Year: 1866

| ing eyes Ievelled the revolver at his
| feet.


! Something warned US that If We
made any further attempt at present,
1t would cost one life at least, and nei-
ther knew who the victim might be.
A deadly fire burned IN the maniac s
once handsome eyes, and we well knew
that he would not hesitate to shoot
/ one or both Of US, rather than be con-


fined. He knew what the strong cord


was for.


50 We can do nothing at present. -
remarked DeLaey when he beheld the
/ result Of his plan we shall be oblig-
Z ed to wait until a more convenient
time.


I only nodded an assent; my mind
was occupied by thoughts of increas-
/ ing peril. We were still shooting up
ward into the regions of intense cold,
and our forms were chilled through /;
every article of clothing we had brought
for the purpose was now upon our bod
les. And what was more fearful to
contemplate was the fact that the rope
which connected with the safety valves
could not be reached without incur
ring great danger.


The maniac had it In his possession
1t was fastened securely to the bal
loon netting at his feet. Thus we had
to remain and contemplate our ap-
preaching fate the best that we might.


After the balloon had risen to a Ger
tain hight it would explode, as I well
knew, and I shuddered to think of our
probable end.


Thoughts of my distant home, the
kind, loving friends that were even
then awaiting my return to their midst,
together with all the pleasant remem-
brances Of my early life, rushed across
my mind in that eventfUl hour, and
gave rise to emotions that would be
vain to describe. The more 1 GweIt
upon such matters, the more distracted
l became, until finally / said to De-
Lacy:


[ cannot stand this awful suspenseI ]
We must make another trial In this
matter, even though we incur great
risk p


" I agree with you, R" was the
reply, and I was surprised at the
husky tones In which it was uttered
8 let US make one more desperate ef-
fort for life.


M. Canon had again quieted down
to his seat in the car, but the deadly
revolver and ugly knife were still kept
on guard. Again his head dropped
between his hands, and he gave forth
no signs of life. He did not appear
to feel the stinging cold that enveloped
US in a sort of deathly grasp. He
seemed entirely ObliVious of everything
for the time being.


We rose to a creeping posture, and
softly approached him. This time
fortune seemed to favor US. We sue
ceeded in placing a hand upon his
shoulder, when, with a loud, hOrrld
yell and cOnvulslve start, he sprang
upright In doing so he lost his re-
vOlver, but retained his knife. Quick
as thought I seized the precious weap-
on and presented 1t full at his head
He comprehended his danger, and ut
tered another shrill cry, which, how
ever, seemed full of sorrowful pathos. /
He seemed to realize that the odds
were against him, and hastily placing
his knife in its former resting place, |
he seized the strong netting, swung
himself out of the car, and commenced !
climbin up on the outside of the bal
loon. An involuntary cry of horror
escaped our lips simultaneously at this |
unexpected act of daring, and we
watched its form in It's ascent, until it
was hid from view by the bulging side |
of the balloon. We fully expected to
see him lose his dangerous hold and |
fall to the distant earth.


Suddenly an idea seemed to strike /
DeLacy-a fearful one it was, too.


My God r. he exclaimed, as his !
face paled like the winter snow, he /
may cut the balloon With-a knife and |
then we are lost T.


Twas a sickening thought, and for |
a few seconds, which seemed ike !
hours to US, we gazed speeehless at !
each other. It suddenly seemed to |
me as if we had already commenced |
to descend, that we were fast gaining !
a swift downward movement, instead /
of going up, and completely overcome |
by my fears I sunk to the bottom of
the car unconscious.


How long I remained in that state L |
never exactly knew, but finally my
scattered senses returned, and rising
on my elbow, / looked about me.


Good God DeLacy was gone from
the car! Had he also lost conscious !
ness and fallen from the balloon? 1T
must be so This terrifying thought
we'll nigh drove the breath from me as
I contemplated it; but l struggled
against my emotion and managed to rise
to my feet.


The first thing that met my eye was
my friends coat and hat lying near my
feet. Surely this meant something II
DeLacy might yet be safe l was sud
denly startled from my thoughts by
the violent careering of the balloon
from side to side, as though a heavy


- hA 70
upon the top, and almost Immediately
after a stihed cry. Then a dark body
shot past me, down, down, to the world
thought, and I could make nothing
out of it. Was it the maniac aeronaut? ?


I looked up and asked myself the
question, and beheld the form of
man coming down the netting. / rec
ognized with uncomfortable joy the
striped pantaloons of DeLacy, and
when he arrived safe in the car, we
fell into each others arms, and wept,
yes wept, but they were tears of thank
fulness and joy at our final escape from
a fearful death. l then cOmprehended
all


When that terrifying thought of the
maniac cutting a hole into the convey
ance occurred to my friend, he saw
but one course of action necessary to
prevent the catastrophe, and that was
to follow NJ Canon. and the brave
man did. When be reached the top
of the balloon he beheld the madman
with his back toward him In the very
act. He had not succeeded in the in
tent as yet; but with one hand tightly
clenched in the netting and the knife
in the other, he was about to give a
fierce blow upon the expanded silk
had taken care to place the revolver in
his pocket, so that in case he should
need it the weapon would be handy
He now drew it from its resting place


with one hand and struck the maniac


a heavy blow UDon the back with it.
/ M. Canon had not seen him coming