“It is an abuse of power against which I protest.” “Protest away!” “I will be avenged, Mr. Robur.” “Avenge when you like, Mr. Prudent.” “I will have my revenge on you and yours.” The crew began to close up with anything but peaceful intentions. Robur motioned them away. “Yes, on you and yours!” said Uncle Prudent, whom his colleague in vain tried to keep quiet. “Whenever you please!” said the engineer. “And in every possible way!” “That is enough now.” said Robur, in a threatening tone. “There are other ropes on board. And if you don’t be quiet I’ll treat you as I have done your servant!” Uncle Prudent was silent, not because he was afraid, but because his wrath had nearly choked him; and Phil Evans led him off to his cabin. During the last hour the air had been strangely troubled. The symptoms could not be mistaken. A storm was threatening. The electric saturation of the atmosphere had become so great that about half-past two o’clock Robur witnessed a phenomenon that was new to him. In the north, whence the storm was traveling, were spirals of half-luminous vapor due to the difference in the electric charges of the various beds of cloud. The reflections of these bands came running along the waves in myriads of lights, growing in intensity as the sky darkened. The “Albatross” and the storm were sure to meet, for they were exactly in front of each other. And Frycollin? Well! Frycollin was being towed—and towed is exactly the word, for the rope made such an angle, with the aeronef, now going at over sixty knots an hour, that the tub was a long way behind her. The crew were busy in preparing for the storm, for the “Albatross” would either have to rise above it or drive through its lowest layers. She was about three thousand feet above the sea when a clap of thunder was heard. Suddenly the squall struck her. In a few seconds the fiery clouds swept on around her. Phil Evans went to intercede for Frycollin, and asked for him to be taken on board again. But Robur had already given orders to that effect, and the rope was being hauled in, when suddenly there took place an inexplicable slackening in the speed of the screws. The engineer rushed to the central deck-house. “Power! More power!” he shouted. “We must rise quickly and get over the storm!” “Impossible, sir!” “What is the matter?” “The currents are troubled! They are intermittent!” And, in fact, the “Albatross” was falling fast. As with the telegraph wires on land during a storm, so was it with the accumulators of the aeronef. But what is only an inconvenience in the case of messages was here a terrible danger. “Let her down, then.” said Robur, “and get out of the electric zone! Keep cool, my lads!” He stepped on to his quarter-deck and his crew went to their stations.