the aid of a smoked glass. Around the sun, long banners in space, the
Zodiacal light gleamed dimly. Here and there some of the brighter stars
winked in the dark sky.

Below them the landscape swung slowly by. Even to these men who had made
the trip dozens of times, the sight was fascinating, inspiring. It was a
spectacle which had never been visible before the development of these
super-planes. Whole flying observatories had been made that had taken
photographs at heights of fifteen miles, where the air was so rarefied
that the plane had to travel close to eight hundred miles an hour to
remain aloft.

Already ahead of them Arcot and Morey could see the great splotch of
color that was Chicago, the mightiest city of Earth. Situated as it was
in the heart of the North American continent, with great water and
ground landing facilities and broad plains about it, it made a perfect
airport. The sea no longer meant much, for it was now only a source of
power, recreation and food. Ships were no longer needed. Planes were
faster and more economical; hence seacoast cities had declined in
importance. With its already great start toward ascendancy, Chicago had
rapidly forged ahead, as the air lines developed with the great
super-planes. The European planes docked here, and it was the starting
point of the South American lines. But now, as they swung high above it,
the glistening walls of soft-colored tiles made it a great mass of
changing, flashing color beneath them. Now they could see a great air
liner, twice the size of their plane, taking off for Japan, its six
giant propellers visible only as flashing blurs as it climbed up toward
them. Then it was out of sight.

It was over the green plains of Nebraska that the Pirate usually worked,
so there the men became more and more alert, waiting for the first sign
of abnormal drowsiness. They sat quietly, not talking, listening
intently for some new note, but knowing all the while that any sound the
Pirate might make would be concealed by the whirring roar of the air
sweeping past the giant airfoils of the plane.

Suddenly Arcot realized he was unbearably sleepy. He glanced drowsily
toward Morey who was already lying down. He found it a tremendous effort
of the will to make himself reach up and close the switch that started
the little camera whirring almost noiselessly. It seemed he never pulled
his arm back--he just--lay there--and--

A white uniformed man was bending over him as