All the while this was going on Mr. Vardon, aided by Lieutenant McBride, was laboring hard to replace the burned-out wires. He worked frantically, for he knew he had but a few minutes at the best. From the height at which they were when the motor stopped it would take them about ten minutes to reach the earth, holding back as Dick might. And there was work which, in the ordinary course of events, would take twice as long as this. "I'm only going to make a shift at it," explained the aviator. "If I can only get in temporary wires I can replace them later." "That's right," agreed the army man. "How you making it, Dick?" asked Larry, as he came to the door of the pilot-house. "Well, I've got five hundred feet left. If he can't get the motor going before we go down that far--" Dick did not finish, but they all knew what he meant. "Another second and I'll have the last wire in!" cried Mr. Vardon. "Do your best, Dick." "I'm doing it. But she's dipping down fast." "Oh, for a dirigible balloon now!" cried the lieutenant. "We could float while making repairs." But it was useless to wish for that. They must do the best they could under the circumstances. "There she is! The last wire in!" shouted the aviator. "How much space left, Dick?" "About two hundred feet!" "That may do it. Now to see if the self-starter will work!" Eagerly he made a jump for the switch. He pulled it over. There was a brilliant blue spark, as the gap was closed. The electrical starter hummed and whined, as if in protest at being obliged to take up its burden again. Then, with a hum and a roar, the motor that had stalled began to revolve. Slowly at first, but soon gathering speed. "Throw in the propeller clutch!" yelled Dick. "We're going right toward a hill, and I can't raise her any more." "In she goes!" yelled Lieutenant McBride, as he pulled on the lever. There was a grinding of gears as the toothed wheels meshed, and the big wooden propellers began to revolve. "There she goes!" cried Mr. Vardon. The Abaris, which had almost touched the earth, began to soar upward under the propelling influence. Dick tilted back the elevating plane as far as he dared. Had the motive power come in time, or would they land on the hill? But success was with them. Up went the big airship. Up and up, flying onward. Her fall had been checked. And only just in time, for they went over the brow of the hill but with a scant twenty feet to spare. So close had they come to making a landing. "I congratulate you!" cried Lieutenant McBride. "I thought surely you would go down." He had out his pencil and paper to make a note of the time of landing. It would have been the last one allowed, and it would seriously have handicapped Dick. But he had escaped, and still had some reserve to his credit. "And now I guess we can eat," said the young millionaire, with a sigh of relief.