The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-30

r'ha-.--t cease lI@tltAAae7 tt-HANt-N -'-A wa
no longer armed. She looked for a new
weapon. She could not md another rife
as she ran about the car in rewilder-
ment What was to be done nCwe Grin
and certain death stared her I'm thC face.
There! She sees an AK on the floor
just as another upparitiou peers over
/ the edge. Raising the new found weapon
: high aDoy- her head she aims a blow
/ at the FACE before her. The cleaning
blade fails, but the savage dCdges. and
/ it strikes full upon one of the anchor
/ ropes. cutting it instantly
Immediately there Is a rolling jolt
and the rope falls TO earth bearing with
/ IL score of yelling black demons.
Seeing that the ropes which anchored
/ the balloon made the climb for the foe
/ AN easy one Dorothy determined TO take
I the risk of trusting TO the origina, cable.
She felt that she could repel an attack
made by the natives by means of the
one rope. Even if that one parted. the
uncertainties of cloudland were better
/ than sure destruction at the hands OF
/ these determined brutes.
/ Down came the ak upon the next one.
! and the car swerved with an upward
/ jolt, while another mob OF barbarians
plunged headlong 20 the ground The
act was repeated with the same results
upon the third anchor rope
Then there was left but one. single
line between the earth and the dim.
starlit dome above her.
/ Free of these weights the huge fabric
swept upward once more and Dorothy
/ was treasured by the sight Of the Ariels
( beacon.
/ Here and there along the single cord
which bound her to the earth were suH
/ dangling half a dozen bowling saw
/ ages They did not dare to return to
meet the wrath of their leader, nor
could they advance further up the rope
/ on account of its almost perpendicular
/ incline
+ A Breat sense of relief filled the girls
( beast, but only for a moment.
AS the balloon came up into the
higher stratum OF air. the increasing
force of the wind strained the single
+ cable So that even with the aided
weight Of the blacks IL was taut and
quiEeriuL.
/ But with the increasing speed. the
rope WAS now swinging cut behind the
ear like a streamer, FAR beyond her
4 reach
/ Suddenly Dorothy heard a vouey Of IL
T mes 70 the south.
.'1hey are coming at last, am
savsd- Tom IS here." She sank 70 her
Knee and poured out d prayer OF
thanks
/ Even as she knelt there, listening 70
the battle between the murderers OF her
companions and her rescuers. a sudden
/ JOLT aroused her-a blow as If the great
balloon had been struck by thunder
l1lJ-aud then she realized that the
single rope that heId her 10 earth had
parted.
The balloon leaned ike hound from
the leash and the air rushed past her as
T the car rose az q fearful rate OF speed.
With wild cry Dorothy leaped 10 the
cage OF the ear. watching the uituHs
toTchughts ia the jungle below grow
smaller.
lne roar OF battle ia the forest sound
4 ed fainter. A sudden consuming desire
90 throw herself headloug from the bal
I i0Gu came over her. Then she thought
~ the valve rope, ana, Struggling 70 her
feet, she ST sEered 20 the place where
! IL had beer dangling from above.
Dorothy turned back with moan. A
. sudden WhlTIiug motion threw her vio-
IenJly on the floor. she crept on hands
and Enees to the place where she coUl5
dimIy see the Arigls single mast light
and hear the dying roar OF tine conflict
iu the Jungle
Then d sense OF sGhocation came over
her. The struggle to throw herself over
the edge of the ear gave way 10 IA
dreamy s.gnatiau TO destiny Sinking
iu heap. she became unconscious.
When The ioue voyager through cloud
land came 20 she found herself lying at
FUN length on the bottom OF the car
weak and painting, for the thin air ar
Jhat altitude had prostraLed her
it was morning In the new light she
saw little blotches Of blood that had
slowed from her lips and ears during
her upward sweep iH the night current
Eut now the car was steadier, the sun
warmed her. ana, though horrible
sense o. loneliness stH oppressed her
there spranB zap within her "a desire 10
I've
Dragging herseif over the trap door I'm
LEa aolr or the car Dorothy found the
Drale- hash she took several gulps
and washed them down with coDlous
drafts or waite
While the car plunged now and then
through cloud o. mist which obscured