ful spectacle of the soaring, buoyant _Golden
Butterfly_.

"Oh, if only we could drop a message on her decks!" breathed Peggy
eagerly. "I do wish we had a post-card or something----"

"By ginger," cried Roy suddenly, "I do believe I've got some in my
coat-pocket. I bought some in the village yesterday to mail to the chaps
back at school. Yes. Here they are, and here's a fountain-pen. Now write
all you want."

Peggy took the cards her brother handed to her with his free hand, and,
with the fountain-pen, sat down to compose some messages. After a few
seconds' thought, she began to write busily. Card after card was covered
with her neat penmanship. All this time Roy had kept the _Golden
Butterfly_ hovering above the liner, from time to time taking swoops and
dives around it like some monstrous sea gull.

Suddenly, from the liner's whistle, a great cascade of white steam
spouted.

"Wough-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!"

It was the vessel's siren blowing a greeting to the young adventurers of
the air. At the same instant a deep-throated roar, a cheer from cabin and
steerage passengers alike, winged its way upward. Roy acknowledged it by a
graceful wave of his cap. Then the cheering broke forth afresh.

The passengers of the newest ocean giant, the _Ruritania_, realized that
they were seeing a spectacle that would remain in their memories all their
lives. Having conquered old ocean with leviathan vessels, man was now
seeking to subdue the air to his utility.

CHAPTER X.

AN AERIAL POST OFFICE.

Peggy addressed half a dozen cards. Two, of course, went to Jess and
Jimsy, another to Aunt Sallie Prescott; one to the captain of the
_Ruritania_, and one other, which bore the address, "Eugene Mortlake,
Esq."

It was a mischievous freak that made Peggy write this last missive, which
read:

TO MR. EUGENE MORTLAKE,

Per Steamer _Ruritania_--in Mid-air:
Greetings from aeroplane _Golden Butterfly_.

R. & M. PRESCOTT.

That was all, but Peggy knew that it would serve its prankish purpose.

All this time the _Silver Cobweb_ had been out at sea, but now, apparently
detecting the maneuvers of the _Golden Butterfly_, she headed about, and
came racing back. Peggy deftly attached weights--spare bolts from the tool
locker--to each of the cards, and then, snatching up a megaphone, she
hailed the uniformed figures on the bridge of the great vessel below them.

"Will you be good