r trees about the place where the snake had held
forth. "Don't I wish we'd brought a few sticks of dynamite along,
though."

"For goodness' sake, what would we want with dynamite? Think you could
have blown up that snake, do you?" asked Frank, as they started to cross
the glade toward the waiting monoplane.

"Oh! shucks, no. I was thinking how we could plant 'em under a bunch of
those trees and enlarge the gap!" declared Andy.

At that Frank burst out into a hearty laugh.

"What a fellow you are for wild notions. Think of us blowing up the
forest to make an aviation field! I reckon, however, seeing that you
haven't got the dynamite, Andy, we'll have to do the best we can. Take
hold here and we'll push the machine just as far back as it will
go. Perhaps we can gain a few yards at this end that will count in the
long run."

Frank was particularly careful about every little detail. He knew just
what he had to depend on. In the past he had made it a pet hobby to rise
in as short a space as possible; and now this faculty seemed destined to
prove a valuable asset in their speedy climbing up.

"All ready?" he asked, grimly.

Andy took one last look at the face of his chum. He saw that Frank's
mouth was compressed in that firm way that stood for so much; and
somehow Andy's wavering confidence returned in full measure. When Frank
Bird looked like that, things always had gone according to his will; and
they must now!

"Yes, I'm fit, Frank," he said, quietly. "Let her go when you're ready!"

In the many times that the two boys had made ascents, Andy could never
remember that his pulses throbbed with one-half the suspense they did
now. Not even on that never to be forgotten initial performance, when
for the first time they felt the strange sensation of leaving the solid
ground in a flying machine, had he been so excited, so nervous, so
filled with alternate hope and fear.

Frank had taken every possible precaution. He had thoroughly studied
the ground, and made sure that no obstacle would be apt to cause the
running gear of the aeroplane to swerve, and thus throw them off their
course.

All he could do was to start the machinery, get a rise at the quickest
possible second, and be ready to shut off power if he realized that the
feat they were about to attempt were impossible, so as to avoid smashing
the planes against a tree.

"Then here goes!" he said, calmly.

Andy held his breath as he heard the engine start off