tion.

"After us, do you think?" asked Chester.

"Can't tell," replied Hal, briefly.

"Hardly probable," said Colonel Anderson. "Chances are the fellow
believes we are one of his own kind and wants a word with us."

"Maybe you're right," said Hal. "I'll hold to my present course anyhow
and take a chance."

The aeroplane continued on as before.

Now Stubbs came to life once more.

"Well, why don't you get a little speed out of this thing?" he demanded.
"What are you going to do? Stand right here and let that fellow get us?
What's the matter with you, anyhow? Trying to get me killed?"

"Why, Mr. Stubbs," exclaimed Chester, in mock seriousness, "I thought
that you were simply dying to be killed. Here's an Austrian coming in
direct answer to your prayers. What's the difference whether he gets you
now or ten minutes from now? It'll be all the same in a hundred years."

"Think you're smart, don't you," snapped Stubbs. "Why should I want to be
killed? I ask you now, why should I want to be killed?"

"Well, really, I don't know," replied Chester, "unless it is because you
are so awfully sick."

"Sick!" shouted Stubbs. "Sick! Who said anything about being sick?"

"Why, I understood you to say--"

"Well, you understood wrong. Sick? No, I'm not sick, but we'll all be
worse than sick if Hal can't coax a little speed out of this machine.
Say!" this to Hal, "what are you waiting for, anyhow?"

"Now you just hold your horses, Stubbs," replied Hal. "I'm running this
party at this moment and I'm going to run it my own way. Colonel
Anderson, if you hear any more out of our war-corresponding friend,
kindly sit on him, will you?"

"With pleasure," replied the colonel briefly.

"Oh, you will, will you?" cried Stubbs. "Well, you won't. I--I'll--"

He subsided after muttering to himself for some moments.

The others now gave their undivided attention to the other craft, which
by this time had drawn close to them.

"Man wig-wagging forward, Hal," said Chester.

"I see him," replied Hal, "but I can't make out his signals. Can you,
Anderson?"

"No, I can't. He evidently has something to say, though."

"Well," said Hal, "we'll have to hold a sudden council of war. What are
we going to do about it? Shall we stop and talk, trying to fool him, or
shall we run for it?"

"Well, if we were going to run, it would have been better before he got
so close," said Chester. "Guess we may as well see what he has to say.
These Austr