ce at length was exhausted, and he called out:

"Have you found Jack, Dave? Is he there all right?"

"Yes, he's here and he's all right, but rather tired."

"Can I help any?" was Harry's next question.

"Not a bit just now. Jack is getting ready to make the climb. Stand
by the line that I am going to jerk. Haul in slowly."

Bit by bit the line came aboard with its human freight in the loop at
the end. Harry was exceedingly careful to haul in very slowly, in
order that he might not trip his chum and cause a disaster. In a few
moments that seemed endless ages to Ned and Harry their comrade's head
showed and the Eagle again took a tilt to starboard.

Harry quickly and carefully crawled to a position where he would
balance the unusual side strain. He relaxed his vigilance not one
whit, however, and hauled in carefully and slowly on the line.

"Well, that's over with!" sighed Jack as he tumbled over the side of
the car to a position of safety. "I'm glad it's ended, too!"

"How did it happen?" queried Harry with keen interest.

"Never mind the details just yet," panted Jack, stretching his shaking
arms and working his fingers to restore the circulation that had been
somewhat impeded because of the tense muscles. "Let's get Dave up here
safely first. That's one plucky Scout!" the boy added.

"Right you are!" declared Harry. "I'd almost forgotten him!"

"All right, Dave," called Ned, giving the levers a touch to bring the
Eagle clear of some treetops on a rise of ground. "Coming up?"

"In just a minute," replied Dave from his position. "I'm resting
easily, and I think I see the camp where your comrade is located. Do
you suppose we might pick him up as we fly over the place?"

"That would be a risky and nervy thing to do!" declared Ned.

"Nothing so risky about it that I can see," protested Dave. "I'm all
right here, and if you'll pass that line down I'll try to manage to
drop the loop where he can get it if we find the right spot."

"I believe Jimmie could do it?" cried Harry enthusiastically.

"All right," assented Ned, "we can't any more than fail!"

Although the feat that the boys proposed attempting would call for
considerable skill, and was certainly not lacking in danger to all
parties, they were not daunted. They had determined to rescue their
friend at whatever cost and knew that ordinary means would prove
useless.

"Can you see Jimmie anywhere about that camp?" asked Ned, again handin