plane."

"I believe," said Diane disapprovingly, "that you were cutting giddy
circles over the water and dipping and skimming, weren't you?"

"I did cut a monkeyshine or two," admitted the young man. "I was
having a devil of a time until you--until the--er--catastrophe
occurred."

"And Miss Westfall, the owner," murmured Diane with sympathy, "is
addicted to firearms. Hadn't you heard? She _hunts_! The Westfalls
are all very erratic and quick-tempered. Didn't you know she was at
the farm?"

The young man looked exceedingly uncomfortable.

"Great guns, no!" he exclaimed. "I presumed she was safe in New
York. . . . And this is her lake and her water and her waves, when
there are any, and no matter how I engineer it, I've got to poach some
of her property. Some of it," he added conversationally, "is in my
shoe. Lord, I am in a pickle! Are you a guest of hers?"

"Yes," said Diane calmly.

"I'm staying over yonder on the hill there with Dick Sherrill," offered
the young man cordially. "They are opening their place with a party of
men, some crack amateur aviators--and myself. Do you know the
Sherrills?"

"Perhaps I do," said Diane discouragingly. "Why didn't you float about
and smoke on Mr. Sherrill's lake?" she added curiously. "It's ever so
much bigger than this."

"Circumstances," began the young man with dignity, and lighted another
cigarette. "My mechanician," he added volubly, after an uncomfortable
interval of silence, "is an exceedingly bold young man. He'll fly over
anything, even a cow. Isn't really mine either; he's borrowed, too.
Dick keeps a few extra mechanicians on hand, like extra cigars. It's
Dick's fault I'm out alone. He lent my mechanician to another chap and
nobody else would come with me."

"I thought," flashed Diane pointedly, "I thought your mechanician was
somewhere in a tree."

The aviator coughed and reddened uncomfortably.

"Doubtless he is," he said lamely. "He--he most always is. Do you
know, he spends a large part of his spare time in trees--and
swamps--and once, I believe, he was discovered in a chimney. I--I'd
like to tell you more about him," he went on affably. "Once--"

"Thank you," said Diane politely, "but you've really entertained me
more now than one could expect from a gentleman in your distressing
plight. Come, Rex." She turned back again at the hemlocks which
flanked the forest path. "I'll ask Miss Westfall to send some men,"
she added and h