Quickly he opened the largest blade.
Slash! slash! slash!
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!