d up a huge,
battered old suitcase. "If your flyin' machine is ready, so am I!"

The old man was obviously a trifle eccentric, but both boys were warmly
attracted to him by his sincere and friendly manner. Besides, as Tom
noted, there was a certain air of competence about him, as if he was
well able to tackle and solve the hardest of problems in his line.

[Illustration: Captain Britten Carried His Suitcase]

"Let's go, then!" proposed Ned, motioning to the attendant to cast off
and handing him a coin at the same time.

Listening to a number of quaint seafaring expressions from old Captain
Britten, who was starting his first voyage into the upper air, Tom sent
the big craft roaring above the smooth water toward Shopton.

[Illustration: Tom Sent the Big Craft Roaring]

"How do you like flying, Captain Britten?" Ned asked. "Ever been up?"

"Well, I guess it's all right," rumbled the salvaging expert, looking
down at the sea dubiously. "But to tell you the truth, I'm more at home
ON the water than OVER it!"

In a short time the nose of the "Winged Arrow" turned inland as Tom set
his course direct for home. When they were nearing Shopton, the young
inventor, intending to come down on solid ground, grasped the device
which lowered the landing wheels. It seemed to work very stiffly, he
thought, so he leaned over farther to exert more force. Suddenly there
came a snapping noise.

[Illustration: The Plane Turned Inland]

"What's up, Tom?" called Ned, hearing the noise and seeing his chum
fumbling with the now useless mechanism.

"Landing gear out of commission. But there's no need to worry as we can
descend on Lake Carlopa easily with the pontoons."

[Illustration: "Landing Gear out of Commission."]

"By George!" exclaimed Ned Newton, banging his fist on the instrument
panel. "Ten to one this is the work of the same scoundrel who bored
holes in the floats. If I could get my hands on--"

"I hope you'll be in a condition to do so," cut in Tom in an oddly
strained voice. "Take a look at the fuel gauge."

"It--it says zero! But that's impossible. We saw the tanks filled last
night."

[Illustration: "Look at the Fuel Gauge."]

"Sure, and when we took off this morning the gauge showed they were
still full. Someone tampered with the pointer of the instrument and all
but drained the gas containers when they wrecked the landing gear. Just
now you dislodged the jammed needle when you struck the instrument board
with