179@

gram for this ceremonial meeting should be
a talk from an inventor's daughter upon
this most daring enterprise of the age.
"He says that if that does not drift back
to earth safely with the crow-like parachute
-if anything should happen to it, to the
two little wheels, with the paper winding
from one on to the other, all dashed with
pencil marks--the world would call him
a fool's mate.... If it did!" Pem's
teeth were clinched. " But, of course, without
the record, there would be nothing to
show how high the little rocket had really
flown--showing the bigger one the road,"
with an excited gasp.

"Yes, I can understand how anxious
he must be about the safe return of the
egg--or the log--whichever you choose
to call it--the first record from space,
anyway." Tanpa's tone was almost
equally excited. "And of course the wind
may play pranks with the parachute--drift
it away down the mountainside!"

"So that we 'd lose it in the darkness--
[[179]]

p178 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p179w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p180

v?