is? Stop a
minute--let me think. `Spirits of the Winds--glittering ship which
flies'--by Jove! can it be possible? I thought, when I heard the
expression `Spirits of the Winds' that it sounded not altogether
unfamiliar, that I had met with it before, in fact; and now that I come
to overhaul my memory I very distinctly remember reading a yarn
describing the adventures of some people who possessed a wonderful
airship in which they made the most extraordinary voyages and met with
some astounding experiences--"

"Yes," interrupted Grosvenor; "I know the book you mean. I, too, read
it. But I took it to be fiction, pure and simple; a somewhat daring
flight of a novelist's imagination. And now that you have reminded me
of the yarn I distinctly remember that the four fellows in the story
were described as having visited these same ruins of Ophir that we are
hunting for--"

"Yes," cut in Dick, "that is so. And, if I remember aright, they met
with some rather exciting adventures among these Makolo, didn't they?"

"Rather!" assented Grosvenor. "Were taken prisoners, or something of
that sort, and only escaped by the skin of their teeth."

"That's it," agreed Dick. "Yes; the man who was then king wanted to
steal their airship, didn't he?"

"He did--and got banished for his pains," answered Grosvenor. "But that
was not the end of the story. He--the king, I mean--returned from his
banishment, killed the king who was reigning in his stead, and--yes, was
found practising his old dodges of cruelty and murder when the `Spirits'
paid a second visit to his country."

"Precisely," agreed Dick. "But that part of the story was given in a
second book recounting the further voyagings of the wonderful _Flying-
Fish_--that was the name of the airship, you will remember. By Jove!
How vividly those yarns recur to one's memory when anything special--
like this adventure of ours--occurs to recall them. Do you know, Phil,
it now seems to me that, quite unconsciously to ourselves, those two
books have had a distinct influence upon us in undertaking and carrying
through this journey?"

"Possibly," agreed Grosvenor; "though I am obliged to admit that I have
been, and am still, quite unconscious of it. The point that is of real
importance to us is this. Had the narratives in those two books the
slightest foundation of fact? Because, if so, our recollection of them
might stand us in good stead should difficulties arise between us a