The Flying Legion

proximately diamond shape with one point forward in the very nose of the machine, one ending in a door that gave access to the main, longitudinal corridor, and the right and left p

lass, with warm air between the sheets to keep snow, frost,

ng aviator had lain-a scent of cigarette-smoke still permeated the place. The Master s

ampagne, in the s

n this moment of exultation, was about to break his lifelong rule and drink a toast, in sp

ockers. Alden kept complete silence as he sat down, crossed one leg over the other and began to stu

ors, thus confronted by strange problems, would have grown loquacious, tried to e

man's life no great show of emotion ever had been permitted to mirror itself upon his countenance. But still, the look was

pilot handle his own engines, tilt his planes, or manipulate his rudders by hand. That would have been as abs

n with smooth and certain promptness. A turn of the wrist, perhaps no more than the touch of a finger, and

the revolutions of each screw per minute; here the altimeter, to indicate height; here the air-speed indicator, the compass with reflector, the inclinometer, the motometers-to show

the engine-room which lay a little aft of midships. But the controls of the vacuum apparat

also were the magnetic-anchor release and the air-skid pump control; here were telephonic connections with the wireless-room and with th

been first to speak. The Master spoke half against his own wish, but a resis

ed Alden. The Master bit his l

es in his arms, put an end to any possible dev

glasses in my pocket-and a corkscrew, sir. It never does to

least, the iron rule of the Master was to be broken, and that the journey was to begin with proper libations.

t open window, there,"

Good Pomme

, Bohannan!

the other's bidding, wh

lass crashed

a?" demanded th

mix with any motive power on this trip. Moreover, it's custom

" Bohannan admitted, scratching his fiery

Arrib e

again,

e to cut that down to Nissr, for everyday use. Bu

s unfolded; and from these, quadrants of a rim that easily snapped together. The Master laid one hand easily on the

Night seemed suddenly to close in about the vast machine. Till now it had been forgotten, ignored. But as darkness fingered at t

beside Captain Alden. He glanced at his wrist-watc

ing with excitement. Alden remained calm, impassive as the Master himself, who now, pre

ntrol. He shot the beam up, up, till it lost itself, vaguely, in mist and cloud; the

ptly ended at the brow of the Palisades-the empty chasm where, if all went right and no mistake had

mmunicated some slight vibration to the ship. The Master snicked the switch of the magnetic-anchor release; and now the last bond

e itself audible. Compressed air, forced through thousands of holes at the bottom of the floats, was interposing a gaseou

infinitely less friction-producing than the finest ball-bearing wheels and quite incapable

y, into the engine-room telephone. "In five seconds after we

back the voice of Auch

dy,

but easy effort. Another trembling made itself felt, as two of the giant screws, connected by reducing-gears with the en

s began to whirl, the Eagle of the Sky shook herself slightly. She awoke from slumber. Steadily, smoothl

Bohannan, chewing at

tever. Both might have been graven images of coolness. The Celt, however, got up

ot no heart in you, eh? No interest? Come a

to a kind of throaty roar; the craft was shaking with strange quivers that no doubt would cease if she but once could launch herself into the air. Un

the glass of the pilot-house;

t there, hand on wheel. Then all at once he reached for the rising

d, now! Give her

nds won to the men in the pilot-house. And all at once, by the dim aura of diffused light reflected from t

e!" he cried, amaze

us! Look

ng over the vacancy of space. Captain Alden's pupils narrowed, through the mask-holes, but he said not

vociferated. "Somebod

orn-kernels exploding. Dark figures were racing for the Palisade gate-the gate where, if any slightest thin

the first time in al

n heard the str

asure. His eyes were blazing, as he th

here back there in the body of t

ne to one side, and blazed a

, catching his breath, quivered. He uttered no outcry, but

e paused, jerked Alden's automatic from its holst

e in the double pane. Accurately the captain fired at dark figures. One f

ng shut, far at the end of the track. The Master laughed again, with the wi

track, slanted upward, breasted the air. Her searchlight blazed. All along her fla

wrench of the levers would thrust on her. Th

in. Ahead, above, yawned vastnesses. The Master co

as

d float had struck. A faint yell rose as someone, hurled backwa

ry for that half-second threatened to plunge her, a mangled, flaming wrec

he hand at the levers, and the good fortune

ted. Up at a diz

t toward the greatest venturing ever conceived by the brain of man-steadied herself, lifted on the