THE AIRSHIP
“It’s wonderful, Uncle John! It’s almost belief!” Mavis had walked the whole length of the on the under in silence. Her husband’s arm was about her waist, her was radiant, with excitement. Alan, too, was of words; his had a so perfect, so magnificent, so to touch that two men manage it with and ease, and should arise, one man the and it.
With a some nine hundred long, its nose to three feet, it a in such a aircraft. The entire was of an of aluminium, the of which was by much hard work and by Sir John and Masters. An upper and ran the entire ship, about six wide, which was with a fibre, and had of aluminium.
At the deck, were open, leading to the hold, which the for the spirit, the water-tank, and cold storage. Three on each and one at either end to the upper deck. The of the was with a of thick and a room where one in in wet or weather and into space. There was a room, a room, and five bedrooms; all most and with the maximum of comfort. The were 167like silver, and the of the same thick were with to match the upholstery. There was for use and comfort; from every room to every part of the ship—electric light—electric fans—electric stoves—a and there was a on board.
Sir John had also a good library of books, and works, and a supply of materials.
“Why, you have nothing,” said Mavis. “Uncle John, I think you have been wonderful.”
Perhaps the Mavis with most interest. They were so well planned out. In one an electric cooking stove, and on the necessary for the success of the art. A pipe from the water to the and there was a very by which all waste was into an which to a and then to steam, which through a pipe to the of the ship.
“How much water can we carry?” asked Mavis.
“Well, in feet, my dear—” Sir John.
“No! no! Uncle John! I don’t feet. Tell me how long our water would last.”
“With the we can water to last six people two months.”
“As long as that?”
“Yes, and then, should any arise, by which we were unable to our water supply, I on a I have made. See, my dear.” and he opened a small press. There, on shelves, were packed upon of blocks, an square.
“What is it?” said Mavis, laughing. “Why, it’s camphor!” Alan a piece up and it. It was like to look at, but was and of an coldness. “It’s done me. What is it?”
Sir John no reply but took from a little 168a small electric heater. Upon this he a metal bowl, into which he put the little cube. “Very at first, my dears,” said he. “Ah!” as it to melt. “Now I think it’s safe to put on full pressure.”
Fascinated, they until the full of a sparkling, liquid. Turning on another electric switch, he a metal into the fluid. It a cloud of steam, and then down.
“What is it?” asked Mavis. For answer, Sir John the liquid into three and one to each.
“Try it,” he suggested. “It’s cold. That was an electric which a point.”
“Another invention?” this from Desmond.
“Yes.”
“There’s no smell,” said Mavis, as she her nose.
“And no taste,” Alan.
“It me of something,” said Desmond. “I’m sure I’ve something like it before.”
“What is it, Uncle John? Do tell us,” Mavis.
Sir John laughed. “Water, my dear, just plain water. Desmond is right, he has it before.”
“Water,” said Alan in bewilderment, “but surely water has a than when it is in a liquid form?”
“So it has, my boy. But I call this ‘concentrated of water.’ There is in that to last eighteen months. Of we should want such a quantity, but the pleased and an old man in his loneliness.”
He then opened another press and that it was packed with tea, of and chicken, of milk; it had in it that had been for food to the minimum with a maximum amount of value.
169“Eighteen months’ provisions,” he chuckled. “The Argenta a siege.” The was beautifully, ten thousand up; it was a day, and fine.
“Now for the d’œuvre,” said Sir John. “Why, where is Masters? This is his work.” He through: “All going well?” he asked.
“Splendidly, Sir John.”
“What speed?”
“About three hundred an hour. We’ve just Plymouth.”
“Plymouth,” said Mavis in amazement. “Why, we have only just left Scotland.”
“Come along to us, Masters. I want you to the of the shutters.”
“Will you come into the air room?” said Masters as soon as he arrived.
They it was a small room which no of any kind. Levers and and were everywhere, and on one of the room were twelve levers, very like those in a box on the railways.
“My idea was this,” Masters. “We have ten on board, of which we use only one at a time; the others are stock, as it were, or would be useful if we came up against very weather and needed a power to use against the elements. At the time I out my theory, Sir John had no in life. You two we were dead, and I have neither kin. It us, that one day we might try and the of the earth’s for purposes. I needn’t go into exact now, it would not Mrs. Forsyth, but you all know after a up life impossible. Should we that height, we should have to these levers,” and as he spoke he them one after the other. “Now we will put the electric light on, and I would be if you would step out on to the upper deck.”
Mavis gave a of amazement. Gone was the view of the sky; gone the above and the earth 170beneath. The entire ship was in with an of metal.
“Do explain,” said Alan.
“This almost on the of a Venetian blind,” on Masters. “There are two coverings, with a space of thirty between. The the metal and it and into position by means of clasps. By means of another we the with a mixture of gases—ether is the component, and this makes our little home air proof and rain proof; and above all it makes the to pressure or gravitation. We later on, by the of an device we are still upon, to an of our own, the vessel, which will us to ourselves through space, and thus we should be of the around us.”
“But how can we breathe?” asked Mavis the practical.
“Masters of that also,” said Sir John.
“In the little room we have just left are for our own electricity; there is also another for an supply of air.”
“You have left nothing to chance,” said Alan.
“Nothing, my boy. Remember this is the of over thirty-five years of study and experiment, and the last five years have us progress by and bounds.”
“Our had its good side, after all,” said Alan. “Had we been allowed to remain, you might have got this machine to such perfection.”
“I’d not have had those years of sorrow, all the same,” said Sir John softly. “I’d have the Argenta with my own hands, and her up again, than you should have left me for those long years,” and the old man away with a sigh. “Now about our air supply,” he on, himself. “As the used up air to the ground, it is into pipes, and by the of electric fans is to a large cylinder. There it 171undergoes a of process. The go into again, while the is taken pipes which along the whole of the ship to an where it can into space. To against the of any unknown gases, this pipe has a in every foot, which as the through. The of these makes it for any air to enter. No where we are, or through what air we may pass, we are protected from its entrance by this device; while it is for the ship to while it is protected by its of ether.”
“Then you live as long as your on the Argenta?” asked Desmond. “You are not on the world for anything?”
“We are only on ourselves,” Sir John.
“Why, it’s like a tale,” said Mavis.
“Tea,” said a voice from them. “Tea, Mrs. Forsyth.” It was Hector. Masters had left while they were all talking, and Hector had cook.
“Tea is in the Bows,” said Hector again.
Masters had the shutters, and once again the little room was with sunshine. The telephone tinkled. “Well, Masters?”
“We are over Whitby, sir. Do you wish to cut across country direct for Dalmyrnie, or will you go right by the coast?”
“Time is on. I think we had make for home.”
“Very good, sir.”
“It’s been a success,” said Alan. “More than I have possible.” Sir John at the praise. “But, Uncle John, your until I come from Kalvar. I’d love to you on your adventures.”
“Would you really?”
“Nothing would give me pleasure.”
“Look,” said Mavis presently. “We are over Loch 172Tay. How it looks from here. Why there is still a of on Ben Lawers.”
“We are very near home, now,” said Desmond, looking at her fondly.
Within a very minutes the great so slightly, and then with a movement, her nose to earth. There was only the of a as she touched the ground, and then ran along the field, to a at almost the very spot she had left a hours before.
The trial was over! The machine had proved her worth.
Science had yet another victory.
173
