Olga Romanoff by George Griffith

WITHOUT even pausing to see the effects of his charge upon the three air-ships above Alexandria, Alan kept the _Avenger_ going at full speed, soaring up into the higher regions of the atmosphere with her prow pointed to the north-east. About three hours later she was floating at an elevation of nearly five miles above Moscow, not stationary, but sweeping round and round in vast circles on her quadruple wings after the manner of the condors of the Andes, which thus sustain themselves on almost motionless wings at vast elevations and very small expenditure of force.

Below an immense expanse of country lay in unclouded clearness under the glasses of the captain of the ship and George Cosmo, late engineer of the _Narwhal_, who was now chief engineer of the Aerian flagship.