ot use the aeroplane feature for
sending aloft the ship, as there was hardly room, around the shops, for
a good start.

When enough of the vapor had been generated to make the airship
buoyant, the big doors of the shed were opened, and Tom and Mr. Sharp,
with the aid of Garret and Mr. Swift, shoved it slowly out.

"There it is! There she comes!" cried several voices outside the high
fence that surrounded the Swift property. "They're going up!"

"Andy Foger is in that bunch," remarked Tom with a grim smile. "I hope
we don't fail."

"We won't. Don't worry," advised Mr. Sharp.

The shouts outside the fence increased. It was evident that quite a
crowd of boys, as well as men, had collected, though it was early in
the morning. Somehow, news of the test had leaked out.

The ship continued to get lighter and lighter as more gas was
generated. It was held down by ropes, fastened to stakes driven in the
ground. Mr. Sharp entered the big car that was suspended, below the
aeroplanes.

"Come on, Tom," the aeronaut called. "We're almost ready to fly. Will
you come too, Mr. Swift, and Garret?"

"Some other time," promised the aged inventor. "It looks as though you
were going to succeed, though. I'll wait, however, until after the test
before I venture."

"How about you, Garret?" asked Tom of the engineer, as the young
inventor climbed into the car.

"The ground is good enough for me," was the answer, with a smile.
"Broken bones don't mend so easily when you're past sixty-five."

"But we're not going to fall!" declared Mr. Sharp. "All ready, Tom.
Cast off! Here we go!"

The restraining ropes were quickly cast aside. Slowly at first, and
then with a rush, as though feeling more and more sure of herself, the
Red Cloud arose in the air like a gigantic bird of scarlet plumage. Up
and up it went, higher than the house, higher than the big shed where
it had been built, higher, higher, higher!

"There she is!" cried the shrill voices of the boys in the meadow, and
the hoarser tones of the men mingled with them.

"Hurrah!" called Tom softly to the balloonist. "We're off!" and he
waved his hand to his father and Garret.

"I told you so," spoke Mr. Sharp confidently. "I'm going to start the
propellers in a minute."

"Oh, dear me, goodness sakes alive!" cried Mrs. Baggert, the
housekeeper, running from the house and wringing her hands. "I'm sure
they'll fall!"

She looked up apprehensively, but Tom only waved his hand to h