brought the ivory back to America and saved Mr. Beasley, the father of
their chum, Lathrop Beasley, from financial ruin. After a short rest,
they had announced that they would contest for the Hempstead Plains
Cup. There was an interval of impatient waiting and then the freight
steamer, which carried the Golden Eagle II from Africa, arrived safely
and the work of setting the biplane up for the great contest had been
at once begun.

The boys' first craft, The Golden Eagle, had been destroyed in a
tropical storm in which they were blown to sea, as described in Volume
One of this series: "The Boy Aviators in Nicaragua; or, Leagued With
The Insurgents." The Golden Eagle II was the same craft in which,
besides their African adventures, they had accomplished the dangerous
mission for the Government, with the details of which our readers
became conversant in "The Boy Aviators on Secret Service; or, Working
with Wireless."

Their hasty toilet completed, the boys donned street clothes of neat
fit and pattern and hastened to an automobile, halted at the roadside,
in which their father and mother were seated. The two lads, as they
leaned against the side of the car and chatted, made a pleasant
picture of vigorous, adventurous youth. The eldest, Frank, was a
little over sixteen, Harry, the younger boy, was about two years his
junior. Both lads had crisp, curly hair and frank, blue eyes. Their
faces were tanned to a dark tinge by their African trip.

Mrs. Chester looked eagerly about her at the shifting, colorful scene.
There was certainly plenty to be seen and every minute held its own
bit of interest. As they watched, another 'plane soared into view,
black as a crow against the evening sky; it showed first as a mere