ndustrial organisation that was
perhaps the most perfect of its kind even in the United States. It was
run on lines of absolute despotism, but the despotism was at once
intellectual and benevolent. To be a capable and faithful servant of
Parmenter and Henchell, even in the humblest capacity, meant, not only
good wages and provision for life, but prospects of advancement to the
highest posts in the firm, and means of investing money which no
outsider would ever hear of.

Wherefore those who worked for Parmenter and Henchell formed an
industrial army, some fifty thousand strong, generalled, officered and
disciplined to the highest point of efficiency, and faithful to the
death. In fact, to be dismissed from any of their departments or
workshops was financial death. It was like having a sort of commercial
ticket-of-leave, and if such a man tried for work elsewhere, the answer
was "If you can't work for P. and H. you must be a crook of some sort. I
guess you're no good to us." And the end of that man was usually worse
than his beginning.

This was the vast organisation which, when the word went forth from the
headquarters at Pittsburg, devoted the best of its brains and skill to
the creation of the Aerial Fleet, and, as Mr Parmenter had said, that
Fleet was ready to take the air in the time he had allowed for its
construction.

But the new ships had developed in the course of making. They were half
as long again as the _Columbia_, and therefore nearly twice as big, with
engines four times the power, and they carried three guns ahead and
three astern, which were almost exact reproductions of those of the
_Ithuriel_, the plans of which had been brought over by the _Minnehaha_
on her second trip.

The _Columbia_ had a speed of about one hundred miles an hour, but the
new models were good for nearly a hundred and fifty. In appearance they
were very like broad and shallow torpedo boats, with three aeroplanes on
either side, not unlike those of the _Flying Fishes_, with three lifting
fans under each. These could be driven vertically or horizontally, and
so when the big twin fans at the stern had got up sufficient way to keep
the ship afloat by the pressure under the aeroplanes the lifting fans
could be converted into pulling fans, but this was only necessary when a
very high speed was desired.

There was a signal mast and yard forward, and a flagstaff aft. The guns
were worked under hoods, which protected the gunners from t