The sun., 1901-08-29
SHOT INTO THE AIR
by DAVID KER.
T. H. PENNOCK.

"Tell me a man can fall so feet without
being killed! You were saying that the fel,
lows name was Baron Martinitz; but
think he ought to have been called Baron
Munchausen."
A warm discussion had arisen among the
saloon passengers of the steamer in Which
we were going out to the Congo as to the
height from which it would be possible for Z
man to fall without being killed, and one
of the disputants had quoted the well
known case of the two Austrian councillors
of state, Martinitz and Slavata, who were
hurled headlong from the window OF theii
council chamber by party of Bohemian IN
surgents during the tumults which mmedi
ately preceded the outbreak OF the Thirty
Years war,
The story was evidently considered ''toc
thin" by those who took the other side, and
the alluson made to Baron Munchausen by
a self-sufiicient young lieutenant OF the
Tenth Foot--bound on a sporting tour uT
the Congo valley--was received with loud
laughter.
well, here's the passage, as | copied il
from Schiler's history of the war, said
the first speaker, producing his notebook:
"'Slavata and Martinitz were dragged te
the window and flung down into the court
yard. a fall of so feet, the secretary, Fabri
cious, being thrown after them. Wonderful
to relate all three escaped almost unhurt
a huge heap of straw under the window hav
ing broken their fall
''The fellow who wrote that story, 1eered
Lieut.. Vane, did quite right to put IN that
heap of straw"
well, sir, can match from my own ex
perience the story which you seem to hnd
SO impossible" observed our skipper, Capt
Knighthead. who was evidently nettled al
the pertness of the fellows tone and man
ner. "When was first officer aboard ont
of the East Indian boats | saw man raj
from the foretopgallant yard right dowr
into the forehold, breaking both legs anf
both arms, his breastbone, his jaw and hi
kneecap-almost everything he could break
in fact. except his neck. Well, that man
still alive and doing his work, with moth
ing much wrong about him, except a sim
ness in one leg" :,
"You say you saw that yourself, cap
ta;n?" asked the young lieutenant, with {
supercilious smile.
dI did, sir" answered the captain, look
ing him full in the face with an expression
which effectually stopped any further I'm
.pertinence. \,
''Well, if that's ALL said another OF tn
messengers, 1--WE seen myself-and ~ oth
Or people saw it as well as did-a burglai
;ump out of a third-foor window in Lon
don, and not only escape unhurt, but rur
away at such rate that three poiicemei
couldn't catch him.
"Weel, why not? I've seen bettern tina
mysep."
This last remark came. from man wnt
80 rarely spoke at all that everyone startee
as if at an unfamiliar sound.
He was big, sunburned, keen-eyed man
with a huge black beard, which was Just be
ginning to turn gray, and look about hun
as il he had seen and done more than mos
men. -
1--WE shall be glad to hear yonr story, Mr.
Naylor," said the captain, politely.
"Thee tell it, then, Mr.. Knox" said Nay
lor to a slim, intellgent-looking man beside
him. Thou'rt better at talking than De.
"Well," reioined the person addressed !,
famous East Indian engineer, whom we al
knew by name, although few Of us had
ever met him before-"the story's worth
telling, for | should certainly never have
believed it il hadn't seen it with my own
ewes. We were at work upon one OF those
hin railways in the western ghauts OF lnda
and a tough lob it was for in niaoss Va