Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1911-12-01

* ing blue, were the waters Of
the English chanpef Far off,
a little thing in the sunshine
and rushing down as if some one
was bending it hollow, was the beach
and the irregular cluster of houses
that constitutes Dymchurch. He could
see the little crowd of people he
had so abruptly left. Grubb. i'll the
white wrapper of a Desert DerviSh.
was running along the edge of the sea.
Mr.. Butteridge was knee deep in the
water, bawling immensely. The lady
was sitting up with her tloriferous hat
in her lap, shockingly neglected The
beach east and west was dotted with
little people-they seemed all heads
and feet-looking up. And the bal
loon, released from the twenty-five
stone or so of Mr. Butteridge and his
lady, was rushing up into the sky at
the pace of racing motorcar.
MY crikey," said Bert, here's a
go.'
To be alone in balloon at a height of
fourteen or fifteen thousand feet-and
to that height Bert Smallways pres
emily roSe--is like nothing else in hu-
man experience. 1t is one of the su
IRENE things possible to man. No fly
Ing machine can ever better it, 1t is
to pass extraordinarily out of human
things. 1t is to be still and alone to
an unprecedented degree. Bert felt
acutely cold. but he wasn't mountain
SILK. He put on the coat and overcoat
AMI gloves Butteridge had discarded
put them over the Desert DerviSh
sheet that covered his cheap best suit
and sat very still for long time
overawed by the new found quiet of
the world Above him were the light
translucent, blowing globe of shining
brown oiled silk and the blazing sun
light and the great deep blue dome of
the sky. Below. far below. was a torn
floor of sunlit cloud. slashed by enor
nous rents, through which he saw
the sea.
He wasn't in the least degree IN
comfortable nor afraid.
"Gollysr' he said at last. feeling a
need for talking. 'Its better than n
motor bike. It's all right! | suppose
they're telegraphinG about me-"
The second hour found him eXamin.
ing the equipment of the car with
great particularity. Above him was
the throat of the balloon punched and
tied together, but with an open lumen
through which Bert could peer up into
vast, empty. quiet interior and out
of which descended two fine cords of
unknown import. one white, one Grim.
son, to pockets below the ring. The
netting about the balloon ended in
cords attached to the ring. big steel
bound hoop to which the car was
slung by ropes From it depended the
trail rope and grapnel, and over the
sides of the car We're a number of
canvas bags that Bert decided must
be ballast to "chuck down" if the bal
loon fell. mot much falling just yet
said Bert.
There were an aneroid and another
box shaped instrument hanging from
the ring. The latter had an ivory
plate bearing "statoscope" and other
words in French, and little indicator
quivered and waggled between Mon,
tee and "Desccnte." That's all right. .
said Bert. That tells If you're going
up or down. On the crimson padded
seat of the balloon there lay couple
Of rugs and Il camera. and in opposite
corners of the bottom of the car were
an empty champagne bottle and a
glass. Refreshments" said Bert med
itatively, fitting the empty bottle
Then he had Il brilliant idea The
two padded bedlike seats, each with
blankets and mattress. he perceived
We're boxes, and within he found Mr.
Butteridge's conception of an adequate
equipment for balloon ascent-a
hamper which included n game pie 8
Roman pie, a cold fowl. tomatoes, let
tuce. ham sandwiches. shrimp sand
wtches. Il large cake. knives and forks
and paper plates. self heating tins o
coffee and cocoa. bread. butter anC
marmalade. several carefully packed
bottles of champagne. bottles of min
eral water and big jar of water fol
washing. a portfolio. maps and a com
pass, a rucksack containing a number
OF conyeniences, including curling