Several minutes passed and the ship did not reappear.
“My God!” exclaimed Captain Mortimer, “you haven’t allowed them to escape us?”
“Hush, no!” answered Kearns; “do not fear. They’re cute ones. They’re scouting and ’ll surely return.”
The whispered words had hardly left his lips when the air-ship reappeared. This time it halted in a line with the King’s window.
“Steady and quiet!” said Kearns. “The time has come.”
Quickly, silently they rose and took their positions in the air-ship, as it lay upon its rests. Stealthily Kearns crept to the window and with one turn of the well-oiled and carefully prepared machinery, the entire bay window curved outward, leaving a wide opening. Through this gap, the launch-like air-ship skilfully guided by the Professor, gracefully slid into the night. Rapid as had been these movements, they were not more rapid than those of the attacking party. As the window flew back and the prow of the air-ship passed out, the Professor and Mortimer saw them loosen their mooring, turn about and away. By the time the opening had been cleared, the pursued were several lengths in the lead, but the royal air-ship was following hot in their wake.
High over the tree-tops of the park they flew and on and on until they reached the river. Thus far they had maintained their respective distances, neither apparently gaining or losing.
“Turn on the flash-light!” called out the Professor, “or we may lose them in the darkness.”
An instant later a bright stream of light shot forth from the prow of the “Royal Dean,” flooding with its radiance the pursued.
Captain Mortimer and the Professor saw that the craft before them was slightly larger than their own, of a dead black color and contained three men.