The Boy Aviators' Flight for a Fortune

as mentioned in the preceding chapter. This was nothing more nor less than the hulk of what had once been a fair-sized schooner. But her masts had vanished, and on her deck

st lads throughout the land from their having seen them at amusement resorts. The old schooner-formerly rejoicing in the name of Betsy Jane-had been picked up for a song in Portland by the Boy Aviators, who saw in it exactly what they n

heel is already familiar to our readers, who will at once recognize the cherubic, smiling features of the spectacled Billy Barnes. In the stern, tending to the engine-a five horse power one of the make-and-break type-was

Perkins, the son of the a?rial scientist who

boat drew closer and he spied Frank, "how a

his words across the water; "you see, while you were away

red Pudge amiably, "you don't m

fast, and the boyish occupants tumbled into the small boat and Harry rapidly sculled them ashore. Before leaving the motor boat some sacks of

ld bother this staunch craft! Yo-ho! my lads, yo-

le Frank helped the others unload the supplies he

recognized them as Zenas Daniels and that precious son of his. As I knew what ugly customers they were I turned the curre

what had happened. Shouts of l

o see those chaps do a flip-flap," chuckled

ed Billy Barnes gleefully; "I'd like to have had a picture of them when they hit th

boys, let's get this stuff up to the hut. Anything to eat, Fran

uerkraut! So am I,

we didn't know that. If you told us you

anything on you when it comes to m

st line," grinned Billy, dodging a blow fr

took their way along the electrically-charged fence till they came to a spot where there was a gate and a switch to break the connection. Frank turned off the switch, grounded the current, and opened the gate,

ff, it plunged into the woods. Traversing these for a short distance, and always climbing upward, for the island converged to a point in the midd

the young island dwellers. Above it rose, like gaunt, leafless trees, two iron poles set thirty feet apart and stayed by stout guy wires. Between those two poles were suspended, by block and tackle, the a?rials, or antenn?, by which messages were caught and sent. Within the hut was the rest

details concerning the plant. Suffice it to say that the boys were able to converse with Portland, under favo

e on the island was situated. This was more of a covering than a shed, for it consisted merely of a roof sup

oused a boat. For the first object that struck your eye was a double-ended, flat-bottomed craft of shimmering aluminum metal, about thirty feet in length and built on the general lines of one of our

be the understructure of an a?roplane. But the planes-the broad wings-themselves were lacking. The twin propellers connected to a motor

ge frames leaning against one side of the shed appeared to be the skelet

y, as he gazed at the uncompleted craft, "but

the wings. There is a lot of theoretical work