e zip-zip of the bullet as it whipped past
not five feet from your ears, perhaps you'd move the ascending lever
some too, and take chances on getting out of that dangerous spot in a
big hurry, eh?"

Larry and the other two could not reply at once. The explanation given
by Andy fairly took their breath away, so that they could only stare,
and gasp.

CHAPTER IX

STARTLING NEWS OVER THE WIRE

"Frank, is he kidding us?" finally cried Larry, turning to the pilot of
the new biplane; for Andy sometimes liked to joke his chums, as they
well knew.

"Not this time," replied Frank.

"And somebody did really and truly shoot at you, then?" gasped
Elephant, holding up his hands in horror.

"Huh! what d'ye think of these holes through the planes?" demanded
Andy, drawing attention to the stout tanned cloth that constituted the
air-resisting cover of the framework.

"Oh! my, it's so, as sure as you live!" cried Elephant, thrusting a
finger through one of the little openings. "And not five feet away
from where you sat. What a terrible shame! Whoever could have been so
wicked?"

"We don't know," returned Andy, soberly. "But we're going to try and
find out. And all I can say is, that if we do, we're going to make it
mighty warm for him, no matter who he may be."

"He ought to be tarred and feathered," gritted Larry. "Of all the mean
and contemptible things anybody can do, I think the worst is to shoot
at a fellow up in a balloon or an aeroplane. Because they can't fire
back; and the least accident means death to the aviator!"

"Bully for you, Larry!" exclaimed Andy.

"My sentiments exactly," remarked Elephant, with a vim.

Poor Stuttering Nat wanted to echo what Larry had said; but of course
the excitement had seized him in its grip, so that words positively
refused to pour from his parted lips. So after making a great effort,
amid much twisting of his facial muscles, he contented himself with
patting Larry on the back, and nodding, as if to stand for everything
the other had said.

"Well, let's drop that subject for the present, fellows," Frank
suggested. "We saw that you had visitors while we were away, Larry?"

"Why, yes. Your friend, Mr. Marsh, dropped in to say howdyedo. He
breezed in some unexpectedly to us, for we happened to be all inside
when he stepped across the sill, and said he was delighted to renew our
acquaintance."

"Yes, go on, please!" urged impatient Andy.

But there was no hurr