are busy about some
thing. All more ballast being thrown
out! They are emptying other sand
bags!
sSange de Coristo!" he cries, the
i frown returning to his face, they re
i going up again-and off,"
And so are they. The lightened craft
swoops higher, and sails further, as
though that aerial voyage were never
| to end.
Again the rowels strike hard against
the horses ribs, and the troopers go
tearing on.
For nearly another hour they pursue,
with the balloon still above and before
! them; when, on cresting a low ridge,
they catch sight of that which forcibly
fixes their attention-the sea! Ex-
/ tending along the horizons edge in a
/ broad belt, it shimmers with the sheen
of molten gold; for it is gilt by the
rays of the setting sun, whose crimson
! disc seems to rest on the surface OF
/ the water. This looks close at hand,
! as though the balloon were already
/ over it. At all events It's drifting
! straight towards it, and soon will--if
i not at once lowered.
'Corpo de Bacco." cries the captain.
! "'Twould serve them right. l should
! like to see them drowned-every moth
! cr's son of them--if | didn't wish them
reserved for a different fate Ha." he
continues, suddenly changing tone,
while his eyes flash with a fiendish de-
light, 1.-THE sea scares them. l shall
have them yet, and nov certain. Down
MAJ"
! Sure enough the balloon is descend
I ing-this time as if lowered by the aer-
! onauts acknowledgements but rap
idly, like a bird fatigued with long
fight. STOPPING to its nocturnal rest.
AS ii chances to be still some distance
ahead, the troopers put their now jaded
horses to last squirt of speed, heading
them towards the point where they see
the balloon making to earth. 1t is how
ering over hill covered with thick
| wood, and its grapnels, out, already
strike the spray of the trees. Lower
| still, and they can be heard hurting
among the twigs and branches
They have caught!
The car sinks down among the
bushes, and the huge sphere, moving a
! little further on. settles slowly on it's
side, coming to rest upon the tree-tops
AT last!" shrieks Guardiola, draw
ing his sword and galloping forward
for the hill, I'VE have them now."
Not yet, my captain of carabineers;
not so soon, as you may find before
reaching the hills summit And as he
does find, on arriving at its base For
. the woods turn out to be a thicket,
/ thorny and dense, through which he
and his troopers have to thread their
way with cautious case. It takes them
| nigh twenty minutes to get to the spot
where the ariel ship is anchored Once
there he sees the balloon, no longer a
globe, but crumpled and half collapsed;
beside 1t two men pumping out the
heated gas, so that they may pack it
for transport TO the city. They are
the professional aeronauts; but the
prisoner. with his friend. and all the
others are absent,
Where are they?" demanded Guar
diola. dismounting. and rushing for
ward with drawn sword, whittier have
they gomez"
Il can't tell. Signor Capitano." an
swers the professor Of acrostatics.
They leaped out of the car the in
slant II touched ground and ran away,
leaving us two as you see"
(which direction did they take?"'
'We can't tell that, either"
'Poreo di Santo," shrieks the irate
officer, why can't your"
Because, capitano, We were boo
much occupied TO look what way they
went. You see, Signore, when they
leaped so suddenly out of the car, the
balloon was lightened and it took all
the strength of us two to prevent its
going up again, But for the grapnels
we'd have stood a good chance of los
ing it."
"Sergente." thunders the disgrun-
tied captain, take these two fellows
| into custody and keep them safe. The
rest of you scatter through the wood,
and search Keep searching till you
hear the recall
Saying this, he springs back into his
saddle, and once more plunges into the
thicket-two or three after him, the
others going in opposite directions.
They scour the wood, quartering it
like spaniels in pursuit of game. But
without success. No revolutionist Is
scented, or found-nor any amateur