n. We'll fight the fire in the air--above the clouds!"

"Hold her steady, Innis!" called Dick to his chum, who was at the wheel.

"Steady she is!" was the grim answer.

And while the Abaris was rushing onward those aboard her prepared to
fight that most deadly of enemies--fire--and at a terrible
disadvantage--nearly ten thousand feet in the air!

Fortunately preparations had been made for this emergency, and a number
of portable extinguishers were placed in various places on the walls of
the cabin.

These the young aviators now pulled down and rushed with them to the
motor compartment, from which the black smoke was pouring in greater
volume.

"Look out for a gasolene explosion!" warned the lieutenant. "Is there
any of it there?"

"Only a little," answered Mr. Vardon. "The main supply is in the deck
tank. But there is a small can in there for priming the cylinders, in
case we have to."

"It smells like oil afire," said Larry Dexter.

"That's what it is--probably some oily waste started by spontaneous
combustion," said Mr. Vardon.

As he spoke he threw the contents of his extinguisher inside the motor
compartment--it was hardly large enough to be called a room. The smoke
was so black that no blaze could be seen.

"Open some of the windows!" shouted Paul. "It's choking in here."

"That's right!" agreed Larry, with a cough and a sneeze.

"Stoop down--get near the floor of the cabin," ordered the army
lieutenant. "The air is always more pure there."

He, too, emptied the contents of his extinguisher in the compartment,
and his example was followed by the others. The smoke seemed to be
less now, and much of it went out through the opened windows, which
Paul slid back in their groves.

"There's the blaze!" cried Dick, as he saw, through the lessening haze
of smoke, some bright, red tongues of fire.

"Douse it!" cried Paul, handing his chum a fresh extinguisher, for Dick
had used his.

The young millionaire threw on the chemical powder, for this happened
to be that sort of an extinguisher, and almost instantly there followed
a sharp explosion.

"Look out!" yelled Dick, ducking instinctively. "I guess this is the
end of everything!"

But, to the surprise of all, the motor still kept up its hum, and they
could tell, by the "feel" of the craft that she was still progressing.
The gale had now almost completely died out, and the Abaris was making
good time, and on her proper course, when the fire wa