The Girl from Hong-Kong: A Story of Adventure Under Five Suns — page 250: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

244 THE GIRL FROM HONG-KONG. The tncertain light prevailing, the distance, and the fact of the balloon moving: away from their direction as it rises in the northeasterly air—all these things unite in their favor, and above everything else, the god ot fortune favors them. \ The fitful flashes are no longer seen cutting the intense darkness below like gigantic fireflies—doubtless even the resolute Cossacks have realized the folly of endeavor- ing to pierce a balloon that has already mounted half a mile up in the air, and is still climbing toward the float- ing clouds. They are-for the present safe. This load being lifted from their minds they can ina measure enjoy the wonderful view which is_spread out around them, though the sleeping earth lies in darkness below, a black void. | To the far east glow the electric lights of Russia’s western Sebastopol, Kronstadt ‘by. the sea, a grim mass of fortification which even’ England’s mighty navy would find trouble’ in overcoming. . The sensation is extremely exhilarating, though there comes over these amateur aeronauts a feeling of awe which will never be forgotten. 42 It is natural for man to walk upon the earth, and ‘when his ambition’ leads him into the ambient atmos: -.. “phere’surrounding our’ sphere,’ to play hide and seek ~ eomicbooks.com