and he felt that, given similar conditions,
there was no reason why he should not repeat Pegoud's performance. He
therefore talked the matter over with M. Bleriot, and began practising
for his great ordeal.

His first feat was to hang upside-down in a chair supported by a beam
in one of the sheds, so that he would gradually become accustomed to the
novel position. For a time this was not at all easy. Have you ever tried
to stand on your hands with your feet upwards for any length of time?
To realize the difficulty of being head downwards, just do this, and
get someone to hold your legs. The blood will, of course, "rush to the
head", as we say, and the congestion of the blood-vessels in this part
of the body will make you feel extremely dizzy. Such an occurrence would
be fatal in an aeroplane nearly a mile high in the air at a time
when one requires an especially clear brain to manipulate the various
controls.

But, strange to say, the airman gradually became used to the
"heels-over-head" position, and, feeling sure of himself, he determined
to start on his perilous undertaking. No one with the exception of
M. Bleriot and the mechanics were present at the Buc aerodrome, near
Versailles, when Mr. Hucks had his monoplane brought out with the
intention of looping the loop.

He quickly rose to a height of 1500 feet, and then, slowly dipping the
nose of his machine, turned right over. For fully half a minute he flew
underneath the monoplane, and then gradually brought it round to the
normal position.

In the afternoon he continued his experiments, but this time at a height
of nearly 3000 feet. At this altitude he was flying quite steadily, when
suddenly he assumed a perpendicular position, and made a dive of about
600 feet. The horrified spectators thought that the gallant aviator
had lost control of his machine and was dashing straight to Earth, but
quickly he changed his direction and slowly planed upwards. Then almost
as suddenly he turned a complete somersault. Righting the aeroplane, he
rose in a succession of spiral flights to a height of between 3000 and
3500 feet, and then looped the loop twice in quick succession.

On coming to earth M. Bleriot heartily congratulated the brave
Englishman. Mr. Hucks admitted a little nervousness before looping the
loop; but, as he remarked: "Once I started to go round my nervousness
vanished, and then I knew I was coming out on top. It is all a question
of keeping control of you