rowd appreciated it to the full.

But up in the grandstand, in inconspicuous places, sat three persons who
did not look as well pleased as those about them.

"So the girl is going to take a chance," muttered Fanning Harding; "well,
so much the worse for her. If she wins I'll put in a protest and compel
her to unmask."

"Won't that Prescott and Bancroft bunch be astonished when they find out
that we are on to their little game," chuckled Jukes Dade; "it'll be as
good as a play."

"That's what it will," grinned Gid.

"They'll find out that they can't humiliate me and not suffer for it,"
grated out Fanning.

"Wonder where that girl went to on her tryout spin?" inquired Dade.

"It doesn't make much difference where, but she certainly came back with
a grandstand play," rejoined Gid.

"Well, if she wins the race it will be our turn," Fanning assured him.

They then turned their attention to the contest, two laps of which had
been made while they were talking.

Number One, a small white Bleriot type of monoplane, seemed to be making
the pace for the rest, and word flew about that it had gained half a lap
on Number Four, its nearest competitor so far.

"But it will be a long contest," said the wiseacres in the crowd, "and
accidents may happen at any time."

On the fourth lap Number One was seen to descend over by the hangars.
Something had gone wrong with its lubricating valve. By the time the
difficulty was adjusted it was hopelessly out of the race. Number Three
was the next to drop out. This machine was driven by one of the high
school lads, and his contingent of rooters in the grandstand set up a
woeful noise as he dropped to earth in the middle of the course. A broken
stay had made it dangerous for him to remain longer in the air.

This left number Six, the Prescott machine, Numbers Two, Four and Five
still in the air.

"Number Six has gained a lap on Number Five!" went up the cry presently
as Number Five, so far the leader, was seen to lose speed on the
fifteenth lap.

The Golden Butterfly was in truth doing magnificently, but try as her
operator would it did not seem possible to shake off Number Five, another
high school boy's machine, which clung persistently to its stern. Number
Four alighted for more gasolene on the twentieth lap and lost a round of
the course thereby. A few seconds later Number Two was also forced to
descend with heated cylinders. This practically left the race between
Number Five