friends of Frank and Andy, and warmly greeted, though not taken
into the secrets of the shop, where mystery reigned much of the time of
late.

"And there's Frank coming right now!" declared Andy. "I guess he made
up his mind he didn't care to put her through all her paces, with me
away. We're sure proud of this new one, fellows. Why, she works like
a clock, and minds her helm better than anything that ever answered to
the call of the plane."

"Say, did you happen to notice that car on the road over there?" asked
Larry.

"I saw one moving along in a cloud of dust; but didn't notice who was
in it. Why do you ask that?" answered the young aviator, looking at
his friend curiously.

"Oh well, it happened to be those same two men you saw, when you
brought little Tommy ashore," remarked the other, mysteriously.

"But I thought they were headed for Bloomsbury?" exclaimed Andy.

"That's what they said; but you see they thought it worth while to run
past and come away out here, just to take a peek over the fence and see
what you Bird boys had in this section."

"That's funny now," muttered Andy, who, being less keen than his
cousin, could not let suspicion find lodgment in his brain as quickly
either. "But perhaps Frank may know who they are. He keeps pretty
well posted on everybody connected with aviation meets and inventions.
Marsh, he said his name was; what was the other, do you know, fellows?"

"I heard him call the man at the wheel Longley several times, so I
reckon that must be his handle," said Elephant, who never liked being
left out in the cold whenever there was an argument on the carpet, or
in fact any talking being done.

Frank came sailing directly toward them with considerable speed. When
it began to look as though he might mean to collide with the low
workshop close by, he suddenly swooped upward, and passed over their
heads, uttering a laugh as he saw how the alarmed Elephant dropped flat
on his face and hugged the earth.

Circling around, Frank cut several fancy figures with the new biplane,
the hum of the twin propellers making merry music in the ears of the
delighted boys.

Finally, as though tiring of this sport he dropped on the grass as
lightly as he had a little while before nestled on the smooth surface
of Sunrise Lake.

The three boys joined him, and willing hands soon stored the aeroplane
in the snug hangar prepared for it alongside the workshop. Then Andy
dodged inside to chang