u came by the _Peninsular_, no doubt. I hear she
came in this morning."

"No. I came by aeroplane."

The Scotsman stared.

"What's that ye were saying?"

"By aeroplane. The fact is, Mr. Macdonald, I'm in a hurry. I've got to
get off within an hour or so; and I want some petrol for my engine.
Mr. Jenkinson was to have arranged it for me, but being absent he
refers me to you, and I shall be immensely obliged if you can manage
it for me, and excuse my not entering into particulars, for which I
really haven't time."

"Is that a fact? Petrol, is it? Come away with me; only, upon my word,
sir, I will take it very kind if you will give me a few particklers of
this astonishing business as we go."

He put on a sun helmet, and led the way from the room. Jumping into
the victoria, he ordered the temporary coachman to drive to Harris
Road, a quarter of a mile beyond the Custom House. In the two minutes
occupied by the drive, Smith told the Scotsman merely that he had come
from Constantinople and was proceeding immediately to Penang on
important business.

"It took ye a week, I suppose?"

"No, I left there rather less than twenty-four hours ago."

"Man, you astonish me; fair take my breath away. But here we are."

He alighted at a store kept by a Parsi. It was a matter of a few
moments to purchase the petrol and machine oil, Smith paying for it
with English gold. The tins were rolled out; Mr. Macdonald hailed a
closed cab, into which they were put, and then they set off to return
to the golf links, Mr. Macdonald accompanying Smith, curious to see
the machine which had performed such an astonishing journey.

"I've read in the papers about these aeroplanes, but never seen one
yet. Is it your opinion, now, that we'll have a war in the air one of
these days?"

"I shouldn't wonder. We shall have cruisers and battleships, air
torpedoes and destroyers, air mines and air submarines."

"Are you pulling my leg, now?" asked Mr. Macdonald, but he received no
reply, for Smith had noticed an European provision shop, and
remembering that his biscuits and chocolate were running low, he
called to the driver to stop, and made some purchases. He took the
opportunity to lay in a dozen bottles of soda-water, and added a few
packets of Rodier's favourite cigarettes, for smoking during the
halts, for he would never allow a match to be struck near the engine.

Mr. Macdonald plied him with questions during the remainder of the
drive, and