of dense obscurity, or whether the madly whirling winds had taken a retrograde movement a

fforts being made to the contrary, was being drawn directly towa

stinctively tightened their grip upon hand-rail and floor, gasping and oppressed

as he strove in vain to check or change the course of his aerom

m to stern, almost like a human creature in its death-agony, creaking and groaning, with

and dirt and mixed debris. Then came a dizzy, rocking lurch, followed by a shock which nearly cast uncle and nephews from their frantic h

y were whirled through an icy atmosphere, then tossed dizzily to and fro, as th

ing sticks and stones, splintered tops of trees, shrubs with wildly lashing roots freshly torn from the bed of years, all madly spinning through a bl

as whirled high and higher, in a dizzy dance, those luckless creatures clinging fast

fully by those shrieking currents. Breath was taken away, and an enormous weight bore

ning shape, smitten sharply here and there by some of those ascending missiles, yet with

rostat alighted easily upon what appeared to be a sort of air-cushion,

aution which had last crossed his lips, which he had ever since been striving to

t-where

them, in which action he was imitated by both brother and

apparently within reach of an extended arm, changing colour with each fraction

om the far distance, then from nigh at hand, causing the air-ship to quiver

le as that of a corpse, in spite of the dirt and blotches of sti

y saw a clear sky and yellow sunshine far above,-so awfully far they were, t

of Phaeton Featherwit, almost robbing him of all po

-riding the-to

ding the heavens from their view, enclosing that vehicle and its occupants, as the

airy cushion, although from every side came the horrid roar of destruction, while ever and anon they could glimpse a wrest

upon them, robbing their lungs of air, one instant fairly crisping their hair

ps when swung from its native element. While that horrid p

ircling currents, once again affording a glimpse of yonder far-away

rembling, faint of heart and ill of body, yet filling their lungs

er than himself alone, and pantingly spoke, as he dragged himself to

life-comp

tubes offered, the method of working which h

heir bodies; but the worst had passed, for that precious cylinder now gave them ai

f mind now came back to the air-voyagers, and after a little they could

e wondrous truth, and yet belief was past

ng and twisting, rising and falling, mixing in and out as th

ape, while stripes and zigzags of lightning played here and there with terrifying m

was still in rapid motion, was still tearing and rending, crushing and battering, leaving dire

s by a device of his own, Professor Featherwit now looked around with something of his wonted animat

es of rallying powers, he dared not express the belief which was sh

he general semblance of a tube with flaring top. He peered over the edge of the basket, to draw back dizzily as he saw naught but yeasty, boiling,

were actually inside the distorted balloon, so

uno, likewise rallying under that ben

something of his usual energy, although, judging from his face and eyes, th

rly sounding laugh, as he waved his fr

was before us, my lads,-ri

ily against one corner of the locker. Swaying drunkenly from side to side, then tossing up and down, tu

n the life-giving tubes as that terrible pressure increased so mu

ppressed. A brief gasping, sighing, stretching as the aerostat resumed its level positi

lame thing was si

mpt at joking, but Professor Featherwit t

at you are not so badly frightened but that you can assist me in taking not

uncle

, my

it erupt? I'd give a dollar and a half to just get out o

may come far sooner than you think, and with results more disastrous than feeble words can tell. We surely are a burden such as a tornado must be wholly unaccustomed to, and

h of icy air, and Br

up-like Aeso