y across the Atlantic, and in a short
time longer would probably have been in some foreign country. But Tom
turned the Mars about.

The craft had only been slightly damaged by the lightning bolt, though
three of the gas bag compartments were torn, The others sufficed,
however, to make the ship sufficiently buoyant.

When morning came Tom and his friends had matters running almost as
smoothly as before their capture.

The prisoners had no chance to escape, and, indeed, they seemed to have
been broken in spirit. La Foy was no longer the insolent, mocking
Frenchman that he had been, and the two chief foreign engineers seemed
to have lost some of their reason when the lightning struck them.

"But it was a mighty lucky and narrow escape for us," said Ned, as he
and Tom sat in the pilot-house the second day of the return trip.

"That's right," agreed his chum.

Once again they were above the earth, and, desiring to get rid as soon
as possible of the presence of the spies, a landing was made near New
York City, and the government authorities communicated with. Captain
Warner and Lieutenant Marbury took charge of the prisoners, with some
Secret Service men, and the foreigners were soon safely locked up.

"And now what are you going to do, Tom?" asked Ned, when, once more,
they had the airship to themselves.

"I'm going back to Shopton, fix up the gas bag, and give her another
government trial," was the answer.

And, in due time, this was done. Tom added some improvements to the
aircraft, making it better than ever, and when she was given the test
required by the government, she was an unqualified success, and the
rights to the Mars were purchased for a large sum. In sailing, and in
the matter of guns and bombs, Tom's craft answered every test.

"So you see I was right, after all, Dad," the young inventor said, when
informed that he had succeeded. "We can shoot off even bigger guns than
I thought from the deck of the Mars."

"Yes, Tom," replied the aged inventor, "I admit I was wrong."

Tom's aerial warship was even a bigger success than he had dared to
hope. Once the government men fully understood how to run it, in which
Tom played a prominent part in giving instructions, they put the Mars
to a severe test. She was taken out over the ocean, and her guns
trained on an obsolete battleship. Her bombs and projectiles blew the
craft to pieces.

"The Mars will be the naval terror of the seas in any future war,"
predi