"That wasn't like you, Haidee," said Matt.
"Are you mad?"
"What's the use of being put out with you? I'll have something to say to Burton and Le Bon when I get back to the grounds."
"You thought you were doing something to help me—I know that—but you didn't understand I was perfectly able to carry out my part of the programme. As it is now, I came along and you couldn't help yourself. Are you going to try and keep me from dropping under the machine with the trapeze?"
"No," was the grim reply, "now that you are here you can go on with your work. Hold to the hand grip on the edge of the plane while you unlash the bar."
Perfectly cool, and in complete command of her nerves, Haidee knelt on the foot-rest, clinging to the plane with one hand while she unlashed the trapeze bar with the other.
"I'm ready, Motor Matt," said Haidee.
She was sitting on the edge of the seat, holding the bar in both hands.
Matt had brought the Comet to an even keel, some fifty feet over the show grounds. They were traveling about thirty miles an hour—a snail's pace for the Comet—and Matt was about to make a turn over the river and traverse the length of the grounds going the other way.
"Now, listen," said he to the girl. "I'm going to tilt the Comet sharply upward and ascend for about fifty feet, then I'm going to reverse the position and descend for fifty feet in the same sharp angle. When we turn for the descent, Haidee, drop from the foot-rest when I give the word. The pull of your body, when it falls, will drag on the machine, but never mind that—hang on and don't get scared. As soon as I can I will bring the machine to a level. Understand?"