第6章空中历险记(6)
"Iillestherearetsofairwhichtravelahundredleaguesanhour!OntheoofNapoleon's,Gavoffaballoonillumihps,ateleveno'theevening!ThewihehematdaybreaktheinhabitantsofRomesaluteditspassageabovethedomeofSt。Peter's。Wewillgofarther。"
Iscarcelyheardhim;everythingwasbuzzingarouhereeningintheclouds!
"Seethatcity,myhost;"saidtheunknown。"ItisSpire。Nothi;
IdaredherailingoftheeverthelessIperceivedalittleblackspot。Thisire。ThebroadRhinelookedlikearibaroadslikethreads。Aboveourheadstheskyazure;Iwasbehecold。Thebirdshadlongsinceforsakenus;inthisrarefiedsirtheirflightwouldhavebeenimpossible。WewerealoneinspadIinthepreserangeman!
"Itisuselessforyoutokakingyou。"saidhe,ahepassintotheclouds。"Afallisafihing。YouknowthattherehavebeeimsfromPilatredesRosiersdowGale,auneshavealwaysbeencausedbyimpruderedesRosiersaspaBouloghofJuohisballoohgas,hehadsuspendedamongolfierfilledwithwarmair,uosavethetroubleoflettingoffgas,outballast。Ituttingag-dishbehapowder-cask。Theimprudeoaheightoffourhures,aeredopposingwinds,whiovertheoordertodesd,Pilatreattemptedtoopenthevalveoftheaerostat;butthecordofthisvalvetheballoon,ahatittiedinaninstahemour,andtheimprudentmeopieafewseds。Itisfrightful,isitnot?"saidtheunknown,shakingmefrommytorpor。
Icouldreplyonlybythesewords:
"Iusdesd!Theclatheringaroundusiihtfuldetoingfromthecavityoftheaerostataremultiplyingaroundus。"
"Youmakemeimpatient!"saidhe。"Youshallnolongerkherweareasgordesg。"
Aerwehepass,alongwithsomebagsofsahavebeeoffourthousares。Someicicleswereattachedtothesidesofthedasortoffiedtomybones。Meaerrifiwasburstihourfeet。Wewereaboveit。
"Do;saidmystrangepanion;"itisonlyimprudemakesvictims。Olivari,whoperishedatOrleans,asamontgolfiermadeofpaper;hiscar,suspeheg-dish,andballastedwithbustiblematerials,becameapreytotheflames!Olivarifell,andwaskilled。MosmeLille,onalightplatform;anosadehimlosehisequilibrium。Mosmentfell,andwaskilled。Bittorf,atManheim,saerballoontakefireitorffell,andwaskilled。Harrisasaballoonbadlystructed,thevalveofwhichwastetobeclosedagain。Harrisfell,andwaskilled。Sadler,deprivedofballastbyhislongstayintheair,wasdraggedoverthecityofBoston,andthrownagainsttheeys。Sadlerfell,andwaskilled。gdesdedarachutewhichhepreteohaveperfected。gfell,andwaskilled。Well,Ilovethem,thoseimse!andIwilldielikethem!Higher!higher!"
Allthephantomsofthisnecrbeforemyeyes!Therarefaoftheairandtheraysoftilesuhedilatatioheballoooasd!Imeicallyattemptedtoopenthevalve;buttheunknowncutthecordafewfeetabovemyhead。Iwaslost!