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At first the villains were too astounded to speak, but as they realized that

they were being carried through the air and away from their ship they

broke into loud shouts of dismay, and finally the one who grasped Rob's

leg lost his hold and the five plunged downward and splashed into the

sea.

Finding the machine disposed to work accurately, Rob left the

buccaneers to swim to the ship in the best way they could, while he

dropped down to the deck again and recovered from the cabin his box of

tablets and the electric tube. The fellows were just scrambling on board

when he again escaped, shooting into the air with considerable speed.

Indeed, the instrument now worked better than at any time since he had

reached the cannibal island, and the boy was greatly delighted.

The wind at first sent him spinning away to the south, but he continued

to rise until he was above the air currents, and the storm raged far

beneath him. Then he set the indicator to the northwest and

breathlessly waited to see if it would obey. Hurrah! away he sped at a

fair rate of speed, while all his anxiety changed to a feeling of sweet

contentment.

His success had greatly surprised him, but he concluded that the jar

caused by dropping the instrument had relieved the pressure upon the

works, and so helped rather than harmed the free action of the electric

currents.

While he moved through the air with an easy, gliding motion he watched

with much interest the storm raging below. Above his head the sun was

peacefully shining and the contrast was strange and impressive. After an

hour or so the storm abated, or else he passed away from it, for the deep

blue of the ocean again greeted his eyes. He dropped downward until he

was about a hundred feet above the water, when he continued his

northwesterly course.

But now he regretted having interfered for a moment with the action of

the machine, for his progress, instead of being swift as a bird's flight,

became slow and jerky, nor was he sure that the damaged machine

might not break down altogether at any moment. Yet so far his progress

was in the right direction, and he resolved to experiment no further with

the instrument, but to let it go as it would, so long as it supported him

above the water. However irregular the motion might be, it was sure, if

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