within view. Some of them were at least a three hours' walk distant
from each other. But in the air! I was free to go whither I would, and
swiftly.

After leisurely deliberation I selected one surrounded by wide fields
which appeared to be as level as a floor. But as I descended the
landscape widened, billowing into hills and folding into valleys. By
sheer good luck, nothing more, I made a landing without accident. My
Caudron barely missed colliding with a hedge of fruit trees, rolled
down a long incline, and stopped not ten feet short of a small
stream. The experience taught me the folly of choosing landing-ground
from high altitudes. I needn't have landed, of course, but I was then
so much an amateur that the buffeting of cross-currents of air near
the ground awed me into it, come what might. The village was out of
sight over the crest of the hill. However, thinking that some one must
have seen me, I decided to await developments where I was.

Very soon I heard a shrill, jubilant shout. A boy of eight or ten
years was running along the ridge as fast as he could go. Outlined
against the sky, he reminded me of silhouettes I had seen in Paris
shops, of children dancing, the very embodiment of joy in movement. He
turned and waved to some one behind, whom I could not see, then came
on again, stopping a short distance away, and looking at me with an
air of awe, which, having been a small boy myself, I was able to
understand and appreciate. I said, "Bonjour, mon petit," as cordially
as I could, but he just stood there and gazed without saying a word.
Then the others began to appear: scores of children, and old men as
well, and women of all ages, some with babies in their arms, and
young girls. The whole village came, I am sure. I was mightily
impressed by the haleness of the old men and women, which one rarely
sees in America. Some of them were evidently well over seventy, and
yet, with one or two exceptions, they had sound limbs, clear eyes, and
healthy complexions. As for the young girls, many of them were
exceptionally pretty; and the children were sturdy youngsters, not the
wan, thin-legged little creatures one sees in Paris. In fact, all of
these people appeared to belong to a different race from that of the
Parisians, to come from finer, more vigorous stock.

They were very curious, but equally courteous, and stood in a large
circle around my machine, waiting for me to make my wishes known. For
several minutes I pre