Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-03
CHAPTER 7.


between it and the earth.
The two inmates of the car were in
sensible, their faces were bloodless,
their cheeks sunken. They We're both
young and handsome. Harry Johnston,
an American, was as dark and sallow
as a Spaniard. Charles Thorndyke, an
English gentleman, had yellow hair
and mustache, blue eyes and fine, in
tellectual face. Both were tall, athletic
in build and well proportional.
Johnston was the first to come to con-
Fciousness as the balloon sank into less
rarened atmosphere. He opened his eyes
dreamily and looked curiously at the
white face of his friend in his lap.
Then he shook him and tried to call his
name, but his lips made no sound.
Drawing himself up a little with a
hand on the edge of the basket, he
reached for a water Jug and sprinkled
Thorndyke's face. In moment he was
rewarded by seeing the eyes of the lat
ter slowly open.
where are we?' asked Thorndyke
in a whisper.
II don't know" Johnston answered;
getting nearer to the earth, for we
can breathe more easily. can't remem-
Der much after the professor fell from |
the car. My God, old mani shall new i
er forget the horror in the poor fellows
eyes as he chung to the rope down there
and begged us to save him. I tried to
get you to look. but you were DOING |
off. attempted to draw him up, but |
the rope on the edge Of the basket was
tipping it, and both you and I came
near following him. I tried to keep
from seeing his horrible face as the
rope began to slip through his fingers.
knew the instant he let go by our
shooting upward"
II came to myself and looked over
when the basket tipped, I" replied the
Englishman. II thought I was going,
too. but I could not stir muscle to
prevent 1t. He said something desper-
ateiy, but the wind blew it away and !
covered his face with his beard, 30 that |
/ could not see the movement Of his
lips"
"Ib may have been some instructions |
TO us about the management Of the bal |
LOOM"
II think not-perhaps goodby or q
message to his wife and child. Poor
fellowl''
How long have we been out Of our
heads?" And Johnston looked over the |
side Of the Car.
II have not the slightest idea Days |
and nights may have passed since he
fell"
THAT is true. I remember coming TO |
myself for an instant, and it seemed |
that we were being jerked along at the
rate Of gunshot. Ny God, il was aw-
full It was as black as condensed mid
night I felt your warm body against
me and was glad was not alone. Then
went of again, but into q sort of
nightmare. thought was in hell, and
that you were with me, and that Pro-
fessor Helmholtz was satan"
Where can we be?" asked Thorn !
dyke.
II don't know. I can't tell what 10
beneath those clouds It may be earth,
sea or ocean. We were evidently |
whisked along in q storm while we
were ont Of our heads. If we are above |
the ocean, we are lost"
Thorndyke looked over the edge Of |
the car long and attentively; then he |
exclaimed suddenly:
II believe it is the ocean,"
"What makes you think sos''
1T reflects the sunlight. It is too
bright for land. When we got above the
clouds at the start it looked darker be-
low than it does now. We may be over
the middle Of the Atlantic
1--WE are going down" said Johnston
gloomily.
"That we are. and it means some
thing serious"
Johnston made no answer. Half an
hour went by. Thorndyke looked at the
sun.
If the professor had not dropped the
compass, we could find our bearings"
he sighed.
Johnston pointed upward. Thin
clouds were floating above them. I'VE
are almost down." he said. and as they
looked over the sides Of the car they
saw the reflection of the sun on the bos-
ON Of the ocean, and moment later
they caught sight of the blue pillows
rising and falling.
II see something that looks like an
island" observed Thorndyke, looking
In the direction toward which the bal
loon seemed to Re drifting. 1T is dark
and is surrounded by light It is far
descend too rapidly"
''Throw out the last bag Of sand"
suggested the American. I'VE need it
a. little now as we ever shall"
Thorndyke cut the bag with his knife
and watched the sand filter through the
bottom Of the basket and trail along in
. graceful stream behind the balloon.
The great, flabby bag overhead steadied
itself, rose slightly and drifted on to-
ward the dark spot in the vast expanse
Of sunlit water. They could now clear
ly see that it was small island, not
more than a mile in circumference
"How far il it?" asked Thorndyke.
about two miles, answered the
Ameifean laconically. "It is chance
tor u, but slim one.''
The balloon gradually sank. For 30
minutes tho car glided along, not more
than 400 feet above the waves. The is.
land was now quite near. It was bar
rem mound Of stone, worn into gullies
and sharp precipices by the action Of
the waves and rain. Hardly tree or q
shrub was in sight.
1T looks like the rocky crown of a
great stone mountain hidden in the
ocean," said the Englishman. Half .
mile to the shore, 100 feet to the water.
At this rate Of speed the wind would
smash us against those rocks like cou-
pie Of birds eggs dropped from the
clouds. We must fall into the water
and swim ashore. There is no use try
ing to save the balloon
1--WE had better be about it, then"
said Johnston, rising stifay and holding
to the ropes. IF we should go down in
the water with the balloon, we would
get tangled in the ropes and be asphyx-
lated by the gas. We had better hang
down under the basket and let 60 at ex-
act1y the same time -