The explanation was not difficult. For, relieved of its load, it had quietly slipped its moorings during the darkness and gone on a voyage on its own account, goodness only knows where. And our heroes would never see it more.
To say that they were not deeply grieved would be far short of the truth. The loss seemed to cut them off entirely from the outer world.
But their hearts were young and buoyant, and so they did not mourn long.
After breakfast, indeed Duncan, who was the recognized leader, laughed lightly, saying as he did so:
"Come, you fellows, don't look so blue. Perhaps the loss of the balloon is a blessing in disguise."
"I don't quite see it," said Frank.
"No, you don't see the balloon. You've looked your very last on that; but listen to logic: We might have journeyed away in that balloon and been carried into regions from which we never could have got free again."
"True enough!" said Conal.
Indeed everything his brother said was right in Conal's eyes.
"Well," said Frank after a pause, "I'm not going to bother about it. The Pope was correct in saying, 'What is, is right.'"