with Lucifer ended the performances in the arena, and,
as the balloon was inflated and ready to ascend, the people flocked to
where it was straining at the ropes.

Ted had mounted Sultan again, and left the arena surrounded by Stella
and the boys.

"Who's going up in her?" asked Ted.

"Ben Robinson, the boss," answered Ben.

"Do you know who he is?" asked Ted.

Ben stared at him without replying.

"I'll tell you," said Ted. "He's Skip Riley, thief and ex-convict, the
leader of the Flying Demons. He is the man who caused us to lose our
money last night, and who engineered all the mysterious robberies
hereabouts. Do you reckon he intends to come back?"

Ben's eyes started from their sockets in surprise.

"I--I don't know," he stammered. "By Jove! we must stop him. Maybe he's
going to skip."

The boys had crowded about Ted as he spoke.

"We'll have to hurry if we get him," shouted Ben. "He's in the basket
now."

With shouts of warning Ted and the boys pushed their horses through the
crowd, which rushed aside to let them through.

They could see Skip Riley lift a large tin box into the basket from the
ground. As he was getting ready to start there was a shrill cry, and the
midget came waddling through the crowd and climbed over the side of the
car and up Riley's body until it clung to his shoulder like a monkey. A
great many of the thoughtless laughed at this. They did not understand
the significance of the move.

"Get ready to cut her loose," shouted Riley.

Two or three men stood by with sharp knives in their hands.

Riley saw Ted and the boys pushing rapidly through the crowd.

"Cut her loose!" shouted Riley, and the balloon shot upward, amid the
shouts of the people.

"Too late,'" said Ben.

"Not yet," cried Ted, spurring through the crowd.

A long guide rope was dragging from the car of the balloon.

"Follow me, Bud. The balance of you catch Creviss and the rest of them.
I'm going with Riley."

Before they knew exactly what he meant, Ted grasped the guide rope as it
passed over his head, and was swung out of the saddle and dangled in the
air, to the horror of the people, who expected to see him fall and be
dashed to pieces at any minute, for the balloon had shot up rapidly and
was now several hundred feet above the ground.

But Riley, looking over the country and taking account of the direction
in which the balloon was traveling, was unaware that he had taken on
another passenger.

Hand