The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-14
KIDNAPPED BY A BALLOON


behind. MERGED lake resembled a small
duck pond. a part Of the country
known to be hily seemed a level plain,
and those ribbons of green were deep,
forest-lined canyons.
As II tired of the race with the train
the balloon turned slightly over Red
wood city and struck through the air
for the Coast range Of mountains. on
and on ii swept, and as il neared the
range the moments brought increased
anxiety to the aeronaut. Would the
balloon clear the summit? He could
not clear IL for lack of ballast. He had
no anchor to throw out to catch and
drag and finally hold and stop the bal
loon until the gas could be slowly eX-
hausted. Straight the balloon went for
what is known as THE Summit" and
straighter for a bald, rocky peak, to
strike which would probably mean
death to all. The mountain approached
them rapidly and Dudley narrowly
gagged the distance with his eye as Il
approached at the rate of fifty niles an
hour. They could not clear It; the men
braced themselves against the side of
the car waiting for the shock, with Mrs
Gunsauls on the side of the basket oppo-
site that from which the blow was to
come. The next instant the aeronaut
had thrown his coat from the balloon,
and il raised, raised enough to clear the
threatened danger then dipped down
again over Albert Eikerenkotter's place
and swept down La Honda canyon over
the hotel, with the hanging cable al
most touching the redwoods Every
where people came running out to see
the strange thing that had swooped
down upon them.
Nine miles beyond La Honda and six
miles this side Of Pescadero the night
was coming up rapidly; already the
heavily wooded canyons looked gloomy
and ~tearsome, and the shadows were
creeping toward the mountain tops
There were freakish currents in the air
on the farther side of the mountains.
and the drift of the balloon was again
setting toward the ocean. They were
close enough to see from their high
altitude the crooked white streak that
lay along the beach. and knew il to be
the line of breakers. Directly beneath
them were rocky mountain slopes and
deep canyons hidden under the red
woods. The situation to the aeronaut
was more serious than at any time since
the parting of the cable. Ahead of them
ana almost in their course was a ranch
mousse that Of Beatty Thompson
Before there was any hope of being
heard they began shouting. and II was
not long until Thompson came out to
see what manner Of thing it was that
was calling him from the air, and when
he saw the thing" with a crowd of
men in its talons he stopped in sheer
amazement and gazed. The broken ca
Die was dragging, and ahead of them
was a little clearing that promised an
| easy descent if only they had a trifle
more weight They yelled and yelled.
and the moment that their prospective
host understood that his strange visit
ors We're in danger he ran to their as
sistance and tackled the rope, Juggling
at ii with all his strength. The balloon
thus steered, hesitated, then slowly set
tied down, and the party stepped from
the basket as if from an elevator.
| AS soon as they landed, Mrs. Thomp-
son took charge of Mrs. Gunsauls, while
the men worked for two hours in caring
Tor the balloon. 1t was unchanged,
! save for an L-shaped tear about one
| FOOT in length. At it weighs almost
1000 pounds. it will be necessary to cut a
sled road through the brush to where Il
lies in order to drag it down to the road
a distance of about two blocks This
| VIII require several days.