“Yes, yes,” interrupted the aeronaut, “he has the honour to command her. You have missed your men, Hawksworth. The fellows you want have been knocking about here, causing no end of mischief, for some time.”
“If,” said Warner, “you want to drop upon two men named Falcon and Croft, you come along with me and I’ll show you which road they took, though I fear they’ve hooked it by this time.”
Hawksworth, after hearing this, at once withdrew from the enclosure with Warner, when the situation was at length comprehended by everybody present, and Captain Link, together with the aeronaut, became the heroes of the hour.
The general manager, knowing that the appointed time for the ascent had expired, said,—
“Pray, Mr Goodall, do not delay the ascent any longer, for these complications are most regrettable.”
“I would not hurry Mr Goodall,” said the chairman of the directors. “I have placed at his disposal, near the car, a small hamper of refreshments, which may be acceptable to them on their journey,” he added.
After acknowledging this thoughtful attention, Mr Goodall and his party took their places in the car, Trigger having already tested the ascending power with the gardeners’ help, who put in the car plenty of ballast. All being ready, the aeronaut released his balloon. Immediately an encouraging cheer arose, and all eyes were directed to them for some minutes.
The course of the voyagers was towards Essex, but the balloon was soon lost to view amongst the clouds, and was not seen afterwards from Sydenham. But, in following them, the reader should know that, before they glided through into the serene upper air, Harry Goodall was seen by his companions to be examining more carefully his map and barometer. Having done so, his attention was directed some few miles ahead, as they had crossed the Thames and were well over, when he said to his nautical friend,—
“Just take a look through my glass, Captain Link, and scan that red brick building nestling among the trees yonder.”
“By Jove! Goodall, that looks uncommonly like your uncle’s residence, where I was to arrive by train to-night, to give an account of how I had succeeded in giving you a distaste for ballooning, and here I am actually encouraging you and taking part in the pursuit myself. You must really plunge us into cloudland before the balloon is identified through your uncle’s long-distance telescope.”