“Glad to hear it.” “The question is, who shall I take with me now?” said Tom, rising to his feet and ignoring Mr. Greatorex’s expressed determination to go home. “The sooner I’m off the better, for that rascally Jew will tell all he knows about the airship, and the Moors will be on their guard.” “But we’re going _home_, Tom.” “Surely you won’t let our enterprise be ruined by a rogue!” replied Tom. “There’s all the more reason for going on with it.” “Gad, you’re right,” cried Mr. Greatorex, veering round again. “We’ll do it in the _teeth_ of them. But you’ll want some one with you in place of Tim. If I were twenty years younger I’d go myself. You want a man who knows _something_ about engines. Can’t spare _you_, Mumford, I’m afraid.” “No, sir,” replied the engineer, “and I’m rather heavy. But there’s young M’Cracken; he’s a light weight; an uncommonly handy fellow too, and judging from some remarks of his when we’ve been watching the airship, he knows something about ’em; seems to have read a good deal. I can do without him for a day or two, especially if we lie at anchor here.” “Ah! Yes! Where _is_ he? He was here a few seconds ago.” M’Cracken was haled from below. He appeared even more grimy than ever. “Look here, M’Cracken,” said Mr. Greatorex. “Mr. Dorrell wants some one to _help_ him, and Mr. Mumford suggests you: speaks _well_ of you, you know. You’ve never been on an airship, of course; but all you’ve to do is to keep _calm_, and do _exactly_ as you are told. You’re not _afraid_—no _nerves_, oh?” “No, sir.” “You’re very hoarse still. It will do you _good_, you know, to be away from that furnace for a day or two. Well, you’d better get a wash.” “No time for that,” said Tom quickly. “It’s past ten o’clock, and we ought to have started long ago.” “Very well. You’re not going _visiting_, to be sure. Well, M’Cracken, go and put on your reefer; the night’s cold, and will be colder.” “Ay, ay, sir,” returned M’Cracken, and dived with alacrity below. He was back in less than a minute. Then Tom entered the car of the airship, followed by Abdul and the stoker. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the lever controlling the engines, he called to the men to cast loose the ropes securing the car to the deck. Then he started the ascensional screw, and with a whirr like that of a gigantic humming-top the airship rose slowly from the yacht’s deck. “Good-bye, Tom,” shouted Mr. Greatorex. “Be _careful_, my boy; run no risks.” “Good-bye! Good-bye!” “This is ripping,” said the stoker, as the machine rose higher and higher into the air. Tom started so violently that he unconsciously jerked back the lever and stopped the motion of the machine. “Pull that lever, quick!” he called. “Done it already,” said the stoker, with his hand on the lever that adjusted the planes. “Lucky I’ve been up before, Dorrell.”