Faces and Places

of Colonel Fred Burnab

altitude of over a tho

rs was one of the pleas

of its most ch

eptember, 1874. A few w

nd Madame Duruof, makin

sea, and dropping into

make them a nine days'

to make a fresh ascent

f London seemed to have

ng and eager then, and

News as special corresp

inguish myself. So I w

ed to go up i

when I asked him if th

orry to say that you ar

ns for seats, and as th

ally there are but two

hat it is

, the more so as I had

air of seal-skin glove

that the thing to do up

well's account of the

he prospect of a pass

e charge of the militar

enclosure where the p

re was congregated a vas

ock rang out, and the g

s being assiduously p

way to and fro in the

ern

roes of the hour, Mons

re, accompanied by Mr.

extensively sold in th

ame "M. Duruof," a mur

g to be a record of th

. Happily M. Duruof

trait, being a young ma

firm, frank

o'clock the monster b

to and fro in a wild, f

thout trepidation by an

booked seats in advance

was half filled with

on to the ropes and to

tead

ch more than keep it fro

wung, parting in swift

d dragging the men abou

d to be rising and the

and graver, answers to

likely to come down?"

isher, looking up at t

ing under the growing b

orming one of the

" he said. "The people

ere is any danger. The

perilous, so Madame Duru

e

to go, but was at leas

settled that she shoul

I cast a lingering thoug

ves, in safe keeping

not going there might

ould not listen to the

icants; some had even p

e the pr

ready for the start. M

ournalist, took off his

ly interested crowd del

thick overcoat, and a

Barker, Mr. Coxwell's

egan to take in light

bottles of brandy and

ambled into the car, on

out to make room for hi

tion from the crowd, n

egan taking observation

by the car, prepared fo

Names were called alou

e trees ma

id M. Duruof, somewh

who, I afterwards learn

e the journey, and wh

und, was half-lifted,

m Barker to "mind them

r chance, and Mr. Coxwel

the car, followed by o

the stipulated half-doz

ght desirable that Mad

she was lifted in, an

frantically held by rope

Duruof got out, and in

ome six feet four high,

rerogatory the presence

that lay in the

, with the excited multi

e car leaping under the

raining at the ropes. B

f the car and wondering

e say he was nimble enou

paying out of

only Captain then, unkn

wilds of Asia Minor un

the grounds was acciden

eristic. He had invite

his rooms, then in St.

ascent, he felt drawn

time to dress for dinn

ave an opening for an

emptation. So with a h

Minister, he pushed h

ped into

him how his guests fare

icating with his servan

y exceeded by one the

was anxious for us to

we still cling to the

out, and tug at ropes,

cream "Good-bye" in a

dreadful in prospect.

hear the voices of t

urns, and then, with a m

pass away, and we are

one breaks th

hould go up with a rush

view of which the prepa

been already indicated

above the level of the

warm sunlight, and no

ng on chairs in the g

oon mounted. It was a q

n less than five minu

of upturned faces, had

tion, there was only th

, carried us towards th

d to skirt the eastern

old relief through the l

balloon slowly rose ti

ed feet. Here it found

till it hovered for som

training ship beneath lo

r masts and yards. Dri

ed by Woolwich and cros

ng a north-east

Essex side of the rive

one. London had vanis

ew where the great ci

hite in the rays of the

drift after us far away

range of vision. I am

ay within the framework

d follow the windings o

green fields, its shin

see where it finally b

s M. Duruof observed wi

he ope

f dizziness in looking

floated--two thousand

By an unfortunate over

e, except in respect

certainty to distinguis

pas

rom his perch up in th

as being the most dan

the great drawbacks t

has natural aptitude,

servations from a ba

untry giving impression

sition of

rated by the scene spr

ets of a rambling town

rves, straight lines,

e geometri

e make out forms of peo

among the fields, and

h we guessed were stree

here was there trace

brooded over the eart

asionally seemed to flo

right, to the left, b

people calling, and had

cheering; but we coul

entleman from Cambridg

unning across a field

ned out to be a troop

ck of sheep in anothe

a heap of limestone

in wide expanse, far

gigantic carpet, with

ded from bright emer

n began to drop behin

over London. The mist

had overtaken us, e

earth, the sky above

were passing with incr

retches from the river

round at each other. Bu

ed his vast person amo

down by the smell of

we started. M. Wilfrid

e car, was perpetually

g for "the readings,"

