they found that
they had the power of rising at will.

"Jolly, isn't it?" said Dick, as they floated upwards, leaving the Dodo
gazing after them enviously.

"Like being in a b'loon," chuckled Fidge, clutching at the leaves of a
tree as he passed through them. Fidge never would pronounce balloon
properly.

"Oh! look!" cried Marjorie, as they passed above the trees, "there's the
sea over there, and some houses, and people on the beach. I can see them
quite distinctly. Oh, jolly, we can soon fly over there; come on."

"What about the Dodo?" asked Dick.

"Oh, of course. I'd forgotten him. Let's see, he can't fly, can he?"

"Judging by the exhibition he made of himself when we first saw him, I
should say not," laughed Dick.

"Well, perhaps we could carry him between us," suggested Marjorie, "he
doesn't look _very_ heavy."

"All right, let's try," said her brother, and, having made quite sure of
the direction in which the sea lay, they slowly descended to the ground
again.

"Find out what you wanted to?" asked the Dodo, who had taken off his
gloves, and was blowing into them to take out the creases.

"Yes," said Dick, "there are a few houses by the side of the sea about
two miles to the left; do you think you could manage to fly as far as
that?"

The Dodo smiled in a sickly sort of way. "I'm a little out of practise,"
he faltered.

"Well, do you think that if we each took hold of one of
your--ahem--wings, we could get along that way?"

"You wouldn't crush my gloves?" asked the Dodo, anxiously.

"Oh, you could take them off, you know," said Dick, "and put them in
your p----" (he was going to say pocket, but suddenly remembered that
the Dodo hadn't one)--"in my pocket till we get there, if you like," he
added.

"What!" cried the Dodo, indignantly, "travel without my gloves! Never!
It wouldn't be respectable. I shouldn't think of doing such a thing!"

"Oh, well, come, on then; let's try this way," said Dick, putting his
arm under one of the Dodo's wings, while Marjorie did the same to the
other. "Now then--one--two--three."

Slowly, very slowly, the children rose, for the Dodo was rather heavy
after all, as he dangled down clumsily and uncomfortably between them.

I think they would have managed, however, but just as they had reached
the lower branches of the trees, they heard a voice scream furiously--

"_Now_, then, what are you up to?"

In their agitation they let go of the Dodo, who, after making s