"
"He ought to have a parachute," added Ned. "Most of those men do
when they go up in a balloon. Why doesn't he come down in that?
I wonder how the balloon took fire?"
"Maybe he hasn't a parachute," suggested Tom, while he slowed down
the motor-boat still more so as to remain very nearly under the
blazing balloon.
"Yes, he has!" cried Ned. "See, it's hanging to one side of the
big bag. He ought to cut loose. He could save himself then. Why
doesn't he?"
The balloon was slowly twisting about, gradually settling to the
surface of the lake, but all the while the flames were becoming
fiercer and the black clouds of smoke increased in size.
"There, see the parachute!" went on Ned.
The twisting of the bag had brought into view the parachute or
big, umbrella-shaped bag, which would have enabled the man to
safely drop to the surface of the lake. Without it he would have
hit the water with such force that he would have been killed as
surely as if he had struck the solid earth. But the boys and Mr.
Swift also saw something else, and this was that the balloon was
on fire on the same side where the parachute was suspended.
"Look! Look!" shouted Tom, bringing his boat to a stop. "That's
why he can't jump! He can't reach the parachute!"
By this time the balloon had settled so low that the actions of
the man could be plainly seen.
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