"Oh, they'll get me someday," he replied coolly. "But first, I'll drag down Bemmelman." * * * * * The Ormoo flew steadily, strongly. Presently, the girl said: "Does the Ormoo really understand your commands?" "A few simple ones." "Would it obey me?" "Try it." "Down," cried Mia. The Ormoo plummeted toward the surface. Mia clapped her hands, shrieked: "Up!" Its wings thundered as it gained altitude again. She twisted around in the saddle. "It obeys me," she laughed infectiously. She placed her hands, as if to steady herself on Cosmo's shoulder. All at once, her gray eyes contracted. She gave him a tremendous push. Caught completely by surprise, Cosmo lunged desperately for the saddle, missed. He felt himself slipping faster and faster on the bird's wet back. There he went over with a rush. His wildly grabbing hand slid down Mia's bare leg. Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, his fingers closed about her ankle. Mia gave a shriek of terror, rolled over on her stomach, hugged the saddle. "Let go!" she yelled. "You're pulling me off!" She kicked wildly at the man dangling pendulum-like from her foot. Cosmo grunted. He pulled himself up, grabbed her leg just above the calf. Thrusting his free hand into the Ormoo's feathers, he seized a large quill, inched himself upward. Mia was too busy hanging to the saddle to kick at him. She lay stomach down across the Ormoo's back clinging with the strength of panic. Cosmo released her leg, got a grip on her tunic. It parted halfway up her back, leaving him dangling wildly from the huge quill. He caught her leg again, strained upward until he could grasp the saddle and heave himself astride. He sat there, trembling with exhaustion, panting. Mia still lay stomach down across the saddle sobbing with frustration. There were red finger weals on ankle, calf and thigh where Cosmo's iron fingers had dug into her flesh. He flashed her his sudden grin. "You little devil," he panted. "I ought to dangle you over the Ormoo's side. See how you'd like it." A shudder passed through the girl. "I hate you! I hate you!" she sobbed in frustrated rage. There was a soothing tempo to the swish-lift of the giant Ormoo's flight. Mia dozed as the miles fled past, slumped against Cosmo's chest. Then unexpectedly, the bird wheeled, flapped sharply upward. Its huge wing tips brushed the face of a cliff. Fog swirled, whipped into froth by the frenzied wings. Mia MacIver awakened in terror, clung to Cosmo, pressed her damp quivering body against him. The bird wheeled again and again, always gaining altitude. "We're in the Mountains of the Clouds." Cosmo's green eyes glittered. "We'll be at the roost any moment." It was colder. Mia shivered. Then the Ormoo began to settle. Wings thrashing, it came to rest with a jar.