"Why, I jest turn the wings horizontal, ye know, an' then we sink very
slow till I incline 'em up again."

He disappeared. Phoebe gave the last of the dishes a brief touch of
the dish-towel and then ran into the main room to watch the barometer.

She was much interested to observe a gradual but continual decrease in
their altitude. She walked to the window but could see no apparent
change, save that they had now passed the sea and only the blue land
with silver streaks of river and indigo hill shadows was beneath them.

"How fast do you s'pose we're flyin', Mr. Droop?" she asked.

"There's the speed indicator," he said, pointing to one of the dials on
the wall. "Ye see it says we're a-hummin' along at about one hundred an'
thirty miles an hour."

"My gracious!" cried Phoebe. "What if we was to hit something!"

"Nothin' to hit," said Droop, with a smile. "Ye see, the's no sort o'
use goin' any slower, an' besides, this quick travellin' keeps us warm."

"Why, how's that?"

"The sides o' the machine rubbin' on the air," said Droop.

"That's so," Phoebe replied. "That's what heats up meteors so awful
hot, ain't it?"

Rebecca came out of the kitchen at this moment.

"I must say ye wasn't particler about gettin' all the pans to rights
'fore ye left the kitchen, Phoebe. Ben makin' the beds?"

"Land, no, Rebecca!" said Phoebe, blushing guiltily.

"Well, there!"

Rebecca said no more, but her set lips and puckered forehead spoke much
of displeasure as she stalked across to the state-rooms.

"Well, I declare to goodness!" she cried, as she opened her door. "Ye
hevn't even opened the window to air the rooms!"

Phoebe looked quite miserable at thought of her remissness, but
Copernicus came bravely to the rescue.

"The windows can't be opened, Cousin Rebecca," he said. "Ef ye was to
open one, 'twould blow yer head's bald as an egg in a minute."

"What!"

"Yes," said Phoebe, briskly, "I couldn't air the beds an' make 'em
because we're going one hundred and thirty odd miles an hour, Rebecca."

"D'you mean to tell me, Copernicus Droop," cried the outraged spinster,
"that I've got to go 'thout airin' my bed?"

"No, no," Copernicus said, soothingly. "The's special arrangements to
keep ventilation goin'. Jest leave the bed open half the day an' it'll
be all aired."

Rebecca looked far from pleased at this.

"I declare, ef I'd known of all these doin's," she muttered.

Unable to remain idle, she set to work "