he Abaris. Through the captain of one craft Dick
sent a message to his father, and Larry a story to his paper.

"Well, I think that boat must be dry enough to mend now," said Dick,
some time after dinner. "We don't want to spend another night here if
we can help it."

"No, for the weather might not always be as calm as it is now. The
barometer is falling, and that means a storm, sooner or later," spoke
Mr. Vardon. "And these lake storms can be pretty had when they try."

It was found that the collapsible boat was dry enough to patch up, and
by means of a rubber cement the hole in the side was closed.

The leaky intake valve was also repaired, and then, when the peculiar
craft was blown up and tested, it was found to be all right.

"Now we'll have another try at fixing that rudder," said Dick, as he
and the aviator started once more to paddle to the stern of the
aircraft.

This time all went well. No water came in the rubber boat, and by
standing up in it the two were able to learn the cause of the trouble
with the rudder.

It was simple enough--a broken bolt making it impossible to turn it in
a certain direction. As Dick had plenty of spare parts aboard, a new
bolt was soon substituted for the fractured one, and then they were
ready to proceed again.

"I've a suggestion to make," said Lieutenant McBride, when Dick was
about to give the word to mount into the air again.

"What is it?" asked the young millionaire.

"Why not try your boat over the water? While it is not exactly a
hydroplane, yet it has those attachments, and you can probably skim
over the surface of the water as well as float on it. And that might
come in useful in winning the prize.

"Of course the conditions call for an air flight from New York to San
Francisco, but I believe, in case of emergency, a short water trip
would not count against you? And you might have to make it some time."

"I'll see what we can do, at any rate," decided Dick. "We will
probably never get a better chance than this. Come on, boys! We'll
see how our hydroplanes act!" he called.

The only thing that was necessary to do was to start the motor that
operated the propellers. The aircraft was at this time resting easily
on the surface of Lake Michigan.

She would be driven forward by the propellers beating on the air,
exactly as a sailboat it aided by the wind. Only, in her case, the
Abaris would furnish her own motive power.

In anticipation of some