The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-07

graduating himself he had guessed
| nightly after all But what did II
mean?
The course had been so shaped ard
the speed SO maintained that the bal
loon would arrive over Paris at aboGt
10 o'clock on the following morning.
That would be broad daylight. and II
the king OF Bahama thought that his
actual destination could he maintained
secret from Strong while the eyes
Of the Victor were upon him, then he
was much mistaken.
| Strong further pursued the argu.
ment OIL the lines which he always
adopted--that OF putting himself in tic
other mains place. He would have not
the slighte 81 hesitation as 10 what he
should do He would make certain
OF having Paris as refuge, and then
be would lover and hang In midair
| till il was dark. when it would be an
Extremely difficult thing to follow any
movements subsequent To descent.
This. he imagined. would be the
plan which the king would follow. and
ne determined that at least he would
discover whereabouts in Paris Diana
would be lodged. and he determined,
moreover. that he would visit her IN
Paris wheTesoever she might be. SO
he deemed ii necessary TO still hover
IN the wake of the balloon.
little later he picked up the in
strument again and inquired civily
enough If he might speak with the
princess. But this request was CURLY
refused him
| Strong calculations were shrewd.
but, curiously enough. they erred on
| the side Ct timidity. Or perhaps II
would be iairer TO say on the side Of
lack of knowledge. for when he placed
| himself in the kings position he was
not to know that his majesty had al
ready paved the way for his arrival In
Paris.
Being ignorant, therefore, OF the
kings plans. Strong was not little
surprised that the balloon continued
TO blunder steadily on.
The night was passed much as the
previous night had been. The search
light of the Victor continued TO play
on the bag of the balloon. Diana lay
huddled no in blankets and apparent
" asleep. Strong admired the iron
constitution OF the king, which enabled
him TO sit from day 10 day silently
smoking In the stern sheets OF tie
|alrship.
The kings endurance. indeed. so ap-
pealed to Strong that he himself was
half temnted to follow the kings ex-
ample, and face the thing through
from start to finish. But his better
Judgment told him that ii would be
wiser to sleep while sleep were pos
sible. because he would be the better
able TO deal with the sleepy king when
his majesty did arrive in Paris.
At 7 O'Clock the next morning the
position OF affairs was much the same
as ever. and the utter helplessness CT
his situation cut Strong to the quick.
With her helm damned down, the bal.
loon still numbered on with her nose
half into the wind, making surely ard
steadily for Paris. He had turned
over in his mind thousand plans For
but he could find no plan that was
practicable
And so hour after hour he was con-
relied 10 hover above the kings course
wondering what might be mis- males
tvs goal and how he could reach hi.
ana when the balloon finally fetched
up.
Shortly before seven in the evening
the balloon passed over Basic. TIE
day was wet and squally. and from
time to time the Victor lost sight of
the balloon, but as the clouds cleared
they picked her up again. So they
moved on to the gathering darkness.
The night set in thickly, and Strong
found 1t necessary to keep In as close
touch as he could with the balloon.
But at times, in spite OF the powerful
searchlight OF the Victor they lost
their quarry.
tTO He COntinued.)