The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-24
AN AERIAL RUNAWAY
BY W. p and G. p. Chibman.
Copyright, 1901. Lotkrop Publishing Company.
CHAPTER v.
An Airy Passage.

released
~ reached the upper current of air and was rushing
seaward before its occupants with single exception
realized what had happened That exception Profess
sor Barton himself. Accustomed to emergencies, and
trained to act promptly he seized small cord near him,
and pulling sharply, opened wide the valve in
the top of the great gas before his astonshed
panions said word. But their CALCULATIONS, which
followed one another in rapid succession revealed how
each regarded the mshap which had set the arshp free
and sent it off upon its runaway
Todd was the first to speak Clapping his hands i'm
pulsively, he cried:
''Now shall have real balloon voyage!''
Rod glancing back at the city they fast leav-
ing and forward at the great gulf toward which they
thought:
'It may prove longer voyage than you have bar
gained for Todd
Mr.. Todd exclaimed uneasily:
'Ths Is very unfortunate, professor; very unfor-
tunate Can't you hurry and let down?'
Then the negro had his say. The moment the bal
loon bounded away from its fastenngs he had caught hold
of the side of the with both hands. Holding for
dear e his rolling wildly in their Sockets his dark
face almost ashen in it's hue from and terror
he managed to gasp out:
''Golly, Massa! When dis hyer ting gwine to
ite!''
The laugh that Immediately followed this exclamaz
ton fortunately relieved the amateur aeronauts from
feeling of uneasness that the unexpected predica
ment in which they found themselves had momentarily
awakened and, tho moved by mutual agreement,
they looked toward the professor for suggestion
PLANTATION he cared to make.
~ have done all for the present to hasten
descent SIR he promptly aid and addressing Mr. Todd
'the gas is already escaping, and tho still as
minutes shall begin to drop slowly, and hope to
make safe landing before reach the gulf:''
There surely nothing in the aeronaut's words or
tones to alarm his hearers He had explained the stua
ton perfectly and yet Rod could not help thinking of
we reach the gulf' What if they were able to do
500 Then they would be carried out to 1t the
fear Of this which had led him to say to Todd 1T may
prove longer voyage than you have bargained for'
'How far is it to the gulf, in direct line, profess
sor!'' he asked.
E*Twenty or twenty five miles, - was the answer.
are
The aeronaut smiled. He OWNED the boys purpose
in asking these questions, but replied quietly:
''Not far from thirty miles hour in this current,
I should judge: 1t is strong one.'
''We shall be at the gulf in less than hour thens"
Gin about a half hour now, If we keep in this cur
rent--we have gone at least ten miles,
Rod, who had been looking the side of the
basket while the professor talking with his father
spoke again
'If don reach the ground with the car, Profess
or Barton we may come near ear enough for our cable to
and splice that anchor which there by you
the end of it.
Mr. Barton laughed heartily
''You have the making Of frst-class aeronaut in
you Rod, said. F'We certainly shall do that
very thing last resort But have not drawn in the
rope The weight of dragging
hasens descent greatly; then, you may have
ticed part drum is still attached lower
end of it, It looks like splinter from this dis
tance, but is really quite bit of timber 1t u.s. there
fore good if not BETTER than the anchor to drag thru
a forest big treetop and would be likely to
catch against the limbs and hold Should reach the
bay however, shall change the stick for the anchor and
and try to lay hold of the bottom We have several
chances yet you see, for a successful landing''
By villages, streams, forests they few
slowly drawing the objects above which they float
ed and rapidly approaching the great gulf which
soon to decide their fate.
At length they within few miles of the shore
and nothing but low marshy fields lay between them and
the water.
"We must try the anchor,' the aeronaut
caimed and reaching out with horthandled boat hook
dexterously caught the big cable and began pull
in The lads went to his help and before the bay
reached the anchor had been bent to the rope
thrown overheard.
At first it danged in the air hundred feet above
the water; then, the balloon slowly settled it skinned
lightly along the surface; finally it plunged entirely be
meath the
Anxousy the occupants of the watched then
experiment; the catching Of the anchor against the
rough sea in the soft mud, hung
once chance of not being carried out to sea-