eaton to Mr. Vaneman,
after the others had gone.

"Yes; your plan of getting the best men possible, paying them well, and
giving them complete authority and sole responsibility, has worked to
perfection. I have never seen an undertaking of such size go forward so
smoothly and with such fine co-operation."

"That's the way we wanted it. We hand-picked the directors, and put it
up to you, strictly. You did the same to the managers. Everybody knows
that his end is up to him, and him alone--so he digs in."

"However, Dick, while everything at the works is so fine, when is this
other thing going to break?"

"We've won all the way so far, but I'm afraid something's about due.
That's the big reason I want to get Dot away for a while. You know what
they're up to?"

"Too well," the older man answered. "Dottie or Mrs. Crane, or both. Her
mother--she is telling her goodbye now--and I agree that the danger here
is greater than out there."

"Danger out there? With the old can fixed the way she is now, Dot's a
lot safer there than you are in bed. Your house might fall down, you
know."

"You're probably right, son--I know you, and I know Martin Crane.
Together, and in the _Skylark_, I believe you invincible."

"All set, Dick?" asked Dorothy, appearing in the doorway.

"All set. You've got the dope for Prescott and everybody Dad. We may be
back in six months, or we may see something to investigate, and be gone
a year or so. Don't begin to lose any sleep until after we've been
out--oh, say three years. We'll make it a point to be back by then."

Farewells were said; the party embarked, and _Skylark Two_ shot upward.
Seaton flipped a phone set over his head and spoke.

"Dunark!... Coming out, heading directly for 'X'.... No, better stay
quite a ways off to one side when we get going good.... Yes, I'm
accelerating twenty six point oh oh oh.... Yes. I'll call you now and
then, until the radio waves get lost, to check the course with you.
After that, keep on the last course, reverse at the calculated distance,
and by the time we're pretty well slowed down, we'll feel around for
each other with the compasses and go in together.... Right....
Uh-huh.... Fine! So long!"

In order that the two vessels should keep reasonably close together, it
had been agreed that each should be held at an acceleration of exactly
twenty-six feet per second, positive and negative. This figure
represented a compromise between the gravitational forces