aying 'a lot depends on it,' girlie?" asked Jess,
drawing Peggy's arm within her own.

With brimming eyes Peggy told her friend frankly and fully what she had
not before, namely, the exact circumstances of the Prescott family and
the threat which old Harding held above their heads.

"So, you see, Jess," she concluded sadly, "this could not have happened
at a worse time for us."

"I see that," gently rejoined the other girl, "but listen, dear, you may
have a chance to win it after all if you will trust to us to find Roy."

"Trust to you?" repeated Peggy in a puzzled tone. "Trust to you to find
Roy?"

"Yes, my dear, while you--go in and win the race!"

"Why, what are you talking about?" gasped Peggy.

"A brilliant idea that has just occurred to me. You are about Roy's
height, and if your hair was cut short you'd look enough like him to be
his twin brother instead of his sister. But that doesn't matter, for you
wear goggles and a helmet in driving that thing, anyway, don't you?"

"Yes. But,--oh, Jess, I couldn't do that."

"Not even for your aunt's sake, Peggy, and to show those whom you suspect
that they could not put a Prescott out of the race, however hard they
tried? Come into the shed with me. I am going to persuade you, if I can,
to do a brave thing."

With their arms about each other's waists the girls walked toward the
hangar and entered it. As they did so the figure of Jukes Dade glided
from a place of concealment close at hand, and slipping behind some low
bushes he gained the rear of the Prescott shed unperceived. Once there he
placed an ear to a crack in the structure, from within which could be
heard the murmur of girlish voices.

Whatever he heard seemed to strike him with astonishment at first and
then with a malicious glee.

"So," he muttered, "that's your scheme, is it? Well, I guess we'll be
able to head that off. That aeroplane of yours won't go in that race if I
can help it, and even if it did I know enough now to head you off from
getting the big prize. That young Harding ought to pay me well for this."

So saying, Jukes Dade shuffled off toward Fanning's hangar, still
chortling evilly to himself.

Jimsy returned to the shed without any good news. In fact, the doleful
expression on his usually merry face would have told them that long
before he opened his mouth. In the midst of the general gloom a merry
face was suddenly obtruded through the swinging doors.

"Hullo! hullo! young folks