its collection of houses, at an elevation
of about fifteen hundred feet, they passed the big white Gatun locks, and
followed the trail of the Panama Railroad across the great neck of rugged
land which joined North and South America--followed, too, the tortuous,
wonderful channel which American enterprise had cut through.

Thus over Gatun Lake they flew, over the Chagres River; along the course
of Culebra Cut, with its high banks, across the Pedro Miguel and
Miraflores locks on the other side of the isthmus; over Ancon; and
finally below them lay clustered the white-robed buildings of Panama
itself, with the swelling blue reaches of the big Pacific to the
southward and westward, and the bold shore-line of South America to the
southeastward.

Looking down as they circled the narrow tongue of land on which the city
proper nestled, our friends soon made out the big Government
landing-field and airdrome, distinguished by its whitewashed cobblestone
markers at either end. And, now, as the Sky-Bird II swooped downward,
several attendants in white pantaloons could be seen running out of the
building.

When the airplane had settled, these men came up. Two were short, black
fellows, probably San Blas Indians; but the other two were whites, though
well-burned by the tropical suns. The taller of the white men introduced
himself as Henry Masters, superintendent of the landing-field, and was
extremely courteous when he learned the identity of the new-arrivals.

"We have been looking for you gentlemen," said he, "and I'm glad to know
you had such a fine run from Miami. There are a lot of strangers in
town--been arriving for the last three or four days--all to witness the
start of this big race. Most of them seem to be newspaper men from the
States, though there are a number from South America, and even Africa and
Europe. Is this the plane that you fellows representing the _Daily
Independent_ are going to fly in?"

"This is the one, Mr. Masters," responded John.

"It is a beauty," said the superintendent with enthusiasm, as he glanced
over the graceful outlines of the Sky-Bird. "I never saw one built on
these lines until the other day, when what seems to be its twin came in."

"Much like-um lot," remarked one of the natives, and his companion, added
more concisely: "Same like-um lot."

In spite of the fact that our party had been fearing some such
information as this upon reaching Panama, the actual announcement of it
m