The age-herald., 1901-04-14

You know that parachutes are of diff ferent dimensions. graded according to the weight of the performer. His wife weighed 135; he weighed 170 and to use her outfit was out of the question. He said he was to get $120o for eight ascen- sions, and If he could not get substitute he would have to throw up the contract He offered me $500 If would go up the first two days, by which time he expected his balloon would arrive.
 Tt Is point of honor with show peo- pie to make good their little bluffs, and while l was hesitating he kept showing at me column after column of newspaper clippings intended to prove that there was nothing dangerous about the leap The upshot of 1t was that l took him up and that afternoon I decked myself in my prettieest pair of tights, determined to die beautifully. if not bravely.
 .1 must have shown something Of my inward misgiving in my eye as the pro- lessor gave me a last opportunity to back out I was game, however, aand let them tie the life line to me and grasped the bar in both hands.
 "The bag looked like a live monster as it tugged and leaped at It's leash. It was a ninety-footer of the kind then made to rise with startling rapidity so that the jumper could get the most out of the spectacular part of 1t. My nerve almost Ialieu me as the moments passed, ana Il they had not given the signal to let go when they did I would have ignominious ly backed down. As 1t was 1 was on the point of turning round to speak to Van Tasel when the jerk came.
 T suppose 1t was a mere matter of in- stinct, but I followed the instructions to run a few steps and leap with the bal loon in order to lessen the shock of the sudden separation from the earth. My legs were through rope loops, and the line would have held me had inconsistencies come. but with the first wave of fright past I actually began to enjoy myself.
 ''I looked down and could see wonder full panorama rapidly unfolding under me I have seen the same thing many times since, but more novel sight never struck my vision. Mountains seemed to be slowly leveled, and the waters of the lake gradually to spread over the earth, then rapidly to recede I looked up and was shocked to find the balloon gone. Apparently I was suspended from noth- ing but a hundred feet of taut rope. In fact the bag had simply gone into cloud and was out of sight.
 'The next instant I heard the signal shot from the professors revolver. My hand went out In search of the cutoff rope. I clutched 1t, then let 1t go again. My heart was in my throat. Just one pull said my brain. Again my hand went out. Again hesitated Only little tug, and then what? Well, if I had had any idea of how long 1t took the old style chute to open I would never have pluck ed up courage enough to pull that cord. My heart was beating a tattoo in my breast, and 1t was about all that could do to hold on. I cautiously tried the rope. It seemed to be working. Then I cut loose.
 Tt was a clear drop of several hundred feet before there was any staying of the downward momentum. A sickness that seemed mortal possessed me. A drowning man, they say, sees his life pass before him in review. saw nothing. I felt ev- erything. My only recollection ie of a horror, terrible black shape crouching Just above me. I did not even think to look at the chute. I simply held on and fell, fell.
 Then just before inconsistencies came. just as I had made up my mind that the thud was coming the next mo- ment, seemed to awake from a dream, to find myself sailing slowly, oh, so slow ly, it seemed, down to earth again, al- though really at the rate of 100 feet a second The change came so swiftly that 1t did not seem real.
 But there before me was the prettiest and most welcome sight had ever seen the lake, the. mountains the tiny human