become caught. Now it was freed.

"Make this rope fast to it," directed Dick, as he guided his motor-boat
close to the airship. "We'll tow it to the dock."

Paul and Innis undertook this part of the work, and in a few moments
the Mabel, Dick's boat, was headed toward shore, towing the wrecked
airship. A crowd of the cadets awaited with interest the arrival.

When the Mabel had been made fast to the dock, other ropes were
attached to the aircraft that floated at her stern, and the wrecked
biplane was slowly hauled up the sloping bank of the stream.

"Some smash, that!"

"Look at the planes, all bent and twisted!"

"But the motor is all there!"

"Say, she's bigger than I thought she was!"

Thus the young cadets commented on the appearance of the craft as it
was hauled out. Word had been sent to Mr. Vardon and his helper to
come and look at the salvaged wreck, and they were goon on the scene,
together with Larry Dexter, who, as usual, was always on hand when
there was a chance to get an item of news.

"I'll get another scoop out of this for my paper!" he exclaimed to
Dick. "Then I guess I'd better be getting back to New York. They may
want to send me on some other assignment, for it doesn't look as though
I'd do any more flying through the air in that machine."

"Say, don't be in too much of a hurry to go away," remarked Dick, as he
ceased from pulling on the rope attached to the wrecked airship.

"Why not?" asked Larry. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're not on any regular news stunt just now; are you?"
inquired Dick, of the young reporter. "That is, you don't have to
report back to the office at any special time."

"No," replied Larry. "I'm a sort of free lance. I'm supposed to be
learning how to run an airship so I can qualify, and get a license, and
be able to help out the paper on such a stunt if they need me. They
assigned me to this Mr. Vardon because it looked as though he had a
good thing. Now that it's busted I suppose I'll be sent out with some
other aviator, and I'd better be getting back to New York and find out
what the paper wants me to do."

"Well, as I said, don't be in too much of a hurry," went on Dick with a
smile.

"You talk and act as though there was something in the wind," remarked
Larry.

"There is, and there's going to be something more in the wind soon, or,
rather, in the air," said Dick. "I might as well tell you, I'm going to
have an airship, and--"

"You are!"