esistible sensation.

A breath of wind--the first he had felt that night--had swept in through
some crevice in the curving wall, flapping the canvas enveloping the
great car. It acted like a peal to battle. After all, a man must take
some risks in his life, and his heart was in this trial of a redoubtable
mechanism in which he had full faith. He could not say no to the
prospect of being the first to share a triumph which would send his name
to the ends of the earth; and, changing the trend of his sentence, he
repeated with a calmness which had the force of a great decision.

"I will not fail you in anything. If she rises--" here his trembling
hand fell on the curtain shutting off his view of the ship, "she shall
take me with her, so that when she descends I may be the first to
congratulate the proud inventor of such a marvel."

"So be it!" shot from the other's lips, his eyes losing their
threatening look, and his whole countenance suddenly aglow with the
enthusiasm of awakened genius.

Coming from the shadows, he laid his hand on the cord regulating the
rise and fall of the concealing curtain.

"Here she is!" he cried and drew the cord.

The canvas shook, gathered itself into great folds and disappeared in
the shadows from which he had just stepped.

The air-car stood revealed--a startling, because wholly unique, vision.

Long did Sweetwater survey it, then turning with beaming face upon the
watchful inventor, he uttered a loud Hurrah.

Next moment, with everything forgotten between them save the glories of
this invention, both dropped simultaneously to the floor and began that
minute examination of the mechanism necessary to their mutual work.

XXXVII. HIS GREAT HOUR

Saturday night at eight o'clock.

So the fiat had gone forth, with no concession to be made on account of
weather.

As Oswald came from his supper and took a look at the heavens from the
small front porch, he was deeply troubled that Orlando had remained so
obstinate on this point. For there were ominous clouds rolling up from
the east, and the storms in this region of high mountains and abrupt
valleys were not light, nor without danger even to those with feet well
planted upon mother earth.

If the tempest should come up before eight!

Mr. Challoner, who, from some mysterious impulse of bravado on the part
of Brotherson, was to be allowed to make the third in this small band of
spectators, was equally concerned at this sight, but