The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-03-18


crowd a-gaping with their mouths
open, looking at the place in the sky
where they last saw Pete and his airs
ship. Well, sir, Pete told US after
wards that the balloon went right up
until it was five miles high and the
weather was so cold chat he froze both
his ears, notwithstanding it was . hot
July day. Then the balloon sprung
leak and began to come down mighty
fast. For little time Pete was per-
fectly easy, bu, when he saw the earth
rushing up TO meet him ut the rate of
about half a mile minute he con-
Guided it was time to get move on
himself He had lot of blankets
and a heavy overcoat which he
chucked out. That sorter stopped the
progress Of the balloon, but it still
kept a-coming and pretty soon saw
1t wasn't the earth, but water that
was under him. Yes, sir, he was right
over the middle Of Lake Erie. The
balloon was headed for Canada and
going at a pretty good clip, but at
the rate IL was sinking. Pete saw it
would never make it 10 shore. He
threw out box Of instruments for
measuring height, but that only help
ed a little, and he saw he would have
10 do some more unloading or take |
bath. Here is where his previous ac-
cidents stood him in hand. He first
took off his wooden left leg and
chucked IL in to the rolling waves.
Then he dropped over his right leg.
His outside shirt then followed, also
a wooden arm. That relieved the stu
alton some, as Pete was getting toler-
ably light, but still the balloon kept
slowly sinking. Pretty soon it was
only hundred feet from the water
and still three miles from shore. Then
Pete took out both sets of false teeth
and fed them to the fishes, but he was
still mile from shore. There was
only one thing left to throw over
board, and that was glass eye that
Pete had been wearing for q number
Of years. Pete was proud Of that eye,
but 1t had to go. The weight Of that
eye wasn't much, but it was enough
10 help the balloon to stay up until it
reached the sandy beach. When the
Canadians ran out to pick Pete up
hey were plum astonished They had
never seen man stripped down and
so close. But here's the won
lerful part of tie story: A year or
wo before that Pete was wandering
dong the bank of the lake when he
Jaw big sturgeon caught on line.
'ete was one of the most tender heart
d men you ever saw, and on the i'm
ulse of the moment he unlocked the
ish and let it go. He said that he
ever saw fish that appeared so
lad and grateful. 1t Tipped its tail
n friendly goodbye as it swam
way. Well, efter he had been res.
ued from the balloon and was won
ering what in the world he was to
0 without his wooden limbs and false
,eth ard glass eye, he looked out over
ne lake and saw a tremendous big
.urgeon swimming toward shore. He
oticed that the fish seemed to be
retty well loaded and was wondering
hat was the matter with it, when he
Nv it swim up into shallow water as
ose as it could and shake something
4 its back and spit several things
1T Of its mouth, and turn and swim
way. He asked one of the Canadians
go over and see what the fish had
II, and pretty soon the fellow came
'ck a-carrying Pete's clothes and
til his wooden legs, his teeth and
ass eye. The fish had recognized
tie in the balloon and seeing that he
as in trouble, concluded that here
Is chance to pay back favor, and
'am along picking up clothes and
ms and legs and teeth and eye as
tie tossed 'em over"