folded wings stirred.

"Quick! Tell them below to lose no time! Open the shed and let her
rise!--when the contact is once established there will not be half a
second to spare!"

Hurriedly the man Gaspard, though obviously terrified, shouted the
necessary orders, while Morgana went to the other end of the ship
where Rivardi opened for her the second compartment into which she
fixed the second tube. Once again the circular flashes broke out,
but this time directly the compartment was closed down, the shining
stream of light was seen to run rapidly and completely round the
interior of the vessel, touching every disc that lined the walls as
with the sparkling point of a jewel. The wings of the ship
palpitated as with life and began to spread open. . . .

"Let her go!" cried Morgana--"Away to your place, pilot!" and she
waved a commanding hand as Rivardi sprang to the steering gear--
"Hold her fast! . . . Keep her steady! Straight towards the sun-
rise!"

As she spoke, a wonderful thing happened--every disc that lined the
interior of the ship started throbbing like a pulse,--every little
white knob in the centre of each disc vibrated with an extraordinary
rapidity of motion which dazzled the eyes like the glittering of
swiftly falling snow, and Gaspard, obeying Morgana's sign, drew down
at once all the rose silk covering which completely hid the strange
mechanism from view. There was absolutely no noise in this intense
vibration,--and there was no start or jar, or any kind of
difficulty, when the air-ship, released from bondage, suddenly rose,