ed record, the speed of
climb, the acceleration record--all that Arcot could think of had been
passed. Now the ship was coming to dock for the night. In the morning it
would be out again. But now Arcot was sufficiently expert with the
controls to maneuver the ship safely on the ground. They finally solved
the wind difficulty by decreasing the weight of the ship to about fifty
pounds, thus enabling the three men to carry it into the hanger!

* * * * *

The next two days were devoted to careful tests of the power factors of
the machine, the best operating frequency, the most efficient altitude
of operation, and as many other tests as they had time for. Each of the
three younger men took turns operating, but so great were the strains of
the sudden acceleration, that Arcot senior decided it would be wisest
for him to stay on the ground and watch.

In the meantime reports of the Pirate became fewer and fewer as less and
less money was shipped by air.

Arcot spent four days practicing the manipulation of the machine, for
though it handled far more readily than any other craft he had ever
controlled, there was always the danger of turning on too much power
under the stress of sudden excitement.

The night before, Arcot had sailed the ship down and alighted on the
roof of Morey senior's apartment, leaving enough power on to reduce the
weight to but ten tons, lest it fall through the roof, while he went
down to see the President of the Lines about some "bait" for the Pirate.

"Send some cash along," said Arcot, when he saw Morey senior, "say a
quarter of a million. Make it more or less public knowledge, and talk it
up so that the Pirate may think there's a real haul on board. I am going
to accompany the plane at a height of about a quarter of a mile above. I
will try to locate him from there by means of radar, and if I have my
apparatus on, I naturally can't locate him. I hope he won't be scared
away--but I rather believe he won't. At any rate, you won't lose on the
try!"

IV

Again Morey and Arcot were looking at the great Jersey aerodrome, out on
the fields that had been broad marshes centuries before. Now they had
been filled in, and stretched for miles, a great landing field, close to
the great city across the river.

The men in the car above were watching the field, hanging inert, a point
of glistening metal, high in the deep velvet of the purple sky, for
fifteen miles of ai