learn how to run an airship that
isn't in trouble," said Larry Dexter.

"Well, perhaps not," said Mr. Vardon. "But the others may."

Meanwhile the Abaris had been slowly nearing earth, and it was this
slowness, caused by the gradual "sifting" down that would make it
possible to land her with scarcely a jar.

If you have ever seen a kite come down when the wind has died out, you
will understand exactly what this "sifting" is. It means gliding
downward in a series of acute angles.

The first alarm over, all was now serene aboard Dick's airship. The
attempt to start the motor had been given up, and under the supervision
of Mr. Vardon the two cadets, Innis and Paul, took turns in bringing
the craft down with the engine "dead." The aviator and his helper had
had experience enough at this.

"Say, this is something new, guiding as big a ship as this without
power," remarked Innis, as he relinquished the wheel to Paul.

"It sure is," said tile latter. Then, a little later, he called out:

"I say, somebody relieve me, quick. I believe I'm going to bring her
down in that creek!"

They all looked ahead and downward. The Abaris, surely enough, was
headed for a stream of water.

"Perhaps you'd better handle her," said Dick to the builder of the
craft. "We don't want her wrecked before we at least have a START
after that prize."

Mr. Vardon nodded, and took the wheel from Paul. A few seconds later
he had brought the craft to the ground within a few feet of the edge of
the stream. Had it been a wider and deeper one they could have landed
on it by using the hydroplanes, but the water seemed too shallow and
full of rocks for that evolution.

And so skillfully had Mr. Vardon manipulated the planes and levers that
the landing was hardly felt. A number of specially-made springs took
up the jar.

"Well, we're here!" exclaimed Dick, as they all breathed in relief.
"Now to see what the trouble was."

"And we've got a long walk back home, in case we can't find the
trouble," sighed Innis, for he was rather stout, and did not much enjoy
walking. They had come down several miles from Hamilton Corners.

"Oh, we'll get her fixed up somehow," declared Dick, with confidence.

Quite a throng had gathered from the little country hamlet, on the edge
of which the aircraft had descended, and they crowded up about the
Abaris, looking in wonder at her size and strange shape.

Mr. Vardon lost no time in beginning his hunt for