Instantly came back a response in his own words, as a bo’sun repeats the orders of the mate, ‘Let her go!’ But the balloon remained stationary, and at last, after waiting for a moment or two, Ephraim cast prudence to the winds and shouted at the top of his voice: ‘Let her go, ye durned fools. Why don’t ye let her go?’ ‘Ye durned fools, why don’t ye let her go?’ was hurled back at him with savage emphasis. ‘By time!’ began Ephraim—when Lucius interrupted with, ‘That was echo, Grizzly.’ ‘Echo in this yer field!’ retorted Ephraim. ‘Thar ain’t any echo. If thar war, why didn’t she up ’n answer when I gave the boys good-bye and ye hollered out yer message?’ ‘Well, it sounded like it,’ persisted Lucius. ‘Try again and make sure.’ ‘Let her go, can’t ye?’ howled Ephraim, unable, in his anxiety to be quit of mother earth, to think of any other test. But this time there was no reply. ‘What’d I tell ye?’ cried Ephraim excitedly. ‘Thar warn’t no echo. The or’nery skunks hev been playin’ it back on us, and now they’ve skedaddled and left us anchored hyar.’ ‘Perhaps some one came along and scared them,’ suggested Lucius. ‘I’ll scare ’em wanst I git down agen,’ grumbled Ephraim. ‘However, it don’t amount ter a cob er corn. I’ll soon cut her loose, though sutt’nly I didn’t want ter lose that extry bit er rope.’ ‘It’s grown very cold all of a sudden,’ remarked Lucius, as Ephraim hunted round for the lantern he had brought. ‘And wet, too. Oh!’ as the Grizzly drew the slide and flashed the light here and there. ‘It’s raining hard, and never a sound on the balloon. How very odd.’ ‘Hyar’s the rope,’ exclaimed Ephraim at this juncture. ‘Ketch hold on the light, Luce, while I cut her through.’ He handed the lantern to Lucius, and having opened a formidable clasp-knife, put his hand through the cords which rose from the car, and laid hold of the detaining rope. Instantly an exclamation of deep surprise escaped him. The rope was slack. ‘What’s wrong now?’ inquired Lucius, still occupied in wondering why the rain had made no sound. ‘It has stopped raining. I can see the stars again.’ For answer Ephraim broke into peal after peal of laughter. ‘Co’se ye kin! Co’se ye kin!’ he shouted. ‘Why, don’t ye know ye must be nigh on a mile nearer ter ’em than when ye started. Ho! ho! ho!’ ‘What do you mean?’ asked Lucius. ‘We can’t have gone up so high just since you cut the rope.’ ‘Cut the rope!’ cried Ephraim. ‘I never did cut the rope. See hyar.’ He hauled in the slack and flung it on the floor of the car. ‘While us two fust-class samples er prize ijots hez been growlin’ and howlin’, ole Blue Bag hyar hez been cuttin’ through space like a wheel-saw goin’ through a block er pine.’ ‘My!’ exclaimed Lucius. ‘Then the torches were not put out by the men?’ ‘Not them,’ chuckled Ephraim. ‘The old balloon jest lit out fer the sky and left ’em.’ ‘I didn’t feel any movement then, and I don’t now,’ said Lucius incredulously. ‘Are you sure we are off?’