The first gray streaks of dawn finally shone through the only window of their prison.  Sore, lame and stiff, wearied in body and disturbed in mind, the captives awoke.  Tom’s first move was toward the window.  It was high up, but, by standing on a box, he could look through it.  He uttered an exclamation.

“What is it?” asked Ned, swaying to and fro from the violent motion ef the aerial warship.

“We are away out over the sea,” spoke Tom, “and in the midst of a bad storm.”

CHAPTER XXIV THE LIGHTNING BOLT

Tom turned away from the window, to find his companions regarding him anxiously.

“A storm,” repeated Ned.  “What sort?”

“It might turn into any sort,” replied Tom.  “All I can see now is a lot of black clouds, and the wind must be blowing pretty hard, for there’s quite a sea on.”

“Bless my galvanometer!” cried Mr. Damon.  “Then we are out over the ocean again, Tom?”

“Yes, there’s no doubt of it.”

“What part?” asked the assistant pilot.

“That’s more than I can tell,” Tom answered.

“Suppose I take a look?” suggested Captain Warner.  “I’ve done quite a bit of sailing in my time.”

But, when he had taken a look through the window at which Tom had been standing, the naval officer descended, shaking his head.

“There isn’t a landmark in sight,” he announced.  “We might be over the middle of the Atlantic, for all I could tell.”

“Hardly as far as that,” spoke Tom.  “They haven’t been pushing the Mars at that speed.  But we may be across to the other side before we realize it.”

“How’s that?” asked Ned.

“Well, the ship is in the possession of these foreign spies,” went on Tom.  “All their interests are in Europe, though it would be hard to say what nationality is in command here.  I think there are even some Englishmen among those who attacked us, as well as French, Germans, Italians and Russians.”

“Yes, it seems to be a combination of European nations against us,” admitted Captain Warner.  “Probably, after they have made good their seizure of Tom’s aerial warship, they will portion her out among themselves, or use her as a model from which to make others.”

“Do you think that is their object?” asked Mr. Damon.

“Undoubtedly,” was the captain’s answer.  “It has been the object of these foreign spies, all along, not only to prevent the United States from enjoying the benefits of these progressive inventions, but to use them for themselves.  They would stop at nothing to gain their ends.  It seems we did not sufficiently appreciate their power and daring.”

“Well, they’ve got us, at any rate,” observed Tom, “and they may take us and the ship to some far-off foreign country.”

“If they don’t heave us overboard half-way there,” commented Ned, in rather gloomy tones.