o being again pursued
they might not have felt so easy in their minds, but they assumed that
their presence was not known to others than the pilot of the wrecked
machine, and therefore felt secure.

"Now it's up to us to make a noise like a drum, I guess," said Jack.

"All right, let's get away from here as quickly as we can. If we hold
a course a little south of west we ought to be able to follow the
general line of the railroad and be able to overtake or meet Jimmie and
Dave before they reach Verdun and are forced into the fighting."

Accordingly Jack increased the speed of the motors and brought the
Eagle to the course suggested. Presently they were flying at good
speed.

"Ned, I'm afraid," Harry said after some time. "Let's go lower."

"What's the matter, Harry? Does this altitude affect you?"

"Not in the least, except that it's cold. But you see that unless we
fly lower the first rays of the rising sun will strike us and we can be
seen and located by any one on the ground. They will still be in the
deep shadow and we will be in the brighter sunlight."

"I guess you're right, Harry," replied Ned, "and your suggestion is a
good one. Suppose we do seek a lower level, Jack."

"All right, hang on to your eye teeth and we'll get onto the toboggan,"
replied the lad at the levers. "Going down!"

"It's plain we'll have to run quite low from now on," said Ned, as he
laid aside the binoculars. "Daylight is coming on rapidly."

"We'll have to find a spot uninhabited enough for us to hide during the
daytime," ventured Harry. "We can't let them see us."

"You're right," acquiesced Ned. "Suppose you take the glasses and tell
me if that dark spot ahead there looks like a good spot to hide in. It
appears to be a forest or at least woods of some sort."

"That's what it is," declared Harry, after an extended observation. "I
don't altogether like the looks of the place, for there's a road of
some sort running near the woods, but it's perhaps better than no place
at all. If we can get to earth without being discovered we can hide
behind those trees until dark again."

"Keep a sharp lookout, Ned, while Jack tries to land," advised Harry.
"I'll watch from this side and if we see any one who might observe us
we can easily be on our way again."

Lower and lower circled the plane under the guidance of Jack, whose
experience in handling the great craft well fitted him for the task.
With scarcely a bump the mach