expected to look upon an ocean.

Instead, he found himself gazing into a sea of clouds. He was in
some sort of aircraft!

Next moment, quite as though it had all been prearranged, a large
sky-cruiser hove into sight perhaps a quarter of a mile away. It
seemed to materialize out of the clouds, and rapidly bore down upon
the craft in which the agent stood.

But the practical man of the earth was eying the air-ship in
increasing amazement. For it was truly a ship; a huge vessel
wonderfully like one of the old-fashioned freighters which used to
sail the seas of the earth. What was more, it had four tall, sloping
masts, each spread with something remarkably like canvas; and that
whole incredible hulk was actually swinging in mid air!

Looking closer, Smith saw that the masts were exceedingly tall; they
held enough canvas to propel ten ships. And each stick sloped back
at so sharp an angle--much sharper than forty-five degrees--that the
wind not only blew the craft along in its course, but actually
supported it as well.

It meant a wind which would make a hurricane seem tame. Either that,
or air with greater density than any Smith knew about.

Suddenly the cruiser came about into the wind, and at the same
instant it began to take in sail, all the sheets furling in unison.
Simultaneously great finlike wings shot out of slits in the sides of
the hull; and immediately they began to beat the air, back and