wept
along, barely missing the crests of the giant waves.

"She's got to go up! She's got to go up!" cried Tom desperately, as if
by very will power he could send her aloft. And then, when there came a
lull in the fierce blowing of the wind, the elevation rudder took hold,
and like a bird that sees the danger below, and flies toward the
clouds, the airship shot up suddenly.

"That's it!" cried Tom in relief, as he noted the needle of the
barograph swinging over, indicating an ever-increasing height. "Now
we're safe."

They were not quite yet, but at last the power of machinery had
prevailed over that of the elements. Through the pelting rain, and amid
the glare of the lightning, and the thunder of heaven's artillery, the
airship forced her way, up and up and up.

Setting the motor controller to give the maximum power until he
released it, Tom hastened to the gas-generating apparatus. He found Ned
attending to it, so that it was now working satisfactorily.

"How about it, Tom?" cried his chum anxiously.

"All right now, Ned, but it was a close shave! I thought we were done
for, platinum mine, rescue of exiles, and all."

"So did I. Shall I keep on with the gas?"

"Yes, until the indicator shows that the bag is full. I'm going to the
pilot house."

Running there, Tom found that Mr. Damon and the Russian had about all
they could manage. The young inventor helped them and then, when the
Falcon was well started on her upward course, Tom set the automatic
steering machine, and they had a breathing spell.

To get above the sweep of the blast was no easy task, for the wind
strata seemed to be several miles high, and Tom did not want to risk an
accident by going to such an elevation. So, when having gone up about a
mile, he found a comparatively calm area he held to that, and the
Falcon sped along with the occupants feeling fairly comfortable, for
there was no longer that rolling and tumbling motion.

The storm kept up all night, but the danger was practically over,
unless something should happen to the machinery, and Tom and Ned kept
careful watch to prevent this. In the morning they could look down on
the storm-swept ocean below them, and there was a feeling of
thankfulness in their hearts that they were not engulfed in it.

"This is a pretty hard initiation for an amateur," remarked Mr.
Petrofsky. "I never imagined I should be as brave as this in an airship
in a storm."

"Oh, you can get used to almost anythi