he
airship was turned about, the young inventor was allowed to try his
hand at managing it. He said, afterward, that it was like guiding a
fleecy cloud.

"Point her straight for Shopton," counseled Mr. Sharp, when he had
explained the various wheels and levers to the lad.

"Straight she is," answered the lad, imitating a sailor's reply. "Oh,
but this is great! It beats even my motor-boat!"

"It goes considerably faster, at all events," remarked Mr. Sharp.
"Keep her steady now, while I take a look at the engine. I want to be
sure it doesn't run hot."

He went aft, where all the machinery in the car was located, and Tom
was left alone in the small pilot house. He felt a thrill as he looked
down at the earth beneath him, and saw the crowds of wonder-gazers
pointing at the great, red airship flying high over their heads.
Rapidly the open fields slipped along, giving place to a large city.

"Rocksmond," murmured Tom, as he noted it. "We're about fifty miles
from home, but we'll soon be back in the shed at this rate. We
certainly are slipping along. A hundred and fifty feet elevation," he
went on, as he looked at a gauge. "I wonder if I'll ever get used to
going several miles up in the air?"

He shifted the rudder a bit, to go to the left. The Red Cloud obeyed
promptly, but, the next instant something snapped. Tom, with a startled
air, looked around. He could see nothing wrong, but a moment later, the
airship dipped suddenly toward the earth. Then it seemed to increase
its forward speed, and, a few seconds later, was rushing straight at a
tall, ornamental tower that rose from one corner of a large building.

"Mr. Sharp! Mr. Sharp!" cried the lad. "Something has happened! We're
heading for that tower!"

"Steer to one side!" called the balloonist.

Tom tried, but found that the helm had become jammed. The horizontal
rudder would not work, and the craft was rushing nearer and nearer,
every minute, to the pile of brick and mortar.

"We're going to have a collision!" shouted Tom. "Better shut off the
power!"

The two propellers were whirling around so swiftly that they looked
like blurs of light. Mr. Sharp came rushing forward, and Tom
relinquished the steering wheel to him. In vain did the aeronaut try to
change the course of the airship. Then, with a shout to Tom to
disconnect the electric switch, the man turned off the power from the
motor.

But it was too late. Straight at the tower rushed the Red Cloud, and, a