omised Mr. Henderson. "You shall have
all the hunting you want."

"I can't go to the north pole," fairly yelled Bill Jones, starting back
toward the engine room. "I had a job plowing on a farm. If I don't go
back I'll lose my place."

"You can hire out to me," suggested the professor. "I need a crew, and I
didn't have time to ship one."

"What about me?" asked Tom Smith. "I was working on a farm like Bill."

"I'll hire you also," spoke the inventor of the _Monarch_.

"Hi, Perfessor! Shall I shut off de gas?" Washington suddenly cried.

"For a while," was the inventor's reply. "We are high enough now. Then
oil up the engines and dynamos, they need it. You boys can help," he
said to Mark and Jack. "I must see to my instruments and find whether
everything is working right."

The two boys were delighted to have a chance in the engine room. Under
Washington's direction, the colored man showing quite a knowledge of the
apparatus, they oiled the various bearings until everything was running
smoothly.

Until now they had no time to realize what an experience they were
going through. Things had happened so quickly that it was hard to
realize they were sailing through the air in a wonderful ship, probably
the most successful navigator of the upper regions ever invented.

It was not until Jack looked over the edge of the airship from the
engine room window that he felt what a trip up among the clouds meant.
Below the earth was spread out like a good-sized map, with little
threads of silver for rivers, patches of green for big fields, and
narrow gray ribbons where there were roads.

"It's wonderful!" he cried to Mark.

"And to think we were chased out of town yesterday by a constable,"
spoke his companion. "This is a great change. I'd like to see him catch
us now."

"Dis prolonguated elevation into de airy space ob de zeneth am extremely
discommodatiousness to a pusson what ain't used to it," remarked
Washington with a broad grin as he oiled a whirring motor.

"Yes--er--I guess it is," admitted Mark.

"Are your teeth all fast after that effort?" asked Jack with a laugh.

"Neber yo' mind my teeth," said Washington. "Golly! What's de matter
now?"

The _Monarch_ was darting from side to side like a kite that has lost
its tail in a high wind.

"It's only the professor trying the steering apparatus," said Jack,
looking forward toward the conning tower. This proved to be true, for,
in a moment, the airship resumed a