They found it, as Alondra had said they would, splendid sport. The krondos were hunted out and pursued by the small eagles in all their turns, and these were followed by the airships, just as the huntsmen follow the hounds. There was the same rivalry, too, amongst the latter to be 'in at the death.'
Naturally, this necessitated some bold manoeuvring on the part of the airships. At one time they would be circling through the upper air to dizzy heights far above the highest mountains; then suddenly there would be a turn and a mad plunge downwards for thousands of feet, as their quarry swooped down almost to the level of the ground below. There were many hairbreadth escapes from collisions; and altogether the sport was about as exciting as the most daring or the most reckless could desire.
'It beats the switchback railway business and all that sort of thing hollow!' exclaimed Gerald that evening, when relating their experiences to Freddy; for the Zuanstrooms had not joined the hunting-party.
'Looping the loop's nothing to it!' Jack declared.
Freddy looked wistful. 'How I wished I was with you!' he sighed.
'H'm! I 'm afraid you are not old enough yet for that sort of thing, youngster,' remarked Jack loftily. 'What has Silas been doing to amuse you to-day?'
'He hasn't been amusing me at all,' was the answer. 'It's been one of my "bad days" again. The nasty, ugly old man has come back, and has been with uncle and Silas all day; and whenever he comes I am always sent off and left to amuse myself as best I can!'
Gerald and Jack looked at each other. Jack gave a long, low whistle; Gerald exclaimed under his breath, 'The Ogre again!'
CHAPTER XVII.
LESSONS IN FLYING.