“I am!” replied Dennis. “I believe we have made a still further discovery and placed the _Regina_’s powers beyond all limit!” Instantly all were alert as Dennis continued,—“Hitherto a great drawback to our power came from the fact that we have always been obliged to go steady through atmosphere, or the friction would over-heat and destroy the ship; but if this network will withstand friction as well as heat, we can go through atmospheres as quickly as through vacuum and not be burned or warmed. Don’t you see——” “Capital!” interrupted the others, enthusiastically. “Let us try it,” suggested Godfrey, “shall we go round the Earth fast, to see how she acts?” “We must tell the folk what we are doing,” said Ross, “so that they can time us,” so they returned to the vessel and ‘waved’ their intention to all, explaining their reasons for putting the ship to this further test by a rapid flight within the Earth’s atmosphere, saying that in fifteen minutes’ time she would go round the Earth at a height of twenty miles, pause for ten minutes, then encircle it again at a lower distance at a considerably increased speed. Whilst they were entering and sealing the vessel, the people were getting ready their instruments to time and photograph the flight. Punctually to time, the _Regina_ rose and then shot ahead, soon afterwards to be resting over the shed, when the net was examined and found to be perfectly cold and uninjured. Ten minutes later, she vanished towards the east and returned from the west, almost before many of the watchers had realised she had gone, the second circuit having been so quickly accomplished. Again were the net and casing found to be of the same temperature as before the flight, and the four travellers were again overwhelmed with congratulations. Thousands of excellent photographs had been obtained from various points on the light and dark sides of the Earth, those taken on the shadow side showing little more than the ship’s brilliant lights, for she had gone with all her lights full on; on each of those taken on the illumined side, every detail of her wonderful covering was distinctly seen to be undisturbed by the terrible rapidity of her flight. “That was fine!” exclaimed Godfrey; “one just blinks and we are back! it’s a splendid success.” “We shall be able to go hundreds of times faster, if need be,” said Dennis. “That was merely to try it.” “But shall we always go through atmosphere at so terrific a speed?” asked Godfrey, in surprise. “No, not necessarily, though it is reassuring to know that no matter what speed we have, we are not in danger, and there would be no reason why we should alter for atmosphere unless we wished to land, or take observations.” “Let us get off then!” exclaimed Godfrey. “I am anxious to go and so are we all. We are already an hour behind time. Shall I call the passengers?”