Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-01-09


where? How long could [ keep my
hold? The balloon might rise above
the clouds, with me dangling a thou
sand feet below it till 1 must drop
from exhaustion.
81 must have something on which
my feet or legs couldpress. The SEN
sation that they we're 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 grip.
1t is an unconscious movement. Well,
my leg touched the trailing rope-the
rope which passed down in front of
my body, and which followed sIanting
behind me, just as the rope above
slanted up from me to the balloon.
cat touch Of the rope I instinctively
threw forward my legs, but failed to
hold the rope between them. With
that, great shout came up from
brigade OF our infantry over which I
was passing. The soldiers, I 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 L felt certain new
strength come. 1 thrust forward my
left leg till 1 felt the rope inside the
thigh, then clutched with the right
leg and held the rope. Then kicked
my right foot round and got better
hold. This gave a good deal of relief
to my hands. Then I looked down.
Directly beneath me were the
spiked helmets of German regiment.
All were gazing upward. Fifty thou
sand enemies looked steadily as me.
They had stopped, overcome with
wonder.
"RiAe firing between the outposts
must have ceased as L was dangling
over their ground, for shooting seemed
to break out afresh and distant as I
looked down into the faces of squad
ron of Uhlans.
1.-The Uhlans pointed in Smazement
at me with their lances. One must
have raised his carbine to fire at me,
for 1 distinctly heard q 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.
up it will go again! Again! 1t
was well for me L understood Ger
man. The balloon must then be fall
ing, and quickly, too. Hope and
strength revived me. I understood
better than the Uhlans what was hap
pening.
my officers, away up above, were
releasing gas. They were risking
capture to save me. They were try
ing to put me so near the ground that
| could drop safely.
Looking up, saw family for an
instant their white faces gazing down
and back at mine. They waved their
shakos at me.
"They We're indeed trying to save
the poor private soldier! God bless
them for brave men and honest Off
GERS! Iresolved to drop when within
thirty feet Of the ground, a2d thus save
them.
"The balloon as it descended. must
hove reached a breeze of little speed,
for the Uhlans, whom had heard end
sometimes seen clattoring further and
further behind, were again galloping
beneath me. Every man was looking
upward. All were taking bitches and
hedges in their strides. With the ex-
citement of the chase they began to
yell. Their leader silepced them with
an angry command.
'They now carried their lances
pointing straight up by their knees,
every butt in its socket. 1 had the
thought that must, when I fell, be
impaled on those glittering points. /
was incessantly turning, and grow
more andmore giddy. I attempted to
seize therope with my teeth, and failed.
Expressions of pity came from the
galloring Uhlans.
=" Poor manp said their leader
poor fellowl Here, Fritz, try and
put up your lance in the loop. Then
gallop a little faster, and you may
help him DOWN.
"Ths loopl [ had forgotten the
loop, they will haul down the balloon
aud capture my two lieutenants. |
must drop.
drop I did, right upon the back
of one of the Uhlansl The shock
brought him and his horse both u2der
me to the ground. The man was
badly hurt, but I'm glad he didn't
, die, for he saved my life, though not
as he meant to.
"I remember being clutched by
hands, and lifted. [ remember an
angry shout CT, It's gone upp The
; balloon, freed from my weight, had
| risen instantly, carrying the loop be-
yond my captors' reach.
| "lhen must have lost my senses
for half q minute or so.
= "When l came to there were onl,
t two Uhlans with me. Both were look
, ing intently upward, and toward
where was a sound of musketry no
far away. The Uhlans were shooting
l vainly at the vanishing balloon. N.Y.