0p 23d
2015 Aden 6:00a 24th 9:00a 24th
2116 Colombo 5:30a 25th 8:30a 25th
1612 Singapore 6:00p 25th 9:00p 25th
2218 Port Darwin 5:30p 26th 8:30p 26th
3826 Apia 5:45a *27th 8:45a 27th
2100 Nukahiva 9:00a 28th 12:00n 28th
3154 San Cristobal 6:00p 29th 9:00p 29th
650 PANAMA 5:30a 30th -------------
-----
24899

* Gain of 1 day by reason of crossing 180th Meridian, or International
Date Line, between Port Darwin and Apia.

Bob Giddings carried home a copy of this schedule, and the following
Monday morning all four young men met by appointment in the private
office of the publisher of the _Daily Independent_. After they were
seated, Mr. Giddings brought forth the tentative draft, studied it a
few moments, and then asked:

"What is your fuel capacity, boys?"

"Our tanks will hold enough gasoline and oil to carry us a little
better than five thousand miles, throttled down to an average of one
hundred and twenty miles an hour, the basis on which we figured out
this schedule, sir," answered John.

"Would it make a difference if you flew faster than that?"

"Oh, yes," said John; "the faster a pilot flies the more fuel he uses
per mile. Full out--that is, going at the limit of her speed--the
Sky-Bird probably would not cover more than three-thousand miles."

"I am glad to know this," said Mr. Giddings. "I see that your cruising
radius is sufficient to cover your longest jumps at any reasonable
speed. Let me see; you allow yourselves three hours' stop at each
airport; will that be long enough?"

"Plenty, sir," said Tom; "we figure that we can easily refuel in that
time, and attend to any local affairs we may have."

"I notice your total mileage is exactly equal to the estimated
circumference of the world," remarked the publisher. "That shows great
care in the selection of this route to meet my viewpoint; but may I ask
how you know your distances between airports, as here recorded, are
correct? From whence did you get these mileages?"

"Bob and I figured them out, sir," spoke up Paul.

"How?"

"Why, like this, dad," explained Bob. "We knew there were 360 degrees
to the world; we divided the circumference of 24,899 miles by 360, and
obtained approximately 69.5 miles to a degree. By taking a map of the
world and fi