The Boy Aviators on Secret Service

. That she was unwilling at first for them to embark on what seemed such a dangerous commission goes without saying, but after a lot of persuasion she finally yielded an

and so no time was lost in preliminaries and two days of hard work saw the

very important part in assuring her stability in the air. Like the first Golden Eagle the boys had determined that the new ship, should carry wireless and the enthusiasm of Schultz and Le Blanc, their two assistants,

orse-power machine of similar type and equipped with the same ignition apparatus. As in the other ship they planned to have the driving power furnished by twin screws but, whereas in

igating instruments was much the same. The boys, however, planned to give her a couple of low transoms running the length of each side of the pilot-house on which the occupants could sleep on cushions stuffed with a very light grade of vegetable wool

rry, and found, on his arrival at the aerodrome a framework which was rapidly beginning to assume very much the look of a real air-ship. The

s dis boy c

rt warmed toward him for the interest he displayed in the craft which

work-tables, the blue prints and plans, the shaded drop-lights and the small gasolene motor,-used to test prop

lly, gazing out of the tall aerodrome doors a

population of White Plains around here trying to get on

ave any more manifestations from our dark

papers and apparently paid no more attention to us. I

e rubber-neck who was surprised to hear three boys talki

table house, a short distance from the main aerodrome. It was divided into a dining and a sleeping room. The latter neatly furnished with three cots-a third having been added to Frank and Harry's for Billy's use that very morning. On its wall hung a few pictures of noted avia

en shown over the little domain, "I call it a mansio

een shaken out of even that

hatter now when I think of the rain of stones that came from the Toltec r

knowingly and e

tell him, Fran

es as his share of the loot of the One-eyed Quesals and as a partial

or, prospector and adventurer, whom they had discovered marooned in an inaccessibl

oney after he had sold the ruby for tw

ter shook

," he said; "b

doing well with it in New York harbor. We met him when we were in New York a couple of da

a better camp-ma

id Frank. "So I told h

to come?" d

proved Frank. "Listen to th

s all shouted with laughter as he read it alou

e in White Plains to-morrow.

boys made their way back from the living

rgency and on such an expedition as this, his experience an

n behind the venerable old steed that Billy had christened "Baalbec," because, he explained, "he was a remarkably fine ruin." The first train from New York

tes, lay alongside

fairly bulged under the tight-fitting, blue serge coat he wore. He carried an ancient looking carpet bag in which as he explained he had his "duds," meaning his garments. Th

ore and as he did so saw the boys. With the agility of an eel he instantly slipped into a s

ritation, "he gets on my nerves. I wish to

look

you talking about

l Limited,-or his double,-just sneaked down a side street," said Bill

like this could hardly be

Billy, "that fellow

hing," replied Frank, as they emerged

, after the joyous re-union with Ben Stubbs, they all stood regarding

t might be possible, at the rate the work was progressing, to ma

denly, "rather a funny thing hap

elder brother,

eplied Harry, "nothing more th

?" asked Fran

ere to look for

ou tol

went over to the house for some tools he'd left there, found that instead of going very far

long face, "a tramp with fie

te property," went on Harry, "but as soon as he saw the old fellow

ked with faint lines. Frank scrutinized the p

id, "is nothing more nor less than a very credita

ow stupid of me not to have realized tha

the aerodrome unguarded for a minute day or night