ul new ideas? Perhaps if we
stayed over in Bloomsbury, Longley, they might be willing to let us
have a little peep in that place?"

Elephant promptly shook his head in the negative.

"I wouldn't build too much on that, if I was you, sir," he said,
"because, you see, we're chums of the Bird boys; and if they wouldn't
let us once inside that shop all winter they ain't going to invite
strangers there."

"Well, hardly," laughed the other. "How's that, Longley? Quite
interesting to run across a couple of boy inventors up this way. Must
tell Wright about it the next time we see him, and Curtiss too.
They'll want to look them up perhaps, and coax them to join the new
aeroplane trust that's forming. But what makes that biplane shine so?
It glitters in the sunlight like silver."

"That's just what me and Elephant were talking about when you came
along, mister," remarked Larry.

"And we just came to the conclusion that it must be something Frank's
been experimenting on. Mebbe he's made his machine out of aluminum; or
else he's got a new Kinkaid engine that has a lot of brass about it.
Gee! look at 'em now, Larry! My heart jumped up in my throat because
they just skimmed the water, and I was dead sure it meant a ducking for
the boys."

"They certainly seem to know how to handle an aeroplane as well as any
one I have ever seen," declared Mr. Marsh; who apparently could not
tear his eyes away from the thrilling spectacle of the swooping air
craft, that soared aloft, only to again dart daringly down toward the
surface of the almost quiet lake.

"I bet you it's a game of conquer they're playing," suggested Elephant.
"Each one seeing how close to touching the water he can come. Say,
Larry, d'ye suppose Percy Carberry has got his new biplane yet? He's
been boasting about it for weeks, and what he meant to do when she
arrived."

"I saw him this morning, and he said he was still waiting; but that the
thing had been shipped," replied the other. "Never saw such an unlucky
dog as Percy is; and to tell the honest truth, Elephant, 'twouldn't
surprise me one little bit if the old train got smashed up on the way,
and the new flying machine along with it."

"Wonder if he's watching the stunts them fellers are doing out there,
and saying all sorts of mean things about 'em?" suggested the smaller
boy, grinning.

"Shouldn't wonder," Larry chirped. "He keeps tab on all Frank does
these days. You know they've had to keep a ma