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14 THE MAN IN THE MOON

It was only exceeded the the alacrity with which they commenced 

[[Black and white image - men folding up deflated balloon]]

THE PROCESS OF PACKING UP THE BALLOON,

and putting it into the car, into which one of the travellers, overcome by the excitement and the champagne - which was all along very much up - had previously tumbled.

The greatest bore of all was the coming home. We did not descend on the grounds of any gentleman who "hospitably received" us, but in the middle of a marsh, whence we had three miles to walk to the nearest village. And then horses had to be got, and an omnibus hunted up, and beer distributed in unlimited quantities to the "helpers", all of which took up two or three hours. However the trip was well worth the expense. Risk there is none; Mr. Green is anything but what his name would imply in managing his ship. A novel exhilarating sensation is something now-a-days in these times of go-a-head  universal blasé-ness, and this you will be certain to experience; so, when you see "early applications for seats in the car are necessary" in the advertisements, go and make one, at once. 
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CONTRADICTION IN TERMS - Accidents are peculiarities which may, but do not necessarily, exist co-incident with any given fact or object. They are, therefore, the reverse of essentials. This does not, however, hold good as to railways - recent events having proved that, on thse works, accidents are clearly essentials.