newspaper placards that had cried “wolf!” so often, cried “wolf!” now in vain.     

       5     

 Now as Bert and Grubb bawled their chorus for the third time, they became aware of a very big, golden-brown balloon low in the sky to the north-west, and coming rapidly towards them. “Jest as we're gettin' hold of 'em,” muttered Grubb, “up comes a counter-attraction. Go it, Bert!”       “Ting-a-ling-a-ting-a-ling-a-ting-a-ling-a-tang What Price Hair-pins Now?”  

       The balloon rose and fell, went out of sight—“landed, thank       goodness,” said Grubb—re-appeared with a leap. “'ENG!” said Grubb.       “Step it, Bert, or they'll see it!”      

       They finished their dance, and then stood frankly staring.     

       “There's something wrong with that balloon,” said Bert.     

       Everybody now was looking at the balloon, drawing rapidly nearer before a brisk north-westerly breeze. The song and dance were a “dead frost.”        Nobody thought any more about it. Even Bert and Grubb forgot it, and ignored the next item on the programme altogether. The balloon was bumping as though its occupants were trying to land; it would approach, sinking slowly, touch the ground, and instantly jump fifty feet or so in the air and immediately begin to fall again. Its car touched a clump of trees, and the black figure that had been struggling in the ropes fell back, or jumped back, into the car. In another moment it was quite close. It seemed a huge affair, as big as a house, and it floated down swiftly towards the sands; a long rope trailed behind it, and enormous shouts came from the man in the car. He seemed to be taking off his clothes, then his head came over the side of the car. “Catch hold of the rope!” they heard, quite plain.     

       “Salvage, Bert!” cried Grubb, and started to head off the rope.     

       Bert followed him, and collided, without upsetting, with a fisherman bent upon a similar errand. A woman carrying a baby in her arms, two small boys with toy spades, and a stout gentleman in flannels all got to the trailing rope at about the same time, and began to dance over it in their attempts to secure it. Bert came up to this wriggling, elusive serpent and got his foot on it, went down on all fours and achieved a grip. In half a dozen       

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