stipulated the
owner of the airship.

The former army officer sent the aircraft through several simple
evolutions to test her. She answered well, though Uncle Ezra gasped
once or twice, and his grip on the seat rail tightened.

"When do you plan to start?" Mr. Larabee wanted to know, again.

"Oh, in about a week. I have sent in an application to have a
representative of the government assigned to us, and when he comes
we'll start. That will give me a chance to buy the new carburetor, and
make some other little changes."

"Well, let's go down now," suggested Uncle Ezra. "Hello, what's this?"
he cried, looking at his coat. "Why, I'm all covered with oil!"

"Yes, it does drip a little," admitted the aviator. "I haven't
tightened the washers on the tank. You mustn't mind a little thing
like that. I often get soaked with oil and gasolene. I should have
told you to put on an old suit."

"But look here!" cried Uncle Ezra, in accents of dismay. "I didn't put
on an old suit! This is my second best. I paid thirteen dollars for
it, and I've bad it four years. It would have been good for two more
if your old oil hadn't leaked on it. Now it's spoiled!"

"You can have it cleaned, perhaps," suggested the lieutenant as he sent
the biplane about in a graceful curve, before getting ready for a
descent.

"Yes, and maybe have to pay a tailor sixty-five cents! Not much!"
cried Uncle Ezra. "I'll clean it myself, with some of the gasolene. I
ain't going to waste money that way. I ought to charge you for it."

"Well, I'll give you the gasolene to clean it," said the aviator, with
another unseen wink.

"Humph!" ejaculated Uncle Ezra with a grunt, as he tried to hold on
with one hand, and scrub off some of the oil spots with his
handkerchief.

"Well, I guess we'll go down now," announced Larson, after making
several sharp ascents and descents to test the efficiency of the
vertical rudder.

"Why, we're quite a way from the farm!" exclaimed Mr. Larabee, looking
down. "I didn't think we'd come so far."

"Well, I'll show you how quickly we can get back there!" boasted
Larson. "I'll have you at your place in a hurry!"

He turned more power into the motor, and with a rush and a roar, the
biplane shot forward.

But something happened. Either they struck an air pocket, or the
rudder was given too sudden a twist. Anyway, the airship shot toward
the ground at a sharp angle. She would have crashed down hard, only