editating crossing over the
top of the tower and pouring a little water from the ballast tank on
the sympathetic crowd, when he saw his father and Herr Schlugst forcing
their way through it. At once he rose above the tower and let down the
grapnel. A dozen hands seized it, and drew down the machine. Tinker
let the stored gas flow into the balloon to allow for Herr Schlugst's
extra weight; and lowered the rope-ladder. The bursting Teuton came
clambering up it, forcing down the car and planes by his weight on to
the heads of the crowd, which was forced to hold them up with a
thousand hands.

"Ach, you young tevil my machine to sdeal!" he cried, tumbling into the
car.

"You shouldn't have refused to take me with you," said Tinker,
preparing to slip over the other side on to anyone's head.

"What haf you broke? What haf you broke?" cried Herr Schlugst, looking
round at the instruments with a practised eye, and seeing them unharmed.

"Nothing. What should I break anything for?" said Tinker scornfully.

"No; dere is nodings broke, schoundrel. But vere--vere is mine von
tousand pound? I ask you! Vare is mine von tousand pound! You haf
ruined me! Ruined me!"

"Oh, that's all right!" said Tinker. "I had a passenger who paid his
fare. Here are two thousand pounds." And he gave him two of the notes.

Herr Schlugst opened his mouth and stared at the notes, "Doo tousand
pound! Doo tousand pound!" he muttered thickly. "You vas von
vonder-child! Von vonder-child!"

Tinker bade him good-bye, and slipped out of the car, leaving him to
fly to some smooth place in the environs, where he could dismantle his
machine. Sir Tancred was too thankful for Tinker's safety to be very
angry with him: and they descended the tower surrounded by gendarmes,
who were put to it to preserve Tinker from the embraces of excited
persons of either sex. One fat Frenchman, indeed, kissed him on both
cheeks, crying, "Vive le rosbif! vive le rosbif!" before he could ward
him off.

At the bottom of the tower Mr. Blumenruth, radiant and triumphant,
burst through the throng, flung himself upon them, and dragged them to
a smart victoria which awaited them. He told them joyously that he had
cleared eighty-seven thousand pounds, and protested that they should be
his guests at his hotel as long as they stayed in Paris. On the way to
it Sir Tancred got down to buy some cigars, and he was barely in the
shop when the financier said in a jerky