outskirts of Chicago," explained
Lieutenant McBride. "I am a member of it, and I think we could make a
call there. It would not be necessary to cross the city, and of course
we will not land."

It was agreed that this would be a good plan, and Dick, taking the
wheel, sent his craft ahead on the lake at fast speed.

"Here we go up!" he suddenly cried. Then, yanking over the lever of
the elevating rudder, he sent the Abaris aloft. The rudder for sideway
steering worked perfectly, now that repairs had been made.

Up, up into the air soared the big biplane, and from the lake she had
left came a blast of saluting whistles from the water-craft that thus
paid tribute to a sister vessel.

During the wait on the water Dick had purchased from a passing steamer
a supply of gasolene and oil.

"Now we'll have enough so we won't have to land to take on any more,"
he said. "Our provisions are holding out well, and if nothing happens
we can make the trip from here to San Francisco without stop."

"But we still have one landing to our credit if we need it," said Paul.

"Oh, yes, but I hope we don't have to use it," went on Dick. "It will
be so much more to our credit if we don't."

The supposition that they were not far from Chicago proved correct, for
when they had arisen above the mist that suddenly spread over Lake
Michigan, they saw, in the distance, the Windy City.

A course was laid to circle about it, and not cross it, as that might
complicate matters, and a little later they were within view of the
aviation grounds, of which club Lieutenant McBride was a member.

He had said there might be a meet in progress, and this proved to be
so. A number of biplanes and monoplanes were circling about, and the
big crowd in attendance leaped to its feet in astonishment at the sight
of the young millionaire's new and powerful craft.

It was not the intention of Dick and his chums to stop and make a
landing, but they wanted to get some news of other competing craft
which might be trying for the big prize. Accordingly a plan was
evolved by which this could be done.

The lieutenant wrote out a brief account of their trip, telling of the
stop, and to this Larry added a request that, after it had been read,
it might be telegraphed to his paper. Then information was asked for
in regard to aerial matters.

"But how are we going to get information from them?" asked Paul. "We
can't get our wireless to working, we can't hear the