ried aloft the aerials. Then, while the call for aid was being
sent out, Lieutenants Wilson and Larson were made as comfortable as
possible, and some of Uncle Ezra's scratches and bruises were looked
after.

"No more airships for me," he said bitterly, though with a chastened
spirit. "I'm going to stick to farming, and my woolen mill. Just
think of it--over eleven thousand dollars in that pile of--junk!" and
he shook his head sadly at the wreck of his airship.

"We'll take you on to San Francisco with us, if you like," said Dick.
"You can see us win the race--if we can," he added.

"You still have an excellent chance," said Lieutenant McBride. "My
advice to you would be to remain here a few days to rest up and make
sure all your machinery is in good order. The time will not count
against you. By that time the injured ones will be cared for. Then
you can go on again and complete the course. You have enough oil and
gasolene, have you not?"

"We could ask that some be brought from the army post, if we have not,"
Dick answered. "I think we will adopt that plan.''

"And I--I hope you win," said Uncle Ezra. "I'd like to see that twenty
thousand dollars come into the family, anyhow," he added, with a
mountainous sigh.

CHAPTER XXXIII

WITH UNCLE EZRA'S HELP

"We're off!"

"On the last lap!"

"No more landings!"

Thus cried Innis, Paul and Larry as they stood in the cabin of the
airship. Once more they were on the flight.

"This train makes no stops this side of San Francisco!" cried Dick
Hamilton, after the manner of the conductor of a Limited. "That is, I
hope we don't," he added with a grim smile. "If we do it will cost me
twenty thousand dollars."

"Quite an expensive stop," observed Lieutenant McBride.

"Don't think of it!" said Uncle Ezra. "Nephew Richard, after my
failure, you've just GOT to win that prize."

"I'll try," Dick answered.

It was several days after the events narrated in the last chapter. The
wireless, sending out its crackling call, had brought speedy help from
the army post, and the two lieutenants were taken to the hospital by
their fellow soldiers.

Larson recovered consciousness before Dick and his friends left, but
was delirious, and practically insane. They had to bind him with ropes
to prevent him doing himself and others an injury. His mind had been
affected for some time, it was believed.

Some time later, I am glad to say, he recovered, in a sanitorium