ve been stolen before now. If my
little scheme turns out what I hope it's going to, I think I'll hand
it over to the Government for use with their war aeroplanes. Wouldn't
it be just great if a pilot could give his whole attention to the job
of dropping bombs and such like, never bothering himself about the
wind currents or anything else? The little Morgan controller would
manage all such things automatically. As the saying is, you press
the button and we'll do all the rest!"

Hugh did not arouse poor Bud from this happy dream. What was the use?
Better let him have a little more pleasure out of it before
confronting him with the cold facts acts in the case. He must learn
soon enough that he was several years too late, and that those
wonderful Fathers of Aviation in America, the Wrights, had covered
the identical ground some time previous with their Fool-proof Flier.

Luckily they did not have a great distance to go. The boys, who were
staggering under their loads, could not have kept it up much longer,
and all of the little party rejoiced when the air pilot announced
that they were now within sight of their destination.

Presently they heard voices ahead. Then came a sudden whirr of
machinery.

"My associate, Lieutenant Green, is going to take a little spin for
some reason or other," their escort told them. "You see, we can
reconnoiter the ground wonderfully from several hundred feet altitude;
so that we have on several occasions indulged in a flight just in
order to scout the land. We discovered your presence some time
yesterday, and were at first greatly puzzled on account of your
khaki suits. We even tried to figure out how a trio of soldiers
belonging to the Home Guard could be camping out in that way. To
tell the truth, it was not until I stood by and listened to you
talking about that hole in the forest, that I grasped the true state
of affairs."

When a large aeroplane built after the monoplane model swiftly arose
and went spinning off, Bud stared as though his whole heart was in
his gaze. He even dropped the burden he had on his back and rubbed
his eyes, as if to make sure it could not be a dream.

"So that's what you call a war aeroplane, is it?" he asked eagerly.

"The company building them for the Government meant them for that
particular purpose," Lieutenant Fosdick told him.

"Then they are different from all others, I take it?" Hugh advanced.

"In many respects," was the frank repl