nger zone
in time.

Down shot the balloonist and down more slowly settled the collapsed
bag, yet not so slowly that there was any time to spare. It needed
only a few seconds to drop over the performer, to burn and smother him.

Into the water splashed the man, disappearing from sight as when a
stick is dropped in, point first. Ned was alert and steered the boat
to the side in which the man's face was, for he concluded that the
aeronaut would strike out in that direction when he came up. The ARROW
was now directly under the blazing balloon and cries of fear from the
watchers on shore urged upon Tom and his companions the danger of their
position. But they had to take some risk to rescue the man.

"There he is!" cried Mr. Swift, who was on the watch, leaning over the
side of the boat. Tom and Ned saw him at the same instant. Ned
shifted his wheel and the young inventor bent over, holding out the
rope for the man to grasp. He saw it and struck out toward the ARROW.
But there was no need for him to go far. An instant more and the
speeding motor-boat shot past him. He grabbed the rope and Tom, aided
by Mr. Swift, began to lift him out of the water.

"Quick! To one side, Ned!" yelled Tom, for the heat of the descending
mass of burning canvas struck him like a furnace blast.

Ned needed no urging. With a swirl of the screw the ARROW shot herself
out of the way, carrying the aeronaut with her. A moment later the
burning balloon, or what there was left of it, settled down into the
lake, hissing angrily as the fire was quenched by the water and
completely covering the spot where, but a few seconds before, the man
had been swimming. He had been saved in the nick of time.

CHAPTER XXIII

PLANS FOR AN AIRSHIP

"Slow her down, Ned!" cried Tom, for the ARROW was shooting so swiftly
through the water that the young inventor found it impossible to pull
up the balloonist. Ned hurried back to the motor, and, when the boat's
way had been checked, it was an easy matter to pull the dripping and
almost exhausted man into the craft.

"Are you much hurt?" asked Mr. Swift anxiously, for Tom was too much
out of breath with his exertion to ask any questions. For that matter
the man was in almost as bad a plight. He was breathing heavily, as
one who had run a long race.

"I--I guess I'm all right," he panted. "Only burned a little on my
hands. That--that was a close call!"

The boat swung around and headed fo