loud tones
short, sharp, seemingly vital things, and were answered distantly. A
bell jangled, and feet went down the corridor. Then came a stillness
more distracting than sound, and then a great gurgling and rushing and
splashing of water. The young man's eyebrows lifted. He hesitated, and
dashed out of the room. Presently came a stupendous bang to vary the
noises without, then a distant cheering. The young man re-appeared.

"They're running the water out of the ballonette already."

"What water?" asked Bert.

"The water that anchored us. Artful dodge. Eh?"

Bert tried to take it in.

"Of course!" said the compact young man. "You don't understand."

A gentle quivering crept upon Bert's senses. "That's the engine," said
the compact young man approvingly. "Now we shan't be long."

Another long listening interval.

The cabin swayed. "By Jove! we're starting already;" he cried. "We're
starting!"

"Starting!" cried Bert, sitting up. "Where?"

But the young man was out of the room again. There were noises of German
in the passage, and other nerve-shaking sounds.

The swaying increased. The young man reappeared. "We're off, right
enough!"

"I say!" said Bert, "where are we starting? I wish you'd explain. What's
this place? I don't understand."

"What!" cried the young man, "you don't understand?"

"No. I'm all dazed-like from that crack on the nob I got. Where ARE we?
WHERE are we starting?"

"Don't you know where you are--what this is?"

"Not a bit of it! What's all the swaying and the row?"

"What a lark!" cried the young man. "I say! What a thundering lark!
Don't you know? We're off to America, and you haven't realised. You've
just caught us by a neck. You're on the blessed old flagship with the
Prince. You won't miss anything. Whatever's on, you bet the Vaterland
will be there."

"Us!--off to America?"

"Ra--ther!"

"In an airship?"

"What do YOU think?"

"Me! going to America on an airship! After that balloon! 'Ere! I say--I
don't want to go! I want to walk about on my legs. Let me get out! I
didn't understand."

He made a dive for the door.

The young man arrested Bert with a gesture, took hold of a strap, lifted
up a panel in the padded wall, and a window appeared. "Look!" he said.
Side by side they looked out.

"Gaw!" said Bert. "We're going up!"

"We are!" said the young man, cheerfully; "fast!"

They were rising in the air smoothly and quietly, and moving slowly
to the throb of