"It's not so small as it looks," Prue said to Mollie. "We were in it yesterday. It is nearly as big as my bedroom, and the sides reach up to Hugh's shoulder; he couldn't fall out unless he did it on purpose. There are dear little cubby-holes and all sorts of cute fixings. Its name is the _Kangaroo_. I do wish I could go up too, but Papa and Mr. Ferguson simply wouldn't hear of it. Girls are never allowed to do anything." "Aren't you nervous?" Mollie asked. "Suppose it suddenly burst when it was ever so high. How high does it go?" "Mr. Ferguson has been up five miles, but he is only going up one to-day. They won't be very long away." "You would be just as badly smashed if you fell one mile as if you fell five, I should think," said Mollie, with a shudder. "It isn't falling that they think about," Prue explained, "When you get very high you can't breathe, and you have all sorts of horrid feelings. Once Mr. Ferguson fainted, and if the man with him hadn't pulled the stopper thing out with his teeth they'd both have been killed." "Why teeth?" asked Mollie. "Because his hands were frozen, and he couldn't use them," answered Prue. "They'll be starting soon; they are going on board--look, there's Hugh!" Mollie saw a small grey-clad figure climbing into the car. He was followed by two men, one tall and the other rather short. As they climbed over the rails the great balloon swayed and trembled--it looked far more dangerous than a nice substantial aeroplane, Mollie thought; and there was no control, they simply flew up and were blown hither and thither according to the will of the winds. Suppose they were blown against something and got a great rip in the side! "I don't know how you _can_," she said to Prue. "If it were Dick--where are Dick and Jerry? Haven't they come?" "Here we are, old bean, at your elbow. My word, wouldn't I like to be going up too!" "Same here. Some chaps have all the luck!" groaned Jerry. Prudence shook her head. "Mr. Ferguson would never take more than one boy. Two might begin larking, and you simply must not lark in a balloon." Dick thought of a joke about larks and balloons, but decided that it was not a really first-class joke and merely shook an accusatory head at boys and their reprehensible ways. [Illustration: THEY STOOD AND WATCHED THE _KANGAROO_ FOR SOME TIME] The ring of men who held down the balloon were preparing to let go the ropes; the band began to play, the men in the balloon took off their caps and waved farewell, people cheered--and the _Kangaroo_ was off. She rose swiftly and buoyantly, remaining almost perpendicular until she was caught by a southwest current of air and sailed away towards the hills. As she rose the children could see Hugh at the edge of the car, waving his handkerchief.