airplane out of view of the earth's surface, relying
solely for safety and position upon the compass and altimeter, and
knowing that somewhere far below them swept the rolling billows of the
ocean; but they enjoyed it immensely.

Finally, just as John declared they ought to be close to their
objective, the winds freshened and made a great rift in the fog below
them, through which they could plainly see the grand old Carolina
coast-line a little way ahead and to their right. Between the main
shore and the long spine-like series of reefs constituting the cape
itself, sparkled the waters of numerous sounds, while the
weather-beaten lighthouse on the extreme elbow of Hatteras stood out
like a stick of white chalk against the rocky gray background of its
support.

All were delighted with the accuracy with which they had made their
first guide-post, as John and Mr. Giddings checked their bearings on
the chart. The Sky-Bird had behaved splendidly so far, and if she
continued in that way they ought to reach their destination well before
nightfall, even at the reduced speed at which they had been flying,
which had averaged not much more than a hundred miles an hour.

It now became a question whether they should leisurely follow along the
inwardly curving coast-line, taking in Savannah, Charleston, and
Jacksonville, as guide-posts, or save a hundred miles or more by flying
straight across the waters to Miami. As they wished to test out each
member's ability to operate by compass rather than by landmarks, it was
decided to take the shorter route. So gradually they left the rugged
American shore behind and swept farther and farther out to sea.

The Sky-Bird II was flying as steady as a rock. All the bracing wires
were tuned to a nicety, the wind humming through them and along the
smooth sides of the great creature's body with a whistling monotone
which arose and fell with bewitching rhythm as the force fluctuated.
The varnish and fire-proofing compound glistened brightly in the
sunshine, attracting the attention of numerous seabirds, mostly gulls
and ospreys, which followed them at times for short distances, only to
be outdistanced. The engine was running at less than half its possible
speed, and purring like a contented kitten after a meal of fresh milk.
The clouds and fog had cleared away; the sky was as bright now as a sky
ever gets; far beneath, the blue-green waters of the Atlantic, flecked
with white-topped waves, s