The clouds were left behind, and there followed a deluge of rain which drenched Leo to the skin.
He fell so rapidly that a new danger presented itself.
Where or how would he land?
Would he break his neck or a limb?
Down, down he went! There were trees or bushes under him, he could not tell which.
Crash! The basket settled in the top of a tree.
Down came the folds of the balloon on top of it, and the boy was nearly smothered.
Yet he was exceedingly thankful that his life had been spared.
He crawled from the basket and carefully made his way down the tree to the ground.
The storm still raged, but gradually it moved onward, and the sun broke from beneath the scattering clouds.