craft would rise, just as a heavy bird has sometimes to run along
the ground a few steps before its wings will take it up.

"Here we go!" suddenly exclaimed the captain, and as he raised the
elevating rudder the big craft slowly mounted on a slant.

Dick caught his breath sharply as he felt himself leaving the earth.
He had once gone up in a captive balloon at a fair, but then the
earth seemed sinking away beneath him. This time it seemed that he
was leaving the earth behind.

Higher and higher they went, and Dick could feel the strong wind in
his face. His eyes were protected by goggles, made of celluloid to
avoid accidents from broken glass in case of a fall, and on his head
he wore a heavy leather helmet, not unlike those used by football
players. He was strapped to his seat, as were the others, in case
the machine should turn turtle. The straps would then prevent them
from falling out, and give them a chance to right the craft.

For this can be done, and now some aviators practice plying upside
down to get used to doing it in case they have to by some accidental
shift of the wind. Some of them can turn complete somersaults,
though this is mostly done in monoplanes, and seldom in a biplane,
which is much more stable in the air.

"Feel all right?" asked Captain Grantly of Dick. He asked this,
but Dick could not hear a word, on account of the great noise of
the motor. But he could read the officer's lip motions.

"Yes, I'm all right," the young millionaire nodded back.