re mainly held by independent
operators. The Octopus is trying to gobble us up, but it hasn't
succeeded, and won't if we can prevent. But, just the same, it isn't
there for the Mexicans to attack. If they want to harass anybody in
the hope of getting the United States Government to intervene, they
must attack us and our friends and allies."

"Yes, I see that now," said Frank, nodding. "But what makes you think
the Mexicans want to get into a war with Uncle Sam?"

"They don't particularly yearn to come to blows with us, Frank," said
Mr. Temple. "And not all Mexicans are involved, if my suspicions are
correct, but only a faction. You see, boys, General Obregon has been
President of Mexico now for several years, but the country is far from
pacified and far from submitting to his rule. The rebel forces in the
northern part of Mexico are gaining in strength right along. One of
these days they will be in open revolution.

"Now these Mexicans who want to depose Obregon would like to get him
into trouble with the United States in the hope that what they desire
would then come to pass."

"I begin to understand you," said Bob, with more animation than usual.
"You mean the rebels would like to stir up trouble on the border and
get Obregon into hot water with Uncle Sam in just the same way that
Pancho Villa some years ago made trouble between our government and
Carranza by his raid on Columbus, New Mexico?"

"That's it, Bob," said his father.

"Gee, Dad," cried Bob. "This time, if there's a war, I'm going to
enlist, believe me."

"Same here, Uncle George," declared Frank. "Bob and I could go as
aviators."

"Hurray for the young aviators of the Rio Grande," cried Bob, swinging
his arm like a cheer leader of the school team.

"You boys don't know what you're talking about," said Mr. Temple, but
with an indulgent smile. "I should imagine you would have read enough
of the horrors of war during the past few years to make you never want
to see a battlefield or shoot a gun at a man."

"That's right, Uncle George," said the sensitive Frank, shuddering as
he recalled some of the things he had read of Europe's devastation.

"No, boys," said Mr. Temple, "if I am right about this, we'll have
something more important to do than to fight battles or track bandits
across the Mexican desert by airplane."

"What?" chorused the chums.

"Instead of making war," said Mr. Temple slowly, "we'll have to
prevent it."

"Righto, Uncle Geor