is turn to
take a little rest. "You have a fine craft, Mr. Hamilton."

"Glad of it," responded Dick. "We'll see what she does when we
straighten her out on the long run to San Francisco."

The night wore on. Above the earth, like some gigantic meteor, flew
the airship, her propellers forcing her onward and onward. Now and
then some of the machinery needed attention, but very little. The
gyroscope stabilizer worked well, and as it was automatic, there was no
need of warping the wing tips, or of using the alerons, which were
provided in case of emergency. The Abaris automatically kept herself
on a level keel, even as a bird does when flying.

The gray dawn crept in through the celluloid windows of the aircraft.
This material had been used instead of glass, to avoid accidents in
case of a crash. The celluloid would merely bend, and injure no one.

"It's morning!" cried Dick, as he sprang from his bunk, for he had had
the previous watch.

"Morning?" repeated Innis. "Well, where are we?"

"Have to go down and take an observation," suggested the lieutenant. "I
think we must be very near New York."

Paul, who was in charge of the wheel looked for confirmation to Dick.
The latter nodded, and the cadet pulled the lever that would send the
airship on a downward slant.

It was not long before a group of big buildings came into view. It
needed but a glance to tell what they were sky-scrapers.

"New York!" cried Dick. "We're over New York all right!"

"Then I've got to get a message to my paper!" exclaimed Larry. "Is the
wireless working?"

"We'll have to make a landing to send it up," replied Mr. Vardon.

"Well, if we're going down anyhow, a telephone will do as well," went
on the reporter. "Only it's going to be a job to land down among all
those sky-scrapers."

"We can't do it," Mr. Vardon declared.

"We'll have to head for an open space."

"Central Park, or the Bronx," put in the lieutenant. "Either place
will give us room enough."

"We'll try the Bronx," suggested Dick. "That will give us a chance to
see New York from aloft. We'll land in the Bronx."

They had sailed over to the metropolis from a point about opposite
Jersey City, and now they took a direct Northward course flying
lengthwise over Manhattan.

As they came on down and down, they were observed by thousands of early
workers, who craned their necks upward, and looked with eager eyes at
the big airship over their heads.

A few mi