ful, this steady, this merciless descent. It was like entering
a tomb with a red tongue and flashing teeth waiting within. The green
eyes gleamed with the malice of a waiting devil biding his time and
knowing that it was drawing near.

"Down, down we went, and the smell of his horrid breath came up like the
forerunner of a cruel death. Now a tremor ran through the whole body of
the crouching beast; even his tail trembled like a feather in the wind.
He seemed to press himself nearer and nearer to the earth. His eyes were
fixed steadily upon the car.

"I knew what this meant. He was about to spring. The moment that we
should descend sufficiently low, he would hurl himself into the car; he
would not wait for it to touch the ground.

"My thoughts raced through my brain. If anything could be done, it must
be done in the next half-minute. I spoke quickly to Irene.

"'Do not lose a second,' I said. 'Get out on the outside of the car;
rest lightly upon its edge; hold by the ropes. I will do the same. At
the moment I give the word you must jump. Both together; do not
hesitate. It will not be much of a fall. We cannot stay here and have
him--'

"At this instant the tiger gave a tremendous bound upward, his fore
paws, bristling with claws, stretched over the edge of the car. In that
instant I jumped!

"It was a great leap, and as my feet struck the ground and my eyes
glanced rapidly about me a feeling of great joy filled my breast. I was
on the earth again, master of myself, and the tiger was not there. I
looked upward. The great beast was drawing up his hind legs and was
climbing into the car, and there was Irene, my Irene, outside of the
car, sitting on the edge and holding on to the ropes. I had forgotten to
give her the word! How my heart sank! It was terrible!

"I now perceived something that almost paralyzed my every faculty. That
balloon was rising. I was a large man and I was heavier than the tiger;
with its reduced weight the balloon was slowly going upward. I clasped
my hands, I gasped for breath. If I should call to Irene to jump now she
would be dashed to pieces, the car was already so high. And then the
great truth flashed upon me: 'What matters it? If she leaps she will be
killed; if she does not leap--' I could not think of it!

"To be sure, I might seize the rope and pull her down low enough so that
she might safely drop; but if I did that the tiger might also jump. Oh,
what a position to be in, for one wh