By this
time the plane was moving along the ground and even then Usanga was
upon the verge of leaping out, and would have done so had he been
able to unfasten the strap from about his waist. Then the plane rose
from the ground and in a moment soared gracefully in a wide circle
until it topped the trees. The black sergeant was in a veritable
collapse of terror. He saw the earth dropping rapidly from beneath
him. He saw the trees and river and at a distance the little clearing
with the thatched huts of Numabo's village. He tried hard not to
think of the results of a sudden fall to the rapidly receding ground
below. He attempted to concentrate his mind upon the twenty-four
wives which this great bird most assuredly would permit him to
command. Higher and higher rose the plane, swinging in a wide circle
above the forest, river, and meadowland and presently, much to his
surprise, Usanga discovered that his terror was rapidly waning, so
that it was not long before there was forced upon him a consciousness
of utter security, and then it was that he began to take notice of
the manner in which the white man guided and manipulated the plane.
After half an hour of skillful maneuvering, the Englishman rose
rapidly to a considerable altitude, and then, suddenly, without
warning, he looped and flew with the plane inverted for a few
seconds.
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