with shiny stripes wriggling and winding around over it,
which was rivers. The Widder Douglas always told me the earth was round
like a ball, but I never took any stock in a lot of them superstitions
o' hers, and of course I paid no attention to that one, because I could
see myself that the world was the shape of a plate, and flat. I used
to go up on the hill, and take a look around and prove it for myself,
because I reckon the best way to get a sure thing on a fact is to go and
examine for yourself, and not take anybody's say-so. But I had to give
in now that the widder was right. That is, she was right as to the rest
of the world, but she warn't right about the part our village is in;
that part is the shape of a plate, and flat, I take my oath!

The professor had been quiet all this time, as if he was asleep; but he
broke loose now, and he was mighty bitter. He says something like this:

"Idiots! They said it wouldn't go; and they wanted to examine it, and
spy around and get the secret of it out of me. But I beat them. Nobody
knows the secret but me. Nobody knows what makes it move but me; and
it's a new power--a new power, and a thousand times the strongest in the
earth! Steam's foolishness to it! They said I couldn't go to Europe. To
Europe! Why, there's power aboard to last five years, and feed for three
months. They are fools! What do they know about it? Yes, and they said
my air-ship was flimsy. Why, she's good for fifty years! I can sail the
skies all my life if I want to, and steer where I please, though they
laughed at that, and said I couldn't. Couldn't steer! Come here, boy;
we'll see. You press these buttons as I tell you."

He made Tom steer the ship all about and every which way, and learnt him
the whole thing in nearly no time; and Tom said it was perfectly easy.
He made him fetch the ship down 'most to the earth, and had him spin her
along so close to the Illinois prairies that a body could talk to the
farmers, and hear everything they said perfectly plain; and he flung out
printed bills to them that told about the balloon, and said it was going
to Europe. Tom got so he could steer straight for a tree till he got
nearly to it, and then dart up and skin right along over the top of it.
Yes, and he showed Tom how to land her; and he done it first-rate, too,
and set her down in the prairies as soft as wool. But the minute we
started to skip out the professor says, "No, you don't!" and shot her up
in the ai