Come on, now, and make no noise."
Accompanied by Juba, we stepped noiselessly outside, extinguishing the
light, and, led by Edmund, passed what he had called the power house,
where we saw several fellows absorbed in their work, lighted somehow from
above. Then we slipped into the "garage." Here light entered from
without, through a large opening at the side. There may have been twenty
small air ships resting on cradles. Edmund selected one, which he
appeared to have examined in advance, and motioning us to step upon its
little deck, he began to manipulate the mechanism as confidently as if it
had been his own invention.
"You see that I did not waste my time in examining the air ship that
brought us," he whispered, and never before had I admired and trusted him
as I did now. In less than a minute after we had stepped aboard, we were
circling in the air outside. We rose with stunning rapidity, swooping
away in a curve like an eagle.
At this instant we were seen!
There was a quick flashing of signals, and two air craft shot into sight
above us.
"Now for a chase!" cried Edmund, actually laughing with exultation.
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