第71章

Ifoundmyuncleinmysitting-roominanarm-chair，withhisfeetuponthefenderofthegasstove，whichhehadlit，andnowhewasfeeblydrunkenwithmywhisky，andverywearyinbodyandspirit，andinclinedtobecowardly。

“Ilef’mydrops。”hesaid。

Hechangedhisclothesslowlyandunwillingly。Ihadtobullyhim，Ihadalmosttoshovehimtotheairshipandtuckhimupuponitswickerflat。Single-handedImadebutaclumsystart；

wescrapedalongtheroofoftheshedandbentavanofthepropeller，andforatimeIhungunderneathwithouthisofferingahandtohelpmetoclamberup。Ifithadn’tbeenforasortofanchoringtrolleydeviceofCothope’s，asortofslipanchorrunningonarail，weshouldneverhavegotclearatall。

TheincidentsofourflightinLordRobertsBdonotarrangethemselvesinanyconsecutiveorder。Tothinkofthatadventureislikedippinghaphazardintoanalbumofviews。Oneisremindedfirstofthisandthenofthat。Wewerebothlyingdownonahorizontalplateofbasketwork；forLordRobertsBhadnoneoftheelegantaccommodationofaballoon。Ilayforward，andmyunclebehindmeinsuchapositionthathecouldseehardlyanythingofourflight。Wewereprotectedfromrollingoversimplybynettingbetweenthesteelstays。Itwasimpossibleforustostandupatall；wehadeithertolieorcrawlonallfoursoverthebasketwork。AmidshipswerelockersmadeofWatson’sAulitematerial，——andbetweentheseitwasthatIhadputmyuncle，wrappedinrugs。Iworesealskinmotoringbootsandgloves，andamotoringfurcoatovermytweeds，andIcontrolledtheenginebyBowdenwiresandleversforward。

Theearlypartofthatnight’sexperiencewasmadeupofwarmth，ofmoonlitSurreyandSussexlandscape，andofarapidandsuccessfulflight，ascendingandswooping，andthenascendingagainsouthward。Icouldnotwatchthecloudsbecausetheairshipoverhungme；Icouldnotseethestarsnorgaugethemeteorologicalhappening，butitwasfairlycleartomethatawindshiftingbetweennorthandnortheastwasgatheringstrength，andafterIhadsatisfiedmyselfbyaseriesofentirelysuccessfulexpansionsandcontractionsoftherealair-worthinessofLordRobertsB，Istoppedtheenginetosavemypetrol，andletthemonsterdrift，checkingitsprogressbythedimlandscapebelow。Myunclelayquitestillbehindme，sayinglittleandstaringinfrontofhim，andIwaslefttomyownthoughtsandsensations。

Mythoughts，whatevertheywere，havelongsincefadedoutofmemory，andmysensationshavemergedintoonecontinuousmemoryofancountrysidelying，asitseemed，undersnow，withsquarepatchesofdimness，whitephantomsofroads，rentsandpoolsofvelvetyblackness，andlamp-jewelledhouses。Irememberatrainboringitswaylikeahasteningcaterpillaroffireacrossthelandscape，andhowdistinctlyIhearditsclatter。Everytownandstreetwasbuttonedwithstreetlamps。IcamequiteclosetotheSouthDownsnearLewes，andallthelightswereoutinthehouses，andthepeoplegonetobed。WeleftthelandalittletotheeastofBrighton，andbythattimeBrightonwaswellabed。

andthebrightlylitsea-frontdeserted。ThenIletoutthegaschambertoitsfullestextentandrose。Iliketobehighabovewater。

Idonotclearlyknowwhathappenedinthenight。IthinkImusthavedozed，andprobablymyuncleslept。IrememberthatonceortwiceIheardhimtalkinginaneager，muffledvoicetohimself，ortoanimaginarycourt。Buttherecanbenodoubtthewindchangedrightroundintotheeast，andthatwewerecarriedfardowntheChannelwithoutanysuspicion