Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-12-24

and by heroic .priyations his men had
managed to conserve still another
days supply OF water. though nearly
all their animals were dead Of thirst.
1t was the generals intention TO cut
his way out at the head of his troops
on the morrow, and die upon the
field-uT less It rained.
But tie scorched heavens refused
to open. Day and night were n
brazen gov Of heat. ALI night heat
lightning played on the horizon, and
sometimes the distant muttering OF
thunder was heard, but never a drop
of rain had fallen.
Durand rose slowly into the air,
and, as he did SO, the airguns OF The
fortress opened fire upon him. But
It is the most difficult thing In the
world to hit a quickly rising balloon,
and neither Durand nor, Lamarche had
any fears on that score. II the bal
loon were hit, the melinite would ex-
| plode in the air and the balloon and
aviator would vanish-but no harm
would come to the b~esiegers. At
worst, the experiment would harm no
body.
At an altitude of two thousand feet
the balloon was safe from danger.
Durand smiled as he heard the great
shells whizzing around him. He
knew that only a miracle Of marks
manship could bring him down.
At four thousand feet Durand was
only a speck in the sky, hardly to be
discerned even through Lamarche's
glasses. The French camp strained
its Eyes upward. The report Of the
broken mans exploit, which was to
restore his honor and bring, no doubt,
the ribbon of the legion of honor,
had become universal. And In the
beleaguered fortress for the first time
an inkling of the airman's intentions
became obvious when a tiny speck
was seen to detach itself from the
slightly larger mass and drop toward
earth.
Instantly it had begun the swift
descent, while the balloon, relieved OF
its slighter burden, shot upward, in
spite Of the rapid escape Of gas. The
dirigible assembled FIVE hundred feel
before it paused, stood still, and then
began its downward rush.
Durand had planned his descent sc
that it should carry him into the
French lines. But to his horror q
sudden breeze drove the parachute
straight toward the inside of the fort
ress walls. And then, resigning him
self to the inevitable, he devoted al
his efforts toward saving his life
rather than attempting to gain tn
camp Of the besiegers, which woult
mean an instant drop to death.
1t was about a minute after he hal
pulled the cord of the valve when Du
rand dropped, unframed, at the fee
of the general in defense Of For
Gleichen.
But nobody noticed him, for all eye
were strained upward to where tn
great balloon came whirling dowr
straight toward the fortress. Her
\ Durand had not m~iscalculated. 1t fel
true as an arrow, and the heat ligh'
ming played about it and
Boom!
The most awful defamation that ha
ever been heard since war began
filed the whole air with sound.
coil Of cloud enveloped everythin
and shut out the sunlight. Slowly
drifted away. And everyone kne'
Al what had occurred. The dirigible ha
y been struck by lightning during il
descent.
An instant later the sun disal
peared. And suddenly, with the sour
4 of a million bullets, hailstones til
q size of pigeons eggs whizzed to til
N earth, followed by a d%renching dow
pour.
4 Never had it rained as it rained tn;
afternoon. The water fell in torrent
n. 1t was as though a million hose
were turned earthward fEom the hea
q ems. In two minutes the camps we
flooded. The streets Of the b
a leaguered town ran water. Men flu
q themselves upon their faces and VIZ
a lowed in the precious rain. Fro
I. every house buckets, bath tubs, II
Elements of every kind were OF
stretched to hold the life-giving waite
Nv The cisterns o~verfiowed. The |
sieged city was saved.
Durand stood before the geneI
10 within the fortress. His hope HI
1t failed, by the interpretation Of the U
y expected element, fate, which sen
SO many schemes agley.
He expected death. He was n
even in uniform-a hopeless, ragg
IA ex-convict, bearing the stamp
he shame upon his furrowed face.
The general turned to him. =
,of you know what is going to happen
your" he asked.
in "A firing party. I suppose" Dura
muttered.
of mo" answered the general qui
all ly. "You are going to make a ballo
20 for us" s#
e."
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