hat on earth is it?" Bab breathed faintly. The voice sounded more
distinctly this time. "Is there some one down there in the woods?"

Bab caught the words. The sound was coming from a megaphone from the
strange ship in the air. But Mollie and Bab had no megaphone at their
command through which to answer back--only two frightened girl voices.

"Yes, yes!" they called together as loud as they could shout. The sound
was ridiculous even to their own ears, and was lost in the vast spaces of
the forest. The strange vehicle over their heads was gliding a little
closer to the ground. Bab and Mollie could faintly see the figure of a
man--two men--when they looked again.

This time the voice came through the megaphone: "Can you get me help? I
have broken the rudder of my balloon. We cannot alight without
assistance. If we come too close to the ground we will catch in the
trees. I want some one to pull us down with ropes."

"Well," Mollie spoke to herself, "it is a relief to know that that object
is an airship, not some hideous hobgoblin. I would like to know, Bab, how
you and I are to get the thing to the ground?"

"Run, fly, Molliekins!" cried Bab, whose mind was always quick in action.
"Go to the cabin for Naki and Ceally. Tell them to come here as fast as
they can tear. We can manage together."

Mollie was off in a flash.

Barbara's voice could now be heard by the men in the balloon above her.
"Drop me a line," she called to them, "before you float too far away. I
will tie you to a tree."

Bab had realized that with a broken rudder it was impossible for the
dirigible balloon to remain poised in the air.

A long coil of rope floated down from the sky. Barbara caught it and ran
to a tree which was bare of branches. Then she knotted the rope with all
her skill and strength. There was nothing to do, now, but wait. Bab
fastened her gaze upon the strange white bird she had captured, which
hung fluttering and quivering in the sky above her.

CHAPTER VI

"THE GREAT WHITE ALSO"

Two minutes later Naki came running along the path. Even his solemn face
was aglow with excitement. Ceally was close behind him. Just after them
danced Mollie, who was followed by Miss Sallie. The latter had deserted
her novel at the critical moment of the story. She must discover what
Mollie was talking about. The child was too excited to explain.

[Illustration: A Long Coil of Rope Floated Down from the Sky.]

When the little party rea