The crowd, thus partly disappointed, were shouting with anger and impatience. I did not hesitate to ascend alone. To re-establish the equilibrium between the specific gravity of the balloon and the weight to be raised, I substituted other bags of sand for my expected companions and entered the car. The twelve men who were holding the aerostat by twelve cords fastened to the equatorial circle, let them slip between their fingers; the car rose a few feet above the ground. There was not a breath of wind, and the atmosphere, heavy as lead, seemed insurmountable.
“All is ready!” exclaimed I; “attention!”
The men arranged themselves; a last glance informed me that everything was right.
“Attention!”
There was some movement in the crowd which seemed to be invading the reserved enclosure.
“Let go!”
The balloon slowly ascended; but I experienced a shock which threw me to the bottom of the car. When I rose, I found myself face to face with an unexpected voyager,—the pale young man.
“Monsieur, I salute you!” said he to me.
“By what right?”—
“Am I here? By the right of your inability to turn me out.”