om of my neighbours across the street."

I had really said that half in raillery, for I was at a loss to account
in any other way for the light, but I was surprised to see how eagerly
Craig accepted it.

"Perhaps you are right, in a way," he assented. "I guess it isn't a
spark, after all. Yes, it must be the reflection of the sun on a piece
of glass--the angles are just about right for it. Anyhow it caught my
eye. Still, I believe that barn will bear watching."

Whatever his suspicions, Craig kept them to himself, and descended.
At the same time Norton gently dropped back to earth in front of his
hangar, not ten feet from the spot where he started. The applause was
deafening, as the machine was again wheeled into the shed safely.

Kennedy and I pushed through the crowd to the wireless operator.

"How's she working?" inquired Craig.

"Rotten," replied the operator sullenly. "It was worse than ever about
five minutes ago. It's much better now, almost normal again."

Just then the messenger-boy, who had been hunting through the crowd for
us, handed Kennedy a note. It was merely a scrawl from Norton:

"Everything seems fine. Am going to try her next with the
gyroscope. NORTON."

"Boy," exclaimed Craig, "has Cdr. Norton a telephone?"

"No, sir, only that hangar at the end has a telephone."

"Well, you run across that field as fast as your legs can carry you and
tell him if he values his life not to do it."

"Not to do what, sir?"

"Don't stand there, youngster. Run! Tell him not to fly with that
gyroscope. There's a five-spot in it if you get over there before he
starts."

Even as he spoke the Norton aeroplane was wheeled out again. In a minute
Norton had climbed up into his seat and was testing the levers.

Would the boy reach him in time? He was half across the field, waving
his arms like mad. But apparently Norton and his men were too engrossed
in their machine to pay attention.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed Craig. "He's going to try it. Run, boy, run!"
he cried, although the boy was now far out of hearing.

Across the field we could hear now the quick staccato chug-chug of the
engine. Slowly Norton's aeroplane, this time really equipped with
the gyroscope, rose from the field and circled over toward us. Craig
frantically signalled to him to come down, but of course Norton could
not have seen him in the crowd. As for the crowd, they looked askance at
Kennedy, as if he had taken leave of his sense