to her outburst. Already they were
running to meet the old man, whom they regarded as their benefactor,
and soon they were leading him in triumph to the plane where Professor
Oakwood was standing.

Dick introduced his father and the two elderly gentlemen shook hands.
They were totally different in appearance, the professor so spare and
erect with thin, alert features and the Mahatma, stout, even pudgy,
with his flowing beard and dark intelligent eyes.

"I am grateful to you for helping us out of a great danger," said
Professor Oakwood. "My son tells me that you have used your strange
science to save our lives."

"I know but little," said the Mahatma gravely, "but what little
knowledge I have is at your service."

"How can I ever repay you?"

"Your son has offered to repay me a thousand times over," replied the
Mahatma. "When he shows me the ancient crown, engraved with symbols of
knowledge, I shall be the happiest man in the world."

"That's right," Dick cried. "I'll take you back to the land of the
Gorols. That's where the crown is guarded."

"It's going to be a long hard trek for a fat man," blurted Dan. Then
he blushed and stammered, "Excuse me! You're not so _terribly_ fat!
What I mean is, it's a hot trip across the desert. I minded it myself."

The Mahatma smiled. "Don't apologize, my son! And have no fear about
the long journey, for my crystal tells me that we shall fly there
through the air."

"Oh, you mean in the plane. That's where we are all out of luck. Jess
Slythe crashed it this morning."

"So my crystal told me," said the Hindu. "But we do not need that
plane. Another one is on the way now. It is many times larger than
this one and can carry us with ease."

"You mean my father's plane?" Dan was excited at the prediction.

"Did you not say that your father had an airplane that could fly with
us--even to Holy India? Behold, it is flying toward us even now."

Dick, Dan and Ray all searched the sky for a glimpse of Rex Carter's
cabin plane, but there was not a speck in the blue.

"False alarm!" laughed Ray. "Lucky we have horses!"

"You're going to admit that you're wrong," teased Dan.

Dick produced his binoculars from the case that hung over his shoulder
and studied the heavens but there was no trace of a plane to be seen
anywhere.

"Not yet, my son!" said the Mahatma. "We can go to the fringe of the
forest and rest in the shade. It will be an hour before the plane
a