nives and forks had been industriously plied. "Now I'm ready to

ther, as soon as it opens,

y for a priz

ey had some water there, so we could do some stunts with our hydroplane

s chums. "Maybe we can s

ir adventures in the past, and

ay not get another chance, as they are such rapid-fire chaps. Those of you who have read the previous books i

boys had been chums ever since they were in the primary school, and when they were old enough to have motorcycles their friendship was more than ever firmly cemented, for they had many adventures together, as told in the f

d in that they spent many pleasant hours. The fifth volume of our series, entitled "The Motor Boys Afloat," details some of them. In their craft the Dartaway, they

our heroes. Airships were coming more and more into prominence, and it

. Sufficient to say that it was a combination of a dirigible balloon and an aeroplane, and could sail for many miles without coming down. In it our friends had many ad

from Boston, there lived a bully, Noddy Nixon by name, who with his crony, Bill Berry,

de a flight over the ocean, and succeeded in rescuing a Mr. Jackson, who with some friends and a crew were unconscious in a dirigible balloon that had become disabled at sea. Mr. Jackson, as told in the story "The Motor Boys Over the Ocean,"

ime now, and, after a winter spent at their studies, they w

ted in the first chapter took place, and now we will resume thei

ked Jerry, as he and his c

," proposed Bob. "It's bad for digesti

Jerry with a laugh. "But I guess it won't hurt us to sit

ed Bob, passing it

lads were talking in front of the desk where they had paid for their meal.

aimed Ned, and he and his two ch

t see any one in the dining room that I'

ne of those air machines-I don't know enough about 'em to tell whether or not it's a

ey?" asked

ng over near the door," replied the cle

wn and Black?"

d at the register. "We had quite a crowd here to-day-yes, it's

er heard of their doing any great stun

arrived," went on the clerk. "They came out from Boston,

machine?" ask

get a look at i

gh fence all around it, and the gate is locked. But as long as you boys are air navigators yourselves I guess Mr. Brown and Mr. Black won't mind if I let you look at their machine. They are busy

strange men were deep in a conversation, our friends s

ellows were birdmen?" ask

mysterious about them. Why are they so

l then. But I don't blame them for not wanting a lot of farmers crowding around whe

"Well, there's the gate in

ne of an up-to-date model. It took but a glance to disclose this, and with exp

beaut all right

Look at that engine! Why it's almost

like ours, but it's got a lot of speed and power, I'll wager. And look at th

the aeroplane painted on one of the side planes, an

"I wonder if those fellows-Brown and Black-made it themselves, or who did? Th

'em," pro

the aeroplane-for it was built to carry two-and near one of

Jerry tilted it all the way back. He was anxious to see all the deta

tool box Jerry uttered a half

se queer tools? First time I ever knew an ae

ed Bob, peering over

ached to an electric light circuit. And here's some sort of a fusing torch, to melt or fus

aid of a break-dow

rch do even if they did get a break-down?" demand

t away from t

two angry voices, and our heroes looked up to see the two men-