“From Mr. King?”
“Yes.”
“All right.”
The young aviator left the cabin at once. All over the hull of the great airship was an electric light system. The lamps were placed at intervals along the passages, and Dave found no difficulty in threading them. He arrived at the pilot room to find Mr. King at the glass table and Professor Leblance holding his hand out through a small porthole, the inside glass shield of which was thrown back.
The airman looked serious and occupied with the various buttons on the table. The Frenchman’s face wore a somewhat anxious look.
He drew in his arm. As he did so Dave observed that his hand held a little meteorological instrument he had noticed before. It was a barometric contrivance. The professor held it up to the light and scanned its surface closely.
“It won’t do at all,” he announced. “The index is not broad enough to give exact conditions.”
“There is the aerometer, Professor,” suggested Mr. King.
“Did I not tell you I found one of its tubes shattered? Such carelessness! I would no more start across the ocean without a perfect instrument than without food.”
“Then it’s a stop?”