protested his inability

foot upon the aneroi

the side of the car t

ment was not only inco

nd exchange confidences

or some people was tes

rom Cambridge had a mil

lt to conceive him e

been in half a dozen

ve town on hearing that

. As for Burnaby, it wa

that it did not matter

that it were spiced w

slight preference for b

uding the time when th

me rattling down from a

ly by the fortuitous dr

evented all the g

were still passing o

interminable pattern. S

lumps of trees, which p

extent. It was growi

ar. Burnaby, assured o

prolong the journey. But

be the distance over w

xwell's assistant was c

pproaching Highwood th

ere was some idea of de

ed, and, the wood being

the place to drop, and

The balloon swooped d

Barker had had all his

bag of ballast and ligh

all to stoop down in t

e himself promptly ill

ike a hawk tow

to those who have nev

orse than that of stoopi

ently to come with a gr

ve seriously injured an

who was as cool as if

o all to lift their fee

to hang on to the ropes

th it merely shook us,

ui

cend at full speed the

rtunately, got a firm

en the balloon, after s

nd showed a disposition

st the hedges and tree

wn again with another b

serious, and after a

stood

ched by the balloon was

ut a couple of miles be

e completing this desce

nd feet above the level

evident, a great crowd o

r the last half-mile. By

dred men, women, and chi

ctions, and were swarmi

t the death was an old

ed shawl, who came alon

e did not fully enjoy t

as making straight for

r to look out, for it m

ttering a word in reply

sed in length, made for

the orange-coloured s

d to be in a state more

distance, and what with

d out of the sky into

relief only in standing

. In vain Barker talke

em to come and hold th

and none stirred a step,

hey got ready for a star

y volunteered to drop

, and by degrees the

ly lent a hand. Finding

ey swung on with hearty

mmenced the operation

ited by the promise o

assis

idea where we were, an

st railway station? Per

brake or an omnibus, we

is question. As it was,

, after profound cogit

r theere" presented

nd all divided by high

ir we asked where the

ill vaguely and after a

made for it, and presen

t

et to a railway station

r town might leave early

wn the road, Burnaby e

hedge, and strode down

s and boxes, and sittin

orduroys intently gazi

loon, which still fitf

awaking ou

he nearest railway stat

by ch

rew his gaze from the b

mile playing about his

other

he nearest railway stat

pay you

m the old gentleman, who

in his intelligent pu

him into conversation,

o the middle of the ro

full gallop, it became

sight of the balloon,

ossessed, and as there

ill he came round again,

onveyance. So Burnaby g

possible in a hamper on

taking the reins out

off down the road at qu

a mile the old gentleman

staring at us all over

m by laughing in chorus

sai

d ye c

to do to keep the pon

his glimmering of return

with much patience an

nd that we ascertained

re." Further than thi

tion of learning whet

village, or whatever it

of relapse on the par

ckmore was something,

rived at the village, o

three immemorial oak tre

ie

eman and parted compa

ar that the shock of t

as it were, had perman

a well-horsed trap, an

Ingatestone, and as f

back to c

of a close and intimate

parture for the Soudan

till young life. Educat

where, under private t

aintance with the Fren

entally imbibed a ta

st of one hundred and

mission to the army, a

f a cornet in the Roya

to have been fired b

an in the world. How f

traditions that linger

threw himself into th

hown in other directio

ull when a precise e

fact that his arm mea

es. He could put 'Nath

ame with her puny 56-l

rm' of her athletic f

hinge-rusted nut-cra

ll weighing 170 lbs., w

nd there was a stand

could perform the same

there is to this day a

ow Fred Burnaby was th

above

of early barrack days

er arrived at Windsor w

been commanded to s

Majesty he took them

icers of the Guards. S

led the ponies upstai

mired. But when the tim

resented itself. The

by no means be induced

; the horsedealer was

tter by taking up the

tairs, deposited them

when she saw the ponie

ecurity at Windsor,

prowess of her

kilful as he was strong

ay, as Tom Paddock, Nat

well-earned personal

oxed, and the turn of

sman, was known in more

ore he started for Khiva

ul feat of the young G

p a quarter of a mile,

, row a quarter of a mil

an hour, and who covere

ten minutes and

t barely out of his tee

trongest man in the wor

uccess in the coin of w

s, after anxious and va

rm of nourishment his st

n that there is somethi

The result of the young

rnfully laid down the

astics, and t

to travel for his healt

d or the South of Franc

esirable. Burnaby went

led country in Europe,

e added Spanish to his

d the benefit of the a

South America, where

game and recovering

Returning to do duty wit

abic, going at them ste

hes of ploughed land to

him with the rare gratif

he siege, and sharing

. Whilst in Seville dur

saying that his father

throes of civil war, wi

of Versailles. To rea

a delay of many days,

done by the Communists

cigars in packets that

, he passed through P

la

h intending to journey t

fever, spent four mont

tpone the trip. In 187

as the special corresp

etters form not the lea

serable war. In the earl

ica, hoping to find "

t gallant officer on t

n have seen, and having

ard, riding on a camel

e of five hundred mil

turned up for duty at

onchalance as if he had

es in a Cun

light through Central A

e back with irresistible

lucky journalist had ju

ed to accomplish the e

mber 30th, 1875, he

mself, as a foretaste o

he long lonely ride thro

lisation and railways b

distance of four hundr

Tartar servant, and an

gh brought him to Fort

e desert of Central As

was perforce foregone,

servant, one guide,

and 80° below freezin

miles of pathless, t

ong this route with de

The Russians, inured t

in the winter months.

mels and two-thirds of

Burnaby gaily went f

al days' hard riding an

Khiva, chatted with th

ept his eyes wide open,

am from the Commander

w this strange visitor f

ed the military author

ve sufficed an ordinary

, whilst his Ride to

raries, he paid a secon

n the bleak steppes rou

eans untrodden, plains o

of which he often spok

rooding over this new j

o domestic life in Crom

eristic of him that, loo

n Bright's at Birmingham

r of politic

d Burnaby was in Septem

rby Hall, Leicestershir

olding on with all the

er, was his little son,

t it was thus to hang o

ounds. We had been stay

me, and it had been se

y Doetsch, that we sho

for Spain to spend a

et sounded from the S

y scents the battle fr

nts, and fared f

d in superintending th

grakeh. This was hard

ing to get to the fron

884, he writes: "I do

t before the middle of

o the front. It is a

here, with forty miles

I am very grateful to

hall be better pleased

advance upo

ourse, and Burnaby was

ney was stopped at Abu-

tewart, whose little f

rounded by a body of

ritish troops formed s

irecting the desperate

ngry torrent. After s

ent of the moment got

d in a hand-to-hand co

his peril, dashed out

s one who saw him tel

st the odds when an Ar

f his horse dead. He s

soldier's grave, dug f

st recesses he had plan

was January 17th, 1885

the lonely Dese

down! Whereso

the lips with

uare in the desert

stout hearts, an

t last, in close

so often aff

no dart for his

heart to the ba

e spear thrust t

land's, as Lio

th incident, g

a laurel that's

Paladin, pron

ough of the sp

market, the sho

will glitter o

n fighter, the str

und with his frie

life-story short

ubtless he'd dee

en does, voiced the s

the death