The Phantom Airman

on, it is necessary to introduce to the reader a chirpy, little fellow called Gadget. In fact, this cute little c

atter of his own opinion--on which subject he held very pronounced views. But he certainly did belong to the airship, and appeared to be part of the apparatus, or

he came aboard, and hid himself amongst the mail-bags, until the airship had sailed a thousand miles over land and sea, still remains a mystery. But it happened that, when the Empress

rather surly tones, wondering what had

a bit of string, attached to one of his nether garments, the most tattered-l

e, Crabtree?" exclaimed the skipper, starting u

" replied the o

" echoed t

s,

id you f

just now. Says he's been hiding amongst th

as we are over the land again," shouted the captain in

nt, though the air-skipper spoke in angry tones, as if he meant w

interposed the chief offi

hree thousand feet above the sea must have turned his marrow cold. Beside

t he knew by the changed tone in the captain's voice that the worst was now over. He had not even heard a

length, his anger settling down, and his admiration for the adventurous little

ame, Sonny?" he

" whipped out

nty of gadgets aboard the airship, and I guess another

sir. And we'll make him earn his keep. He

u, Gadget?" ask

r!" replied

mother dead,

s,

pper kindly, as he gave one more searching glance at the small urchin, and note

the poor, ill-treated lad could not bri

kipper, changing the subject. "So you det

eply, and again the

on't behave, mark my words"--and here the captain raised his voice as if in anger

and, in language redolent of Whitechape

oper rig-out, Crabtree," said the skipper impatiently

at the frayed rope, which he had been holding all this while, and, which

et's circulating library and commissariat. For, even as the janitor and his prisoner turned, the rope became undone, and, though Gadget by a rapid movement retained the nether part of his tattered apparel in position, yet his library--which consisted of a

, as he stooped and picked up the book. Then he laughed outrig

a Balloon ...

ok had thrilled him, not so long ago either. And, pe

ked the captain, reopening the conve

y Dale, sir," repl

ch did you

an' a piece o' tar

earnest face. And something suspiciously like a tear

hin an important part of your scanty w

book on a dust heap, but I wasn't takin' it fu

er clothes, and get you some food. Then you shall report to me to-morrow. See,

over his forehead, by way of salute. "I'll lend you the book, sir, if you'll

an an adventurer, was Gadget. He might even have been an inventor or a discoverer, if he had met

onsiderably cut down, he was soon perfectly at home aboard the great liner. But then he was

time he discovered more about airships and internal-combus

was still of school age, he would be handed over to the authorities, or placed in a reformatory, as soon as the vessel returned to England. Gadget had ma

echanics one day, after he had been on the vessel about a week. The point at issue concerned a piece of work on which the me

-date, and though some months ago, when this fever of world travel first seized upon him, he had more than once considered the question of stowing himself quietly away on some outward

st. Even his dreams had been mainly concerning

ntly announced to himself one day. "I will sail over t

he had earned many a shilling by selling them) for the movements of the new air liner and the opening up of the All-Red Route. And when the time had arrived for the airship to sail, w