ctly what we required, because we did not wish either our
preparations or our departure to be observed.

Just as we arrived within hail of the shed the door opened, and a
rugged-featured man with sandy hair stepped out. This was Kenneth
M'Allister, our engineer and general factotum in all mechanical
matters--a typical specimen of a Scotch engineer. He had followed his
profession in its different phases on tramp-steamers, on ocean liners,
naval gunboats, and even on battle-ships, besides having served for
several years in the workshops of a great firm of electrical engineers.

Whether repairing a broken propeller-shaft two or three scores of tons
in weight, the most intricate machinery, or the most delicate electric
mechanism, he was equally at home and sure in his work; in fact nothing
seemed to come amiss to him. His machinery was always the object of his
most anxious care, and, providing that all worked satisfactorily,
nothing else troubled him much.

"Well, M'Allister," I called to him, "is everything ready for our trip
to-night?"

"Heh, mon," he replied, "everything is all ready; will you look in and
take a turn round the ship?"

"Certainly we will," I answered; so we all went into the shed, where we
gazed with equal pride and satisfaction upon the splendid shining object
which was housed therein. Here, in perfect readiness for its destined
service, was our air-ship--if it could be so called--upon which we three
had expended years of thought, experiment, and work.

Outwardly it was shaped somewhat like a fish, being constructed of a
special metal--our joint invention--which we had named "martalium." The
metal was composed of aluminium and two other rarer metals which, when
combined together, produced a substance almost as light as aluminium,
yet many times harder and tougher than case-hardened steel; whilst its
surface shone like burnished silver and could never in any circumstances
become tarnished or affected by rust.

The ship was ninety-five feet in length, and its diameter twenty feet in
the broadest part, tapering off to a point at either end.

With the exception of the steering and balancing fans, there was no
machinery whatever visible on the exterior of the vessel. Several
windows along each side, together with a few at the top and bottom of
the vessel, gave light to the interior, and would allow for observations
being made in any direction. These windows were all constructed of a
special toughened