lled
the queer sight the farmer presented dangling from the grapnel high
above his broad acres.

"That reminds me," said Jack. "We must send him some money for that
roof."

"How about his personal feelings?" grinned Tom.

"I guess he wiped that score out when he blazed away at the balloon
bag."

"Just the same, I think we'd better go pretty high up," advised Tom.
"He might fancy trying another shot at us."

"That's so," agreed Jack, studying the men moving about far below.

He pulled a lever and the Wondership began to rise. It was as well he
did so perhaps, for as they shot upward they could see that their
presence had been noted. They watched the men scurrying about and
pointing upward. But whether the Wondership was too high, or his
animosity had cooled after his involuntary ascension, the farmer made
no hostile demonstration, and they were soon out of Perkins' sight.

Apparently the new device worked fine, for all through the afternoon,
at various heights and distances, they kept in perfect touch with Mr.
Chadwick. Every intonation of his voice was borne plainly to their
ears, Tom at times taking the wheel and the receivers while Jack
relieved him at the engines.

The storm which had threatened the night before, still was hovering
about, as was evidenced by the white thunderheads piled on the
horizon. But the electricity in the air did not, as is sometimes the
case, interfere with the powerful impulses sent out from workshop and
airship. Although the air felt heavy, the instruments worked
perfectly.

The boys flew over hill and dale for more than seventy miles prior to
any perceptible weakening in the current. But once it began to fail it
reduced rapidly until the messages were scarcely audible. But the
experiments were kept up till almost dusk, when Mr. Chadwick told the
boys to come back.

As they returned the radio 'phones were kept working and as the
distance decreased the impulses grew stronger.

"If only I had some of that Z.2.X.," said Mr. Chadwick, "I believe it
would be possible to send a message across the ocean or the
continent."

Not long after this Jack heard again from his father. It was a
commonplace message enough. Sent merely to keep the air-line in
operation.

"Here is Jupe with the afternoon mail," he said.

"Anything for us?" asked Jack, enjoying the novel sensation of
talking through the air concerning such everyday matters.

"Yes, there's one from Ned Nevins," was the rejo