-THE BRIDE OF DANGER .” 
on the horizon. We were 
racing at the rate of seventy 
miles an hour, and now we 
could distinctly see a quay. It 
seemed as though we were 
fated to be dashed to pieces 
against the coast, but a sudden 
blast of wind lifted us high in 
the air and carried us over firm 
land. But how were we to 
descend ? 1 opened the valve, 
but the sea-water had made it 
stiff, and the cord was frozen. 
As I pulled with all my might the 
bottom of the car struck a tree, 
turned over, and I fell out into a 
thick broom-bush, while the balloon, 
released from my weight, dashed 
up again, carrying my 'companion. 
I was stiff with cold and fatigue, 
but I did my best to run after the 
fugitive balloon through a pelting 
rain, now stumbling into pools of 
water, now slipping on the icy 
ground. At last 1 came to a light, 
a house, and three charming English 
ladies ran out to meet me. It was 
only at half-past five o'clock in the morning, 
after that terrible night, that my companion 
found me. lie was as anxious about me as 
I was about him, and he told 
me how the balloon had been 
caught in a tree, so that he 
was able to climb down. To 
give you an idea of the speed 
with which we crossed the 
North Sea, I must tell you that 
we covered in five hours the 
distance which the steamers 
from Holland to England can- 
not do in less than eleven 
hours. 57 
I could not help thinking as 
I listened that it was not with- 
out reason that Mile. Marvingt 
had been christened by her 
admirers “ The Bride of 
Danger. 57 
“ I am not afraid of my 
bridegroom,” said she, laugh- 
ing, “ as you may imagine.” 
She added, “ 1 have known 
danger from my childhood, and 
it is a case in which familiarity 
breeds, if not contempt, at 
least indifference. Eight years 
ago, in Havre, I w r as nearly 
drowned. In London, when 1 was bicycling, 
a cab knocked me down in Westminster and 
went over my back. At Brest a thief tried to 
skating. 
From a Photograph by Loth. 
SKI- 1 NG. 
From n Photograph by Loth. 
FENCING. 
From a Photograph by Loth 
