When the sponge was lit he held it up to the mouth of the balloon.
The cooling air began to grow hot again, and once more the balloon went up slowly, but steadily.
But now the wind made the basket rock violently from side to side.
Soon Leo had to extinguish the sponge and put it away.
A gust sent the basket almost over to one side, and he had to let everything go in order to cling fast.
Sizz! A jagged streak of lightning crossed directly in front of the balloon!
He was now in the very midst of the storm and all grew black around him.
The change from the bright sunshine was terrible to the boy and he almost gave himself up for lost.
Back and forth rocked the balloon and the basket, and many were the times that he was in danger of being hurled to death.
Then the balloon began to descend.