Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-02-11

tried TO butt through the crowd 10 the
rope. ! s'pose it was ore of them
times -,eople call psychological mo-
ments. You see, the crowd was sore
cause the balloon ascension had fiz-
lied. and just the minute it was sorest
| makes a mess of my little dip act,
which gives the push good excuse
70 get rid of Their spite on me.
Say. when they closed on me. yellin'
and eussin. with the Old buck scream
IN Stop thiefr just behind me. they
didn't look so dead easy as they had
an hour before when | first eontem-
plated workin' the dip on them.
IL r'es up to me TO do hurried
fade away l tripped up one man,
and gave two others the straight arm.
Then ! ipsaped the rope and made for
that restless balloon, with the pack
yelpm' close at my heels. An as
ran II crazy scheme flashed into my
mind AMI whipped out my knife and
opened the biggest blade.
Honest. 10 this day don't know
BOW ! had the nerve TO do it, but when
J reAched the balloon / jumped onto
The trapeze-bar, which was swinaln
low, and with one slash of the knife
cut the moorin' rope
Something gave me fierce yank up
ward.
Then looked dewn.
Holy smoke The fair ground,
the crowd. and the whole earth was
droppin away from me so fast my
heart stood still didn't took down
again but put al my effort IN des-
feiate attempt to stick 10 the bar u
whipped about and swayed and twist
cd. White thai crazy old halioon laid
over in q fashion lhat made me shul
my eyes and bite my lips until could
taste blcod
y don't know how iGng this lasted
II seemed ages. Bun ny and by we
must have risen higher. for the balloon
righied Itself ami sailed along easy
and gentle as could he.
After long time screwed up my
courage and looked down Miles ami
miles below me was the little old
earth Iookin hike kids 10y village
iald out on table. Then the sun
| Went down and it grew cold,
When | looked down next eoplh
see the 10Y villnge comm up. AMI 1
knew we was sinkin honestly
hlieve if Id a known how To get that
! parachute loose Ed done II an taken
nay chances then an there As II was,
could only hold on with shakin' knees
and ehatterin teeth, and hope the
earth wouldn't bilf me too hard when
il cot up 10 us.
| III grew dark fast now, and we must
have sunk into a layer OF wind again.
for the balloon began to switch about
in scaadalous fashion. Talk about
iEaur huckin hroneosl | felt as If |
could fake my chances with any OF
EN- after that We went lower still.
Until weASNas just clearin the tops of
The trees. All al once ] noticed on the
| spread bar above my head a coil of
rope and ditky little grapplin an
clior. Five times tried before had
the nerve to reach with one hand and
| loosen that coil Of rope
When finally ! did get II loose and
drop the anchor we was iearin' along
above 4 StSetch Of pine woods, and
Just as let go the anchor we came
upon clearin all lighted up with
gasoline torches All around was
rows Of benches with a Iof Of people
on them. iistenin' to tall man who
was wayin his arms and bellowin d
hymn. Say. III never been 10 a camp
ineetin' in my life, but knew one
Soon's | spotted ii.
II let out yell as the anchor
caught beneath the rear seat. ripped Il
up, and spilled three good sisters into
promiscu0us heap. The hymn
stopped sudden. There was yells and
bawls. Then that meetin' scattered's
IL a cyclone had struck 1t.
Everybody seemed to lose his head
cept the tall man, and he made one
dive for the anchor rope and hung ON
for dear life
Keep holdr yelled. Keep hold
Don't let me loose
"And that old psalm-singer was
dead game. He got hoisted up, banged
into trees, dragged though under
brush. but still he hung on. ;ellin' TO
the others TO come and help mm. and
callin' EN- all sorts of variations on
white-livered and chickel-hearted.
.Well. after Bit some fifteen 1,r
twenty of EN- got hold Of the rope
with him and managed TO pull me
down to earth.
Say, ! couldn't believe II was true
when ! found solid ground beneath
me once mere. ! was near crazy with
joy. ] was iaughln' and cussin' all at
once, and between times ] was sappln
the tall cove on the back and tellln
him what a dead-game sport he was
Then pulled out my roll--eyery last
dollar of it.
Has the collection been took? says
|. Because If Il hasn't, want 70 puf
this Ia for me-
You should a. seen their eyes stick
out There was somethin like five