Round the World in Seven Days

h ?a! A clean sha

t at a steep angle, and she cleared by little more than

And then the speaker let forth a gust of wrathful lan

was normally a good-tempered fellow, and his outburst would

aden air, had covered the land with a white mist, that curled and heaved beneath the aeroplane in huge waves. It looked like a billowy sea of cotton-wool, but the airmen who had just emerged from it, had no

to and fro in utter uncertainty of his course. He was as much at a loss as if he were navigating a vessel in a sea-fog. To sail through the mist was to incur the risk of striking a tree, a chimney, or a church steeple; to pursue his flight above it in the deepening dusk might carry him miles out of his way, and thou

concerts, and spur himself to a thousand activities that he detested. There was no escape for him. Perhaps he could have faced this seven days' penance more equably if he had had the recollection of three well-employed weeks to sweeten it. Even this was denied him. Ever since he came on leave the weather had been abomin

back from leave. Last time you only got in by the skin of your teeth, when we were off shooting, too. If

hat," he said to Rodier. "A

!" said Rodier

on, seeking in vain for a rift in the bl

r. In three minutes all th

goodness knows what we shall fall on.

k might at any moment bring the voyage, the aeroplane, and themselves to an untimely end. All at once, without warning, a large dark shape loomed out of the mist. Smith instantly warped his planes, and the machine dived so precipitately as almos

. Raising himself, and dashing the clin

smashed,

he answering cry. "She s

e in the neighbourhood. A few steps brought him to the aeroplane, lying in a slanting position between the hayrick

ck, the other sticking over the fence: they'll have to pull it down before we can

seize him, good dog!

break his head," crie

r. "I'll teach you to come breaking in

fending off the dog as well as he could

don't come breaking into my yard by accident.

I came down here on purpose? I lost my way in this confounded mist, and don't know where I am. Ju

h motors killing us on the roads and now these here airyplanes making the very air above us poison to

had alighted. Farmer Barton was a good patriot, and the knowledge

id. "Daze me if you hain't been and cut into my hayrick!" He sniffed. "And what's this horrible s

ly. "Get your men, farmer, or I shan't be home to-night

e; I can't say. My men are abed and asleep,

ine and see that she's safe for the night. I'll run down to the

ou can't send no wire after eight, and it's

on meeting had just been held at Tours, and he was anxious to see how the English competitors had fared. The train was only a few minutes late. Smith asked the guard whether he had brought

with it. You're Lieutenant Smith, if I'm not m

mith, pressing a coin i

sir. Hope to see you a prize-win

had made a new record in altitude; an Englishman had won a fine race, coming in first of ten competitors; a terrible accident had befallen a well-known airman a

caught by a heading that recalled the days of his boyhood, when he had revelled in stori

ED AMONG

ATION OF FAMO

Own Corr

NE, Th

e Solomon group. The crew and passengers, including Dr. Thesiger Smith, the famous geologist, were saved, but the vessel is a complete wreck, and the unfortunate people were compelled to camp on the sh

ted for several days before being picked up in the Coral Sea. A gunboat will be despatched immediately, but since it cannot re

it into his pocket. He did not notice that his hand was trembling. The s

bad news," he said

wrong un, maybe,"

walked as one insensible to all around him until he caught sight of the word GARAGE, painted in large white letters, illuminated by an electric lamp, ov

be got here?" h

llowed to keep, sir

ce to Firtop Farm

ng the shed when a word f

rdon, s

-piece. "Be quick. By the way, can you lend me two or thr

I'm one; I'll get you a couple more in

and the farmer were engaged in a friendly conversation, by t

ked out of his ill-humour. "Your man has been showing me over

ejoined Smith. "Some men are com

lies right athwart the fence, and yo

ust come dow

rat it

the fence, and set them to take down enough of it to free the aeroplane-carefully; I don't want it sm

r to these hasty proceedings, for he made no more ado,

sked Rodier. "You look as

dier, and then, striking a match, showed him the pa

enchman, when he was halfway

I must get home; it will kil

the paragrap

e said. "These cannibals!... And

w and appeared to be deep in a brown study. Sounds of hammering came from the fence; a light breeze was scattering the mist, and he could now see clearly the three men under the farmer's

peut le faire, quand même. Courage, mon

he said, "from here to

d miles, I suppos

repeated, then was silent for a while, touching his brow

Rodier, after a few mome

first came to Smith's face was soon replaced by a look of confidence. He engaged in a hurried colloquy

s, and placed it on the road outside. While Rodier made a rapid examination of it, to see that no damage had been done, Smith go

ill," he cried.

ight,

same moment Rodier switched on the searchlight. The propellers flew round with deafening whirr; the

light diminishing to a pin-point, its clamour sinking to the quiet hum of a

ng like that afore," said the

be in Portsmouth afore I'm half-a-mile up road. Go

ere be summat to wet our whi