attract too much of a crowd."

"Jimsy, I always said you were a genius," cried Peggy.

"Behold the last objection swept away," struck in Bess.

"Surely you can't refuse now?" urged Jess.

"Please say yes," came from them all.

"But--but who would drive the car?" asked Miss Prescott, in the voice of
one who is thinking up a feeble last objection.

"Why, Jake Rickets, of course," declared Roy, referring to the man who
helped the boys in the machine shop in which the aëroplanes for the
desert mines were manufactured.

After this Miss Prescott could make but a poor stand against the united
urgings of five impetuous, enthusiastic young people. The air was filled
with plans of all sorts. Jimsy was for going at once, but it was finally
decided to meet again and set a definite date for a start. In the
meantime there were parents' consents to be obtained, plans laid for the
route to be followed, and various things purchased for the aërial trip.

All this occupied some time, and it was not till a week later that the
last difficulty in connection with the motor flight had been
straightened out and the three aëroplanes stood ready, in Roy's hangar,
for a tour that was to prove eventful in more ways than one.

It was just after dawn on the day of the start that Roy and Jimsy for