le old Eagle going on two wheels. You're some driver, Ned."

"Let's make ready to help him out," persisted Harry.

"No use," objected Ned, shaking his head disconsolately, "he isn't
there. I'm sure he dropped off back there at camp."

"What!" cried Harry in amazement. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, from the sudden way in which the Eagle's progress was checked,
I'm sure that Jimmie caught the loop of line all right," was Ned's
answer. "Then," he went on, "from the way in which the craft shook
just before she jumped skyward, I believe that the two boys were in
some sort of difficulty. All at once we began to climb, and that
indicated to me clearly that a considerable weight had been lost."

"Do you mean to say you think both Jimmie and Dave fell?"

"I can't see any other way out of it," declared Ned.

"Well, of all things!" was Harry's expression as the truth of the
matter began to dawn upon him. "What shall we do now?"

"I move we circle back in a big spiral," stated Jack, "and see if we
can see what's going on there. Maybe the boys are hurt."

"We weren't going high enough for the drop to badly injure either of
them," declared Harry. "Unless they were tangled in the rope, they
have landed upside down with care, all right."

"Jimmie will come out of any mixup with his fists doubled up," was
Jack's almost laughing comment. "I believe that if that chap were to
fall into the hopper of a mud scow he'd come out with a clean shirt on
and a smile all over that freckled face of his."

"Yes, and ready to fight the chap that pushed him in," added Ned.

"Then let's get back there and see what we can see," urged Harry.

"Better not swing too close," advised Jack. "We can't tell what tricks
those fellows may have up their sleeves. They weren't prepared for our
sudden coming, and so failed to get us. Next time, though, they may be
more fortunate and we might get something not wanted."

"What do you think, Ned," questioned Harry.

"I think it would be unwise to go back there too close now," was Ned's
advice. "I'm of the opinion that our attempt to take Jimmie away had a
bad effect on them, and that they're quite angry."

"Well, swing around a ways and let us take a peep through the glasses.
Maybe we can see what's going on back there."

Accordingly Ned, in an effort to appease the curiosity of his chums,
brought the Eagle in a wide spiral to a position about three thousand
feet above the camp and a trif