ourse. I expect them to be able to zip right through many inches of
armour plate, since they will have a velocity of over four miles a
second.

"They'll be fed in at the rate of about two hundred a minute--faster if
I wish, and started by a small spring. They will instantly come into the
field of a powerful molecular motion director, and will be shot out
with terrific speed. It will be the first rifle ever made that could
shoot bullets absolutely parallel to the ground.

"But that is all we can do today. The guns will be mounted outside, and
controlled electrically, and the charts will be installed tomorrow. By
the day after tomorrow at eight A.M. I plan to take off!"

The work the next day was rushed to completion far earlier than Arcot
had dared to hope. All the men had been kept isolated at the farm, lest
they accidentally spread the news of the new machine. It was with
excited interest that they helped the machine to completion. The guns
had not been mounted as yet, but that could wait. Mid-afternoon found
the machine resting in the great construction shed, completely equipped
and ready to fly!

"Dick," said Morey as he strode up to him after testing the last of the
gyroscopic seats, "she's ready! I certainly want to get her going--it's
only three-thirty, and we can go around to the sunlight part of the
world when it gets dark at the speeds we can travel. Let's test her
now!"

"I'm just as anxious to start as you are, Bob. I've sent for a U.S. Air
Inspector. As soon as he comes we can start. I'll have to put an 'X'
license indication on her now. He'll go with us to test it--I hope.
There will be room for three other people aboard, and I think you and
Dad and I will be the logical passengers."

He pointed excitedly. "Look, there's a government helicopter coming.
Tell the men to get the blocks from under her and tow her out. Two power
trucks should do it. Get her at least ten feet beyond the end of the
hangar. We'll start straight up, and climb to at least a five mile
height, where we can make mistakes safely. While you're tending to that,
I'll see if I can induce the Air Inspector to take a trip with us."

Half an hour later the machine had been rolled entirely out of the shed,
on the new concrete runway.

The great craft was a thing of beauty shimmering in the bright sunlight
The four men who were to ride in it on its maiden voyage stood off to
one side gazing at the great gleaming metal hull. The long swee