"I shall do so four times--judging the distance at five hundred, one thousand, two thousand, and three thousand yards," I said. "Then I shall flash you two shorts from the searchlight to show you that I've finished. Understand?" "Quite. Afterwards I shall wait about for Theed to pick me up," Teddy replied. "I do hope we shall meet with success." "We ought. The points of the lightning-conductor should pick up the intense current. We've proved the theory on our insulated guys upon the wireless-pole," I said in confidence. "But, of course, we don't want to attract too much attention here. So make up some feasible story at the hotel after I've left you there." Ten minutes later we were in the old-fashioned bar-parlour of the George, where the tables were highly polished by the spilt ale of generations, and where the landlady, a buxom widow in a cap, greeted us courteously. I stayed for a quarter of an hour, and smoked a cigarette. Then, rising, I said loudly: "Well--you go over and see about it. Make the best bargain you can. But don't pay more than ninety to ninety-five. Jack will run over in the car for you sometime this evening." And so giving the landlady the idea that my friend was about to go out and do business with some neighbouring farmer, I went out and drove as rapidly as I could back to Holly Farm. That afternoon I spent with Theed tuning up in the yard, running the dynamo, making tests of the searchlight, manipulating the dual controls, and seeing to my altimeter and other instruments. I intended that, as far as was humanly possible, there should be no hitch of any kind. Roseye, in her mechanic's overalls, helped me eagerly. Her small hands, so white and delicate at the Savoy or the Carlton, were now oily and grimy, and across her chin was a smudge of oil, giving her an almost weird and comical appearance. "Well?" she asked. "And what does it matter, pray? I haven't my best frock on, nor my newest _crepe-de-chine_ blouse." Yes. She was a real "sport." She knew as much of aircraft as most pilots in the services, and could effect a repair as well as most of the cigarette-smoking mechanics of the Royal Flying Corps. Women, when they take to flying aeroplanes, are often too daring, and take risks at which men would hesitate. Roseye was an illustration. I had often stood in breathless fear watching her bank in a manner that I should never have dared to, yet she had come to ground lightly as a bird, and hopped out of her seat laughing with the pure joy of living the exhilarating life in the air.