The Heroes of the School Part 26

By the time they had been elevated five hundred feet they were accustomed to the strange and peculiar sensation. They were no longer frightened, and when they had gone up as far as the cable would let them they were almost wishing the journey was twice as long. As the manager had said, the country was spread out under them like a big relief map. They could recognize some buildings in town, and also pick out other hamlets surrounding Darewell. Bart even declared he could see the clearing where Sandy had stood on guard, and where the men had been observed acting so strangely that day, but the others were not able to make it out.

At the end of ten minutes the balloon was hauled down. The boys climbed from the basket, trying to answer the scores of questions that were asked of them by persons in the crowd. After that many made trips in the captive airship.

"It was great," declared Bart.

"I almost wish it had gotten loose," said Ned. "I'd like to take a long trip."

"We'll try it again to-morrow," said Bart, "only don't you go wishing it would break loose, Ned. It might happen, you know."

"That wire cable couldn't break."

"All right. I don't want it to."

For a long while the boys remained to watch the balloon go up and down with the scores who ventured in it. Then, as there were many other things to see at the fair, they made a tour of the grounds.

They were on hand the next day, and made another trip in the balloon.

This time it was a little foggy and they could not see so well.

"Half price to-morrow boys," remarked the manager, as they came down.

"It's the last day."

"We'll have to take it in," declared Fenn. "Can't miss a bargain like that."

So great an attraction did the reduced rate prove that it was afternoon of the last day of the fair before the four chums had a chance to go up in the balloon again. Once more they got into the big basket. The captive airship had been freshly filled with gas and was pulling and tugging at the restraining cable as though it wanted to be free.

"Let her go," called the manager, and for the third time the boys saw the earth dropping away beneath them. They could not get over that first queer sinking feeling in the stomach as the balloon first started skyward, but, after it had gone up a few hundred feet they were used to it.

The day was a wonderfully clear one, and the boys could see for miles in every direction. Off to the northwest Lake Erie sparkled in the sunlight, and the Still river looked like a band of silver laid between green banks and through dark green forests.

"Isn't it fine!" exclaimed Frank. "I wish we could stay up all night."

"I guess we're going down," remarked Ned, as there came a tug at the bottom of the basket where the cable was fastened.

The balloon gave a little jerk and swayed from side to side. The boys clutched the edge of the basket and looked over.

"Something has happened!" cried Ned.

They could see the crowd running to and fro and a number of men signaling to them with their hands.

"What could have happened?" asked Frank. "Is the balloon on fire?"

"No! It's broken loose!" yelled Fenn. "See! The cable is dangling below us!"

Leaning over as far as they dared, the others saw that the wire rope had become loosened from the drum and was swaying about in the air. It had become unfastened when the machinery began to revolve to haul the balloon down.

"We're loose! We're going up!" almost screamed Fenn.

Down below them the earth once more was dropping away at a fearful rate.

The freshly-filled balloon was shooting skyward faster than ever before, since there was no restraining cable to hold it back.

The terror of their position held the boys dumb for a while. They gazed at each other with horror in their eyes. Their cheeks were pale, and their hearts were beating violently.

Being taken so suddenly into the lighter atmosphere of the upper regions almost deprived them of their senses. They could hardly breathe, partly because of natural causes and partly because of the terrible fright that gripped them.

"You--you--got--your--wish, Ned," spoke Bart with some difficulty, looking at his chum.

"I--I--guess--I--did," replied Ned slowly.

Their voices seemed to dispel the strain they were all under. They had been fearful of moving since the balloon broke away, thinking they might fall from the terrible height. But now Bart sat down in the bottom of the basket.

"Well, we might be worse off," spoke Frank.

"How?" asked Fenn.

"We might be falling down instead of up. We're in no danger for a while anyhow. There's no wind to speak of. We're going straight up."

"How far I wonder?" asked Ned.

"Well, we can stop when we want to," said Bart.

"How?" inquired Fenn.

"By pulling the valve cord, of course. Don't you know what the man told us?"

"Oh, of course. Well then, let's pull it. This is high enough for me."

They all stood up and began looking for the valve and ripping cords. The man had told them they were connected with the basket, but on previous trips they had not thought to search them out amid the ma.s.s of cordage.

"One's brown and the other's red," spoke Bart.

"I don't see any," said Fenn, after a long gaze aloft.

"I either," admitted Bart, and the others had to confess they saw nothing of the cords.

"Maybe they forgot to arrange them for this trip," suggested Ned.

"Nice pickle for us if they did," observed Bart. "We'll sail on forever."

But, though the boys made light of their plight, it was not a pleasant one. The balloon with its fresh supply of gas was good for many miles'

travel.

"I wonder if we're going up or standing still?" asked Fenn. He looked over the edge of the basket. The ground below was a mere blur, of which the only difference in color between the woods and the fields could be seen.

"We can soon tell," replied Bart.

"How?"

"I'll show you."