near at hand.

In the pilot-house, a figure had collapsed across the sill of an
observation window. And the engines, purring softly, told that all had
been in readiness for the throwing-in of the clutches that would have
set the vast propellers spinning with roaring speed.

"Yes, they were certainly just on the dot of getting away," said the
Master, nodding as he glanced at his watch. "This couldn't be better.
Gas, oil, stores, everything ready. What more proof do you require, my
dear Bohannan, of the value of exact coordination?"

The major could only answer: "Yes, yes--" He seemed quite amazed by
this extraordinary mechanism--gigantic, weird, unreal in the garish
electric lights. Rrisa was frankly staring, for once shaken out of his
fatalistic Mussulman tranquillity.

As for Captain Alden, he stood there a compact, small figure in his
long coat with the rucksack strapped to his shoulders, peering up with
the eye of the connoisseur. His smile was of contentment absolute.

"My beauty--ah, my beauty!" he was murmuring.

Then, in the presence of this mighty thing, silence fell on all. The
major set hands on hips, blinked, puckered his lips, and silently
whistled. His expression was half incredulous, half enthusiastic.

What Alden was thinking revealed itself by the sparkle of his eyes
through the holes of the mask behind the goggles. Expressionless
though that terribly mutilated face had to remain, you could sense in
the man's whole attitude the exultation of the expert ace as he beheld
the perfect machine.

The droning of the engines came distinctly to them all, a low, steady,
powerful note, beautiful in its steady undertones of strength. Behind
the little group, a few involuntary exclamations of astonishment and
joy became audible, as some of the Legionaries came into the second
enclosure.

Without, blows on metal sharply resounded. The Master smiled again, as
he realized his orders were going on with exact precision.

"That's the wireless they're putting out of commission," thought he,
glancing at his watch again. "No mere untuning of wave-lengths.
Good, old-fashioned hammer-blows! This station won't work again for a
while!"

Bohannan, meantime, was trying to get some general impression of the
giant plane. Not all the Master's descriptions of it, to him, had
quite prepared him for the reality. Though he well knew all the
largest, biggest machines in the world, this stupendous creation
staggered him. By co