The wind was now blowing pretty hard, and when the wire was run out the balloon started almost horizontally for the nearest tree, rising slightly.
[Drawing: _Throwing Out Ballast_] The wire was stopped at once and the balloon thus suddenly restrained, changed its horizontal course to an upward one.

At about sixty feet up the wire was again paid out and the balloon made a dash for the trees again.

Once more the balloon was stopped and rose to a height of one hundred and fifty feet, where it swayed about with the pleasant face of Stephenson looking over the edge of the basket.

He had to sit down, as there was not room to stand.

The ascension seemed a failure with the handicap of two hundred and thirty pounds, and so the balloon was reeled down to the earth again.