Year: 1866

arising the balloon was suddenly wrenched
from the hands that held it, and rushed
like rocket straight towards the clouds.
Did we say wreuched from all? No, not
from all A cry Of horror rose from the
lately turbulent crowd; for there, cling
ing to slight wooden cross piece at
tached to one of the cords, was small
dark. object which every one pronounced
to be a human being. A lad who had
been selling papers among the crowd
was one of those who had volunteered to
hold the guys, and not being sufficiently
alert, had been carried off with the bal
loon.- The spectators we're appalled,, and
every observer momentarily expected to
see him drop. But the young adventurer
hadnosuehidea, and those who had glasses
saw him Chamber up the cord, and seat
himself astride the cross piece. The
balloon ascended upwards until in the
glowing rays of the sun, it seemed like a
speek; then vanished altogether.


It would have been difficult just then
to have insured the life of that boy at
any premium. AS for the involuntary
@ronaut, what must have been his feeling
as he found himself thus severed from
the firm earth to which he had been, ae-
customed. At first his little heart was
In his throat, and he seemed to have sud
denly fallen from some vast height into
an abyss Of fathomless air, The world
vanished instantaneously from sight
The boy had unfortunately y wound the
cord about his hand in such manner
that it was impossible TO let go at once.
Yet knowing the fate that awaited him
should he fall, he had, by the exertion
of an amount of strength wonderful in
one so young, contrived to assume the
position of comparative safety already
noted. There he saw the wind-driven
clouds of different. strata rush past him
with frightful velocity and looking
down, could dimly discern the landscape,
and the ocean with its ships, spread out
as on map. During the afternoon the
people of Benicia saw the car dash by,
and little thought OF the throbbing heart
that from that awful eminence awaited
in cold and anxiety the coming night
The blood began to CONCEAL in the veins
Of the little traveller the act of breath
ing difficult his muscles increased to
such fearful tension, we're beginning to
relax; numbness was seizipg on the
fingers that grasped the cord, A few
minutes more must evidently terminate
the terrible ride through space All at
once the rope attached to the valve was
thrown against the boy. he clutched it
| in his despair as an additional hold upon
life. JOY The valve opens ! the gas
rapidly escapes + The balloon is once
more nearing the earth It rusbes into
! the leafy embrace of grove Of trees,
and after a violent struggle, rests. When
some ranchmen, who had been watching
the descent, reached the spot, they founG
the young adventurer seated on the
ground at the foot of an oak, looking the
very picture Of astonishment, but none
the worse for his journey, except few
scratches.


| We have heard of persons whose haii
from terror, turned gray in single night
The hair of the lad, on coming down
was a bright red, but as it was red before
he went up, we do not know that this
was anything remarkable. Wemeet hin
the boy then, the man now-daily; he


looks like another mortal, and seems tC


have forgotten all the circumstances IL
B which he was indebted for his elevation
TX California Sunday Mercury