nel chest-protector.
In an other moment Bert, in a state of irregular decolletage, was
standing over the table displaying a sheaf of papers.

"These!" he gasped. "These are the plans!... You know! Mr.
Butteridge--his machine! What died! I was the chap that went off in that
balloon!"

For some seconds every one was silent. They stared from these papers to
Bert's white face and blazing eyes, and back to the papers on the table.
Nobody moved. Then the man with the flat voice spoke.

"Irony!" he said, with a note of satisfaction. "Real rightdown Irony!
When it's too late to think of making 'em any more!"

4

They would all no doubt have been eager to hear Bert's story over again,
but it was it this point that Laurier showed his quality. "No, SIR," he
said, and slid from off his table.

He impounded the dispersing Butteridge plans with one comprehensive
sweep of his arm, rescuing them even from the expository finger-marks of
the man with the flat voice, and handed them to Bert. "Put those back,"
he said, "where you had 'em. We have a journey before us."

Bert took them.

"Whar?" said the man in the straw hat.

"Why, sir, we are going to find the President of these States and give
these plans over to him. I decline to believe, sir, we are too late."

"Where is the President?" asked Bert weakly in that pause that followed.

"Logan," said Laurier, disregarding that feeble inquiry, "you must help
us in this."

It seemed only a matter of a few minutes before Bert and Laurier and the
storekeeper were examining a number of bicycles that were stowed in the
hinder room of the store. Bert didn't like any of them very much. They
had wood rims and an experience of wood rims in the English climate had
taught him to hate them. That, however, and one or two other objections
to an immediate start were overruled by Laurier. "But where IS the
President?" Bert repeated as they stood behind Logan while he pumped up
a deflated tyre.

Laurier looked down on him. "He is reported in the neighbourhood of
Albany--out towards the Berkshire Hills. He is moving from place to
place and, as far as he can, organising the defence by telegraph and
telephones The Asiatic air-fleet is trying to locate him. When they
think they have located the seat of government, they throw bombs. This
inconveniences him, but so far they have not come within ten miles of
him. The Asiatic air-fleet is at present scattered all over the
Eastern States, seeking ou