youngsters stepped within that charmed circle, permitting their uncle to
close the circuit, and then test the queer contrivance to make sure all
was working nicely.

A confused sound broke forth, resembling the faraway tooting of tin
horns, which blended inharmoniously with the ringing of nearer bells,
all producing a noise which was warranted to arouse the heaviest sleeper
from his soundest slumber.

"That will give fair warning in case any intruder drifts this way,"
declared the professor, chucklingly, then sinking down and wrapping
himself up in a close-woven blanket, similar to those employed by the
boys.

"Even a ghost, or a goblin, do you reckon, uncle Phaeton?"

"Should such attempt to intrude, yes. Go to sleep, you young rascal!"

But that proved to be far more readily spoken than lived up to. Not but
that the brothers were weary, jaded, and sore of muscle enough to make
even the thought of slumber agreeable; but their recent experience had
been so thrilling, so nerve-straining, so far apart from the ordinary
routine of life, that hours passed ere either lad could fairly lose
himself in sleep.

Still, when unconsciousness did steal over their weary brains, it proved
to be all the more complete, and after that neither Bruno nor Waldo
stirred hand or foot until, well after the dawn of a new day, Professor
Featherwit shook first one and then the other, crying shrilly:

"Turn out, youngsters! A new day, and plenty of work to be done!"

CHAPTER VII. THE PROFESSOR'S GREAT ANTICIPATIONS.

A stretch and a yawn, which in Waldo's case ended in a prolonged howl,
which would not have disgraced either of their four-footed visitors
of the past evening, then the brothers Gillespie sprung forth from the
flying-machine, entering upon a race for the brawling mountain stream,
"shedding" their garments as they ran.

"First man in!" cried Bruno, whose clothes seemed to slip off the more
readily; but Waldo was not to be outdone so easily, and, reckless of the
consequences, he plunged into the eddying pool, with fully half of his
daylight rig still in place.

The water proved to be considerably deeper than either brother had
anticipated, and Waldo vanished from sight for a few seconds, then
reappearing with lusty puff and splutter, shaking the pearly drops from
his close-clipped curls, while ranting:

"Another vile fabrication nailed to the standard of truth, and clinched
by the hammer of--ouch!"

A wild flounder