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surely, and while the tiny, watch-like machine was clasped to his wrist

he felt himself to be absolutely safe.

Having slipped away from the Turk and attained a fair altitude, he set

the indicator at zero and paused long enough to consult his map and

decide what direction it was best for him to take. The mischance that

had swept him unwittingly over the countries of Europe had also carried

him more than half way around the world from his home. Therefore the

nearest way to reach America would be to continue traveling to the

eastward.

So much time had been consumed at the desert oasis that he felt he

must now hasten if he wished to reach home by Saturday afternoon; so,

having quickly come to a decision, he turned the indicator and began a

swift flight into the east.

For several hours he traveled above the great desert of Gobi, but by noon

signs of a more fertile country began to appear, and, dropping to a point

nearer the earth, he was able to observe closely the country of the

Chinese, with its crowded population and ancient but crude civilization.

Then he came to the Great Wall of China and to mighty Peking, above

which he hovered some time, examining it curiously. He really longed to

make a stop there, but with his late experiences fresh in his mind he

thought it much safer to view the wonderful city from a distance.

Resuming his flight he presently came to the gulf of Laou Tong, whose

fair face was freckled with many ships of many nations, and so on to

Korea, which seemed to him a land fully a century behind the times.

Night overtook him while speeding across the Sea of Japan, and having a

great desire to view the Mikado's famous islands, he put the indicator at

zero, and, coming to a full stop, composed himself to sleep until morning,

that he might run no chances of being carried beyond his knowledge

during the night.

You might suppose it no easy task to sleep suspended in mid-air, yet the

magnetic currents controlled by the traveling machine were so evenly

balanced that Rob was fully as comfortable as if reposing upon a bed of

down. He had become somewhat accustomed to passing the night in the

air and now slept remarkably well, having no fear of burglars or fire or

other interruptions that dwellers in cities are subject to.

The Master Key