Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-08-01

Dus an e1ctaHSA%loU {A MIN now
diverted my attentio aud, elarsE-
ing at him, I vas sIrrised to see
that he had risen an6 ~ n uch ex-
cited.
"What 10 it, Jack / asked.
ssIsn't it glorions Id replied.
81 wonder il heaven &nch more
beautiful? How deli sfal II would
be II We could reael | should
see nv Ada gain thes
.sM Gear <esss 80 ;:sssea
hastily, somewhat alarmed-not 30
much bY his words q by his excit-
ed manner and look--ssyou think
too much of such things. You
have been brooding over your loss
more than is good for you. Will
you"
cat any rate, " cried he, vement-
ly, "it's worth trying, so here
goes" and seizing one of the sand
bags he threw itover. The lighted
balloon at once began to rise more
quickly.
"What are you doing, Jack ?"
| shouted. "For heavens sake,
keep calm. We are q good height
already. We shan's be able to
breathe if We 60 much higher. It's
getting uncomfortable as it is"
.Shan't We? We shall see about
that. Pm going to try, anyhow.
Besides. don't care if we can't
breathe / want to see my Ada.
That's all ! care about"
| began to fear the worst. Was
he going mad? We're the reports
my wife had heard literally true
and not exaggerated, after all !?
What q fool i had been not to be
more cautious! Whether he was
mad or not he was in 0 dangerous
mood, and my position vas far from
pleasant. To oppose him would
evidently aggrasate him and make
matters worse. To humoT him was
undoubtedly the wisesi course.
"Look here, Jack r / cried.
"You say you want to see Ada. /
can tell you Of . better and surer
way Of going to her than this. II
you will listen to ms-(here I in.
voluntarily moved my hand toward
the valve cord)-if you will listen
to me l."
"None of your blarney, man I! /
am not to be wheedled 80. I'm too
old bird for that. Leave the cord
alone, can't you? / am not going
down again today. I'm going to
see what's up there, and don't you
try to stop me-" and he glared
iercely at me.
was almost frantic. Knowing,
however, that in few minutes |
should be unconscious and that
then all would be over with me, |
nerved myself for one last effort.
AS | rose from my seat my eyes
fell on the grapnel. fortunately
it was on my side of the car. A
sudden idea struck me here was q
weapon to hsad. 1t wac an awful
thought-.it would be O terrible
deed. But there was no alternative.
no time for delay. My senses were
going. : | stretched out my hand,
but the madman. who never took
his eyes off me, had detected INV
purpose. With . sudden move
ment he darted forward and seized
the grapnel, but in his eagerness to
forestall me he had precipitated
himself so far over the side of the
car he almost lost his balance. He
made desperate effort to recover
himself, but, seized with o sudden
and irresistible impulse, | pushed
him over, and with O horrible veil
which rings in my ears whenever
/ recall the occurrence-the mad
man disappeared from my sight.
Almost mad myself am not
sure that | vas not quite so just
them climbed into the ring to
reach the valve line. But my hands
we're 30 stiff and nnmb with cold
that l could not grasp the cord.
By a kind OF inspiration which
seemed providential | seized the
cord with my teeth, and after two
or three tugs the valve opened with
a loud clang and the balloon began
to descend. Thank heaven /, | was
saved Ny hands being useless,
| was obliged to throw mp my arms
and drop into the car, where I lay
motionless and unconscious for q
while.
Ay swoon could not have lasted
more than few seconds, for when