"Well, I did hope we'd cover at least half the trip before we had to go
down," Dick said, and his tone was regretful. "Try once more and see
if we can't get her back on the course."

But the horizontal guide--by which I mean the apparatus that sent the
craft to left or right--was hopelessly jammed. To try to force it
might mean a permanent break.

"Take her down," Dick finally gave the order, as captain. "What sort
of a landing-place is below us?"

"We're too far up to see," said Mr. Vardon.

"And I hope we have the luck to be above open country. We can't go to
left or right except in the smallest degree, so we'll have to land
wherever Fate disposes. We are all right on going up or down, but not
otherwise."

The vertical rudder was now depressed, and on a long slant Dick's
airship was sent down. Lower and lower she glided, and soon an
indistinct mass appeared. It was almost dusk, and no details could be
made out. Then, as she went lower what appeared to be a gray cloud
showed.

"There's a bank of fog below us," declared Paul.

"Or else it's the smoke of Pittsburg," said Innis.

"We left Pittsburg behind long ago," Larry returned. "Why!" he cried,
as the gray foglike mass became more distinct. "That's water--that's
what it is!"

"Water!" exclaimed Dick. "Can we have gone in the wrong direction, and
be back over the Atlantic?"

"Or the Pacific?" suggested Larry with a laugh.

"No such good luck as that! We haven't had time to cross the continent
yet," declared Dick. "But what water can it be?"

"Oh, some small lake," spoke Paul.

"It isn't a small lake--it's a big one--an inland sea," was Dick's
opinion, as they settled lower and lower.

"It's Lake Michigan, that's what it is!" shouted Larry, after a quick
glance at the map. "Fellows, we're over Lake Michigan!"

"And we're going to be IN it--or on it--in a little while, I'm
thinking," Lieutenant McBride said, grimly. "Are you ready for a bath?"

"There won't be any trouble about that," answered Dick. "The
hydroplanes will take care of us. I only hope it isn't too rough to
make a safe landing."

Paul took a telescope from the rack, and, going out on the deck, looked
down. The next moment he reported:

"It's fairly calm. Just a little swell on."

"Then we'd better get ready to lower the hydroplanes," went on Dick,
with a look at the aviator.

"That's the best thing to do," decided Mr. Vardon. "We'll see how
they'll work in big