this way."

"No, I guess not," sighed Bruce. "But it would be great sport if it were
he, after all."

Ten days later, a girl in her late teens stood shading her eyes watching
a tiny object against the sky. It might have been a hawk, but it was not;
it was an airplane--the Handley-Page, with the two young pilots and the
Major on board. The girl was La Vaune. She stood there watching till the
plane had dwindled to a dot, and the dot had disappeared. Holding her
apron to her eyes to hide her tears, she walked blindly into the house.

The adventurers were well on their way.




CHAPTER II

THE STRANGE LANDING


"I don't like the way the Rolls-Royce is acting," Bruce grumbled through
his telephone to Barney, for, though they were not four feet apart, not a
word could they hear, so great was the din of their two powerful engines.

"Same here," answered Barney. "Old Major ought to have given us more time
to try 'em out. Brand new."

"Barren Lands far away. Forced to land in tree-tops. Good-night!"