be
published as "a fragment," and would be sufficient to carry his name
down to remotest posterity. Whether it were sweeter thus to vex public
desire, to give so much and no more, or to satiate the public with the
full accomplishment, was a nice question. Josiah was inclined to think
that, other things being equal, he would just as soon live to finish his
work. But he had no choice, and after all, the voyage might end happily.
Captain Mulberry was an experienced aeronaut. He had never failed, and
why should failure be probable now?

Josiah made up his mind upon this point, that if they got safely across
in the balloon he would come back by the ordinary boat express. Having
once shown his possession of a daring spirit, he would be at liberty to
declare his preference for a more prosaic mode of locomotion.

How he got down to Dover he did not know. It all seemed a dream. He had
a dim recollection of the captain thundering at his door at six o'clock
in the morning. He remembered lighting his Etna, making his cup of
coffee, and thinking as he drank it it might be his last. Then they must
have caught the train. In fact, he remembered the sound of the rushing
carriage, the darkness of the tunnel, the glories of the dawning day,
and felt around him the bright fresh sunlit air that made all nature
glad.

They drove out to the balloon, which was down by the gas-works, and was
now in process of inflation. Josiah looked upon the monster, swerving
first to the right, then to the left, and threatening every moment to
break its bonds and go off on its own account. If it only would, what a
happy conclusion of this painful adventure! But he could see there was
no such danger. The captain was as cheerful as a lark, and looked with
kindling eye upon what Josiah regarded as his coffin.

Still, it was no use complaining. A man must die some time; and though
there is much to be said against the process being hurried on by
unnecessary attempts to cross the Channel in a balloon when there are
well-appointed packet-boats, it was no use arguing the matter.

There settled upon Josiah a certain mood of quiet despair. What must be
must, and it was better to avoid a scene and imitate as closely as
possible the cheerful indifference of the captain.

"Now, old man, in you tumble," said the captain. "Sit down in the bottom
of the car, and keep quiet till we get past this stack of chimneys. If
we run into them it's all over; but I reckon I'll ta