The Balloon

This is John Steele reporting on adventure. The quietest place in New York City is the Explorers Club. I make it my first stop whenever I make the mistake of coming home. Now this doesn't happen very often, my coming home I make.

And every time I do land in the United States, well, anyway, I call this transcribed yarn, the balloon. I was in New York and had taken refuge in the Explorers Club. A lot of my pals were there and we were talking about faraway places with strange sounding names while drinking hot tea out of thick china mugs and eating unleavened African bread,

which made everybody feel right at home. At home? Who am I kidding? One look around the club and you got the feeling the members just didn't know what to do with themselves in New York.

New York had already been discovered, explored and settled, and the nearest thing to a jungle was a department store. But it was nice to be back home for a while. long as I didn't have to stay too long.

I was idly scanning the newspaper, and I happened to notice a rather odd item. It was worded very simply into the point, wanted. Unattached man of good appearance must be thirty-eight in a adventurous background.

Applicant need not apply unless he has courage. Call Twining 90607 promptly at 6 p.m. today. I read the advertisement over a couple of times, and since I had nothing to lose, except my mind, I decided to put in a call.

it was a few minutes to six you ran an advertisement in the newspaper i think always who are you the name steel john steel what is your profession is the uh... let's say i move around from place to place uh... explorers club suit you okay what's the pitch