rve of
which he could boast not to turn and shoot downward after making that
initial circuit.

The clouds were beginning to scurry around them now, showing that the
wind was arriving. Frank knew this when he once more started around
the peak, for he met it head on.

This meant another peril. He had to keep his wits fully about him,
lest a sudden flaw tilt the biplane over. And it was at that moment of
uncertainty that the young aviator had reason to rejoice because of
that new device under the aeroplane whereby an automatic balance was
maintained between the planes.

Birdmen who have attempted to show their ability to manage an aeroplane
close to a big city like New York claim that their greatest danger
arises from the numerous gusts of wind that come out of the deep
canyons formed by the skyscraper buildings.

"There they go!" screeched Andy, suddenly.

Frank received something of a start, for the other aeroplane shot past
not more than thirty feet away from the tip of his port plane. It had
been a narrow escape from a calamity that might have cost all their
lives; for Percy, for some unaccountable reason, had chosen to pass
around the summit of Old Thunder Top in just the opposite way from that
they had taken.

How foolhardy to keep this up! It was next door to madness, Frank
concluded. He was determined to have nothing more to do with it, but
give over the idea of fulfilling the conditions of the race.

Was it too late to think of making the home town? Would the hovering
gale swoop down on them when half way, and in the twinkling of an eye
wind up their mortal careers?

Frank had learned his lesson. He was grimly determined that if good
fortune allowed him to get out of this scrape alive he would never
again allow himself to be tempted into a thing that he positively knew
to be rash beyond all description.

But it might be too late now. The storm would soon come riding along
with a rush and a roar. Sorry, indeed, the frail aeroplane caught in
its merciless grip. A handful of straw would not be scattered more
quickly by the onrushing blast than the pitiful frame that went to make
up the imitation bird.

Even the eagles had mounted higher out of reach of the storm; or else
sought some snug retreat among the rocks, where they could bid it
defiance; at any rate had utterly lost all sight of the king birds.

But where was Bloomsbury? How would he know which way to turn, when
desirous of fleeing