ulder, snatched off his cap, shook it in front of his eyes, and put
it back in place again.

Paul and Bob both laughed, and harder yet as the bright little animal
shot a paw into Paul's pocket and adroitly drew out a Brazilian gold
coin called a milreis, worth about fifty-four cents in American money.

"You give five milreis, me give monk," said the old mulatto.

Paul shook his head.

"You give four milreis, me give monk."

"No; that's more than I have of these coins."

"You give three milreis, me give--"

"Only have two of them left," said Paul.

"You give two milreis, take monk."

"It's a bargain," laughed Paul.

And he fished another of the coins out of his pocket, accepted the end
of the rope tied to the monkey, and went off with Bob, his
newly-acquired pet still contentedly occupying his shoulder.

"We'll surprise John and Tom when we get back to the field," chuckled
Paul. "They won't be looking for this addition to the crew of the
Sky-Bird."

"I'd say not," declared Bob, also chuckling.

And indeed Paul's little hairy friend did create a lot of interest when
they arrived beside the airplane, John and Tom both playing with him,
for several minutes, and going into hilarious laughter at the funny
antics of the weazened-faced creature, which looked so much like the
wrinkled old mulatto from whom he had been purchased, that Paul said he
should henceforth be called "Grandpa."

They put the monkey in the cabin, and climbed in themselves, since all
was in readiness for the departure. Night had fallen, but the sky was
clear and moonlit. So there was no trouble, by helping matters with
their searchlight, in hopping off and turning their head across the big
Atlantic toward the shores of Africa.

As the trade-winds were blowing quite stiffly in their faces, John, who
was at the throttle, determined to mount high enough to overcome their
most resistant effects. When at an altitude of about five thousand
feet, he brought the Sky-Bird out horizontally, with her nose set by
compass toward Freetown. Before they could reach this African seaport
it would be necessary for them to travel considerably more than two
thousand miles and meet whatever storms might develop. But all had
such confidence in the capabilities of the Sky-Bird that none had any
worries, fierce as some of the Atlantic storms were known to be.

As they could no longer see the sea beneath them, owing to the darkness
and fog which lay between