ought to
sight the big lake away; ahead there inside of 'half an hour more, I
should think?" Andy ventured to say, and he was thrilled when his
companion, turning toward him just at that moment, went on to say:

"Perhaps in less time than that, Andy; with the glasses you might
glimpse it even now!"

CHAPTER XX

OVER LAND AND SEA

"Are you joshing me, Frank?" demanded the other Bird boy, as he swung
eagerly around, so as to fix his glasses upon the far off horizon ahead
of them.

"I certainly am not, Andy; but please be more careful how you move. You
gave me a punch in the ribs just then that sent a cold shiver all over
me. Don't forget that we're not stretched out on the ground under an
apple tree taking an afternoon doze. Well, what do you see?"

"Frank, I do believe you're right about that lake business!" exclaimed
Andy.

"Then you can see it?" asked the other, himself more than anxious,
because of the fact that the fleeing bank robbers who had stolen the
biplane of Percy Carberry apparently intended to escape over the line
into Canada, even if to accomplish their purpose they had to daringly
cross Lake Ontario, many miles wide, a feat as yet only successfully
done by one or two bold fliers of national repute.

"I sure can; and the way we're heading it's a dead open-and-shut thing
that we're just going to swing out over the water before another hour
passes. Whew!"

Andy finished his sentence with this significant exclamation. It was as
though not only the novelty of the thing but its thrilling nature
staggered him. The Bird boys had flown under many strange conditions,
but as yet they had not made a water flight.

There is and always must be a vast difference between passing over the
land, with its forests, hills, valleys, plains, cities and villages, to
starting out over a wide stretch of inland sea, with only the tumbling
waves far below, and new as well as untried currents of air to meet and
conquer.

More than a few times Andy Bird had expressed a wish to have just such
an experience. It would be a novelty, something entirely new in their
line, and which would give them possibly delightful thrills.

But now that the chance seemed opening up before them, he found himself
viewing it with considerable apprehension, as well as delight.

Of course it made considerable difference that they should be chasing
after a desperate pair of rascals, rather than simply trying to
accomplish a flight from