out of the sky into the middle of a ploughed
field, they could find relief only in standing at a safe distance with
their mouths wide open. In vain Barker talked to them in good broad
English, and begged them to come and hold the car whilst we got out.
No one answered a word, and none stirred a step, except when the balloon
gave a lurch, and then they got ready for a start towards the protecting
hedges. At last Burnaby volunteered to drop out. This he did, deftly
holding on to the car, and by degrees the intelligent bystanders
approached and cautiously lent a hand. Finding that the balloon neither
bit nor burned them, they swung on with hearty goodwill, and so we all
got out, and Barker commenced the operation of packing up, in which
task the natives, incited by the promise of a "good drink," lent
hearty assistance.

We had not the remotest idea where we were, and night was fast closing
in. Where was the nearest railway station? Perhaps if we had arrived in
the neighbourhood in a brake or an omnibus, we might have succeeded in
getting an answer to this question. As it was, we could get none. One
intelligent party said, after profound cogitation, that it was "over
theere," but as "over theere" presented nothing but a vista of
fields--some ploughed and all divided by high hedges--this was scarcely
satisfactory. In despair we asked where the high-road was, and this
being indicated, but still vaguely and after a considerable amount of
thought, Burnaby and I made for it, and presently succeeded in striking
it.

The next thing was to get to a railway station, wherever it might be,
and as the last train for town might leave early, the quicker we arrived
the better. Looking down the road, Burnaby espied a tumble-down cart
standing close into the hedge, and strode down to requisition it. The
cart was full of hampers and boxes, and sitting upon the shaft was an
elderly gentleman in corduroys intently gazing over the hedge at the
rapidly collapsing balloon, which still fitfully swayed about like a
drunken man awaking out of sleep.

"Will you drive us to the nearest railway station, old gentleman?" said
Burnaby cheerily.

The old gentleman withdrew his gaze from the balloon and surveyed us,
a feeble, indecisive smile playing about his wooden features; but he
made no other answer.

"Will you drive us to the nearest railway station?" repeated Burnaby.
"We'll pay you well."

Still no answer came from the old gentleman, who sm