hip on the wing.

It did not take them long to reach the desired spot, and they
hovered in the air over it, every one with tense nerves, waiting for
what would happen next.

Tom did not want to show his searchlight just yet, as he feared the
gleam of it might stop the operations of the smugglers. So he waited
in darkness, approaching close to the earth in his noiseless ship
several times, and endeavoring to see something through the powerful
night glasses.

Suddenly, from below them, came a subdued throb and hum of a motor.

"There they are!" exclaimed Mr. Damon.

"I think so," agreed Tom. He looked below. He saw two flickering
lights, rather far apart. Mr. Whitford observed them at the same
moment.

"There are TWO of them!" exclaimed the agent, "TWO airships, Tom!"

"So I see. Koku, get out my electric rifle. We can't chase two, if
they separate, so I may have to stop one. It's best to be prepared.
I'm going to follow them in the dark, until they get over the
border, and then I'll turn on the light and the camera. Then it will
be a race to the finish."

The twin lights came nearer. Tom stood with his mouth to the signal
tube that communicated with Mr. Damon in the pilot house. From a
side window he watched the smugglers' airships. They shot upward and
then came on straight ahead, to pass to one side of him. Now they
were past. Tom started the wizard camera.

"Half speed ahead!" the young inventor signalled, and the Falcon
shot forward. The night race was on.

CHAPTER XXV

THE CAPTURE--CONCLUSION

"Do you think they know we are here, Tom?" asked Mr. Whitford, as he
stood at the side of the young inventor in the motor room.

"I don't believe so, as yet. They can't hear us, and, unless they
have pretty powerful glasses, they can't pick us up. We can soon
tell however, if they are aware that we are following them."

"Have you made any plan about capturing them?"

"No, I'm going to wait and see what turns up. I can't certainly
chase two of them, if they separate, and that's why I'm going to
cripple one if I have to."

"But won't that be dangerous? I don't want to see any of them
killed, or even hurt, though they are smugglers."

"And I don't want to hurt them, either. If worst comes to worst I'm
going to put a few holes in the wing planes of the smaller craft.
That will cause her to lose headway, and she can't keep up. They'll
have to volplane to earth, but, if they know anything at all about