t' play ball
when yo' life am in danger. I'se gwine t' jump."

"Sit still!" cried Tom, for the colored man was about to spring from
his seat. "There's no danger! I didn't say anything about playing
ball. I said I'd VOL-PLANE back to the earth. We'll be there
shortly. I'll take you down safe. Sit still, Rad!"

He spoke so earnestly that the fears of his colored passenger were
quelled. With a quick motion Tom threw up the head planes, to check
the downward sweep. The Butterfly shot forward on a gradual slant.
Repeating this maneuver several times, the young inventor finally
brought his machine to within a short distance of the earth, and,
also, considerably nearer his own home.

"I wonder if we can make it?" he murmured, measuring the distance
with his eye. "I think so. I'll shoot her up a bit and then let her
down on a long slant. Then, with another upward tilt, I ought to
fetch it."

The monoplane tilted upward. Eradicate gave a cry of terror. It was
stilled at a look from Tom. Once more the air machine glided
forward. Then came another long dip, another upward glide and the
Butterfly came gently to earth almost on the very spot whence it had
flown upward a few minutes before.

Eradicate gave one mad spring from his seat, almost before the
bicycle wheels had ceased revolving, as Tom jammed on the earth-brake.

"Here, where are you going, Rad?" cried the lad.

"Whar am I goin'? I'se goin' t' see if mah mule Boomerang am safe.
He's de only kind ob an airship I wants arter dis!" and the colored
man disappeared into the shack whence came a loud "hee-haw!"

"Oh, pshaw! Wait a minute, Rad. I'll soon have the motor fixed, and
we'll make another try. I'll take you over to Mr. Damon's with me."

"No, sah, Massa Tom. Yo' don't catch dis coon in any mo' airships.
Mah mule am good enough fo' me!" shouted Eradicate from the safe
harbor of the mule's stable.

Tom laughed, and turned to inspect the motor. As he was looking it
over, to locate the trouble, the door of the house opened and a
pleasant-faced woman stepped out.

"Oh, Tom," she called. "I looked for you a moment ago, and you
weren't here!"

"No, Mrs. Baggert," Tom replied, waving his hand in greeting to the
housekeeper, "Rad and I just came back--quite suddenly--sooner than
we expected to. Why? Did you want me?"

"Here's a letter that came for you," she went on.

Tom tore open the envelope, and rapidly scanned the contents of the
missive.

"Hello!" he ej