's sudden cry of exultation at the prospect of a struggle for supremacy above the clouds, there was for a

ple twilight. The window faced the north, giving a fair view of the city and the Andes as they strung along in that directio

or and stepped to his side, one

ere!" h

ked Leroy, not waiting for Ned

lked with Mik

rstand all that was said to him

lained. "He says a lot more that I can't understand. I've bee

er she landed anywhere nea

over the mountains when he first saw it

been followed down

this time? And if she wasn't sneaking about after us, what would she be han

d, "but it seems to me that there is something significant about it. I have felt all alo

Lyman has pretty badly," Leroy ventured. "Well,

" demanded Jimmie. "No, Sir!" he went on, rubbing his freckled

take note of the activities of the boys on the Nelson, the situation could

A race would only serve to draw the Nelson away from the point of action, away from the place where Lyman was held in captivity. To "bust

son," Jimmie went on, "we might swoop down an' get

tter wait for this new navigator o

doing it!"

around the point of danger! He'll show us wher

y devote his energies to keeping track of us

e Nelson. There's a chance of the lobster

od idea,"

lan for meeting the emergency was already forming in the active brain of the Boy Scout,

the hotel building. There he found several men, smoking, chatting, and watching the airship, now almost directl

While Ned stood watching the machine, realizing that the fellow in charge was no novice in aviation, a gentleman whom he had noticed three times before that day observing him closely advanced and stood by his

thought, as the stranger stood by his side a mome

?" the stranger ob

to know his busin

lane yourself, didn't

ed in the

ou about the city until this afternoon, and som

half amused at the impe

om New York myself, but I'm selling goods for a Chicago firm-steam pumps! I've got the best steam pump in seven

Ned replie

're out

id not think it necessar

oks to me like it could knock the spots off anything of the kind in the world. I don't know anything about airships, but I do

but if we remain here over tomorrow I

eft. The boy hardly knew what to make of Collins. He might be a steam pump salesman, just as he had described himself, and, again, he might be a spy sent out by Lyman's enemies

the former's room. Sitting at the north window, the two could see the lights of the aeroplane d

ro said, watching the descending bird.

retty good Spanish, and Ne

ak Spani

in Spanish, and the I

never suspected that

nk you can understand what I say to you. As I want you to

want to know?

can, all about that aeroplane. I want to know if it has ever been seen here before, if the

ndian

ant to know what kind of a machine it is, and where it came from. If you think it advisabl

e at the prospective employment. Ned pondered for a momen

ted with the country lying

"but that is a long, long dist

have you ever be

. I am a

dered a

and south?"

ke Tit

oundary between P

es

country-the count

well,

ng way from

rd of the way. You

be directed to a place in the mountains where I can securely hide our aeroplane. It must

, a knowing smile

from the other a

es

verns near La

see, I must have a hiding place from which the airship ca

and in? Yes,

uard until midnight, when Jimmie was to relieve him. Then Pedro went out in the city to listen to such talk of the strange airship as was floating about th

ceased speaking, "that now is our time. We o

ow'll see us!"

dn't have any lights you know, and the motors mak

he Nelson. Mike was to remain with him, of course, as there would be no room on the Nelson for him. The young man when told of the plans, objec

hought the driver of the other aeroplane would be likely to be sleeping. At the very door of the hotel they came upon Mr. Thomas Q. Collin

le, "I'll walk with you if you are going out to your ae

th him than on his way to report the departure of the Nelson. "We are j

se you decide to go sailing tonight," Collins

hat this new acquaintance was up to. "However," he adde

Jimmie, who was a few paces behind. Then, before very long, the little fellow missed Collins. He had disappeared in a dark alley. Ned worried over this whe

ne from, a boy who knew nothing about it himself! It took only a short time to make ready for flight, then the Ne

d, glancing over the mighty map of sea and pla

speed," N

his mouth with his hand, to keep his words from being blown back d

e gleaming in the moonlight. She seemed to stand still for an instant, and th

back. "If you want a race, come on, a