Part 11 (1/2)

”This is none of your business!”

”Hold him a minute, Ben!” suddenly shouted Leo. ”Hold him!”

As the boy spoke he drew from his pocket a clasp-knife.

Quickly he opened the largest blade.

Slas.h.!.+ slas.h.!.+ slas.h.!.+

He was cutting the ropes which held the balloon.

”Here! What are you doing!” screamed the man in charge.

”I'm going to escape a tyrant!” responded Leo, as he cut the last rope.

For an instant the balloon continued to sway from side to side.

Daniel Hawkins fought off Ben Barkley and leaped forward.

Too late!

Up shot the balloon, dragging the basket after it.

In less time than it takes to tell it, Leo Dunbar was five hundred feet up in the air!

CHAPTER VIII.-AMONG THE CLOUDS IN A THUNDERSTORM.

A cry arose.

”The balloon has gone up!”

”Why, the balloonist is nothing but a boy!”

”My! but ain't it going up fast!”

Daniel Hawkins could do nothing but stare after the balloon.

”Foolish boy, he will be killed!” he gasped.

Ben Barkley was also amazed.

”He said he would go up,” he murmured, ”but I never supposed that he meant it.”

The crowd continued to shout. They wondered what it all meant, and some asked the men who had had the balloon in charge, but those individuals had no time to explain.

They sprang into a wagon and prepared to follow the direction of the balloon, supposing it would come down as soon as the hot air began to cool off.

Meanwhile, what of Leo?