Page:The Zeppelin Destroyer.djvu/179

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NOT COUNTING THE COST
179

'No,' I said, adding, 'I suppose you'll spend a pretty quiet day in this place, won't you?'

'Yes. The George looks comfortable, but not too cheerful,' was Teddy's reply. 'What time shall you fly over?'

'Just after ten. The whole village should be in bed by then. You go out of the hotel just before the place shuts, and wander up here and watch. Theed, after seeing us off, will jump into the car and come over for you at once. Meanwhile, after the experiment, you can employ your time in connecting up the broken conductor with the bit of wire cable. I've left it all ready under the bush.'

'By Jove, Claude!' he said enthusiastically. 'I shall be standing there eager to see whether it sparks across when you turn on the current.'

'I shall do so four times—judging the distance at five hundred, one thousand, two thousand, and three thousand yards,' I said. 'Then I shall flash you two shorts from the searchlight to show you that I've finished. Understand?'

'Quite. Afterwards I shall wait about for Theed to pick me up,' Teddy replied. 'I do hope we shall meet with success.'

'We ought. The points of the lightning-conductor should pick up the intense current. We've proved the theory on our insulated guys upon the wireless-pole,' I said in confidence. 'But, of course, we don't want to attract too much attention here. So make up some feasible story at the hotel after I've left you there.'

Ten minutes later we were in the old-fashioned bar-parlour of the George, where the tables were highly