The Balloon Cycle

There fioated over the hamlet cf Villeuenva la Gareiine the other afternoon in inidair a balloon. Suddenly it appeared to burst and feil rapidly toward the earth. Fearing that a disaster had occurred, the terrified folk run to the spot at which they expected the aerostat would reach the ground, when to their amazement they saw a parachute detach. itself from the car and descend gontly. Iminediately the earth was touohed one of the passengere jumped upou a small bicycle which he had broughtwith him from the aerial regions, and he disappeared in the direction of Levallois, iü the neighborhood of Paris, as rapidly as the machine could carry him, The explanation of this siugular occurrence is simple. Thebaüoon was the Caliban, and the ascent was mac'.o fro:n Levallois by Captain Capaz.a and M. Hervieu, the latter being the cyclist. Their object was to test the possibility of a balloon being nsed f or carrying war dispatches, and they assutued that an enemy succeeded in destroying it. Yet they proved that by means of the parachute they wonld be able to rnake good their esoape and to outdistance their pursuers with the aid of the portable cycle. -