“Presage of his catastrophe,” replied the unknown, with sadness. “You have experienced nothing similar?”
“Nothing!”
“Bah! misfortunes often arrive without presage.” And he remained silent.
We were advancing towards the south; the magnetic needle pointed in the direction of Frankfort, which was flying beneath our feet.
“Perhaps we shall have a storm,” said the young man.
“We will descend first.”
“Indeed! it will be better to ascend; we shall escape more surely;” and two bags of sand were thrown overboard.
The balloon rose rapidly, and stopped at twelve hundred metres. The cold was now intense, and there was a slight buzzing in my ears. Nevertheless, the rays of the sun fell hotly on the globe, and, dilating the gas it contained, gave it a greater ascensional force. I was stupified.
“Fear nothing,” said the young man to me.
“We have three thousand five hundred toises of respirable air. You need not trouble yourself about my proceedings.”