nshine. They had delayed longer than they had intended to in making their start and already most of the other prospective contestants had concluded testing their eng

ing of yellow vulcanized silk, were in marked contrast to the inky hue of the Buzzard's surfaces, whose driver, Malvoise, was just settling into his seat, his inevitable cigarette still in his mouth. The Buzzard w

aw smell of gasolene and the odor of trampled grass. Clouds of blue smoke arose from where the proprietor of a small biplane had drenched his cylinders with too

s. A man had been almost killed on the grounds a few days before, when a propeller blade had torn loose under the terrifi

the appliances she usually carried as a passenger craft. Her searchlight and wireless were missing. Her transom seats were gone. Seve

ne and Frank sat at the steering wheel, which manipulated the dipping and diving rudders as well as the rearward steering surface. One of his feet was on the bra

alve that sent the gasolene flowing to

ching with anxious eyes the preparations and ap

n hesitatingly, "I do

he wistful look in the

, with a laugh at Bill

y no

esent," laughed Harry catching Frank's mirth, "but if you want to sque

l aluminum seat fitted with clamps to screw to the framework, an

as soon as the delighted

e the startling roar of the exhaust that told the boys that all the cylinders were getting down to work. Blue flames and smoke bel

eroplane back with all their might. Her frame shook as if it was being swept by some mighty convulsion. The racket was terrific, ear-splitting. The wind from the p

advanced the spark. At last, when the men holding the craft were shouting that they couldn'

ver the uneven ground at race-horse speed. Several boys on bic

he Golden Eagle, amid a cheer that was of course inaudible to th

with mirth as the queer green contrivance scuttled over the ground in a series of spasmodic hops, just like its grasshopper namesake. Then came Gladwin, the novice, and a half dozen others. Presently the air above the plain

nd the Buzzard. There was no difficulty in telling the craft apart, as they circled about high above the now crowded grounds. The spir

g speck against the sky. The crowd watched till the big 'plane became a pin point and then vanished altogether. The Buzzard was off after them in a flash and the crowd cheere

black smoke enveloped her engine and she wobbled badly. A rush across the field began. Suddenly the black

cried the crowd, as they s

it se

soon as his engine began to miss fire and to smoke, he had set his

skids that supported her stern, a serious accident must have inevitably occurred. But, as it was, the Fr

loud "honk-honk" was heard and a big touring car came dashing across the plain. The people scatte

was projected from his chin, and which was all that could be seen of his face. The rest of his features we

comer, in a voice strangely like that

ide of the automobile. The two conversed in low tones, thoug

ident that had really been no fault of his. "I've put up a $50,000 plant for the manuf

t I had found a man who would do what we want. I tol

tiently, "but he doesn't seem to have done much.

noplane is the only other one that comes

the Golden Eagle to cont

r going to get it," g

way they robbed me of my ivory. I never found the other tusks they said they had

o whom the latter part of this speech had been incomprehens

igure of Sanborn was seen shoul

ise to old Barr. "This is the mechanic of

he seemed somewhat surprised when the m

important to tel

ded the magnate, no

ody might overhear us. I'll ta

r the Chester boys

a long flight. I can tell you my proposition and

ill hear what y

versation that must have been deeply interesting, judging from old Barr's gestures and exclamations. If one could have penetrated behind his mask