compared to the
descent, for many a gallant aircraft has been injured or even wrecked by
clumsy manipulation, want of room or some other cause while landing
after a flight.

Andy gripped hold of an upright. He tried to see down into that little
slash in the great forest, as though it might hold every hope connected
with his fortunes and the success or failure of his mission of mercy.

"Oh, be careful, Frank!" he called, as they just barely missed the top
of a great tree.

There was no need of saying this, as Andy ought to have known. No one
could possibly be more careful than Frank Bird. And yet this was one of
those times when daring had to go hand in hand with caution. The space
in which they meant to try for a landing was so very small that it
seemed necessary for the aeroplane to come down almost as lightly as a
feather.

Fortunately the youthful pilot possessed a good pair of eyes. And the
gloom had not as yet entirely blotted out all features of the landscape,
now that they were so close to the earth.

Andy was holding himself in readiness. He knew that there would perhaps
be an opportunity for him to drop to the ground and by pulling back,
help to bring the little airship to a full stop before they banged up
against a tree at the further side of the little glade.

Never before had Andy found himself compelled to do such a queer
"stunt," as he afterwards termed it; but he was braced to exert himself
now to the best of his ability.

"Jump!" shouted Frank, as they came roughly in contact with the ground.

And Andy went. He never knew whether he jumped purposely or lost his
grip of that upright after the shock of the collision; but the next
thing he realized he was straining himself with might and main to hold
back the monoplane, already gliding along with sundry violent bumps, on
the three bicycle wheels.

"Hurrah! What did I say?" cried Frank, as the aeroplane came to a
complete standstill close to the other border of trees.

There was a frightened series of grunts close by and some big unwieldy
animal went rushing away through the dense undergrowth, crashing along
as though badly frightened at this queer thing that had dropped down
from the sky.

"Wow! whatever was that, do you know, Frank?" cried the one on the
ground.

"I don't know for sure, because I only had the least peep of something
that looked like a small elephant making off," replied the other, also
alighting.

Andy was already reachi