st, cloudy, upper regions."

"Then let's paint it to-morrow, and, as soon as it's dry we'll have a
test."

"All right. I'll mix the paint the first thing in the morning."

It took two days to paint the machine, for much care had to be used,
and, when it was finished Tom looked admiringly up at it.

"We ought to name it," suggested Mr. Sharp, as he removed a bit of
paint from the end of the nose.

"To be sure," agreed Tom. "And hold on, I have the very name for
it--Red Cloud!"

"Red Cloud?" questioned Mr. Sharp.

"Yes!" exclaimed Tom, with enthusiasm. "It's painted red--at least the
big, aluminum gas container is--and we hope to go above the clouds in
it. Why not Red Cloud?"

"That's what it shall be!" conceded the balloonist. "If I had a bottle
of malted milk, or something like that, I'd christen it."

"We ought to have a young lady to do that part," suggested Tom. "They
always have young ladies to name ships."

"Were you thinking of any particular young lady?" asked Mr. Sharp
softly, and Tom blushed; as he replied:

"Oh no--of course that is--well--Oh, hang it, christen it yourself, and
let me alone," he finished.

"Well, in the absence of Miss Mary Nestor, who, I think, would be the
best one for the ceremony," said Mr. Sharp, with a twinkle in his eyes,
"I christen thee Red Cloud," and with that he sprinkled some water on
the pointed nose of the red aluminum gas bag, for the aeronaut and Tom
were on a high staging, on a level with the upper part of the airship.

"Red Cloud it is!" cried Tom, enthusiastically. "Now, to-morrow we'll
see what it can do."

The day of the test proved all that could be desired in the way of
weather. The fact that an airship was being constructed in the Swift
shops had been kept as secret as possible, but of course many in
Shopton knew of it, for Andy Foger had spread the tidings.

"I hope we won't have a crowd around to see us go up," said Tom, as he
and Mr. Sharp went to the shed to get the Red Cloud in readiness for
the trial. "I shouldn't want to have them laugh at us, if we fail to
rise."

"Don't worry. We'll go up all right," declared Mr. Sharp. "The only
thing I'm at all worried about is our speed. I want to go fast, but we
may not be able to until our motor gets 'tuned-up'. But we'll rise."

The gas machine had already been started, and the vapor was hissing
inside the big aluminum holder. It was decided to try to go up under
the lifting power of the gas, and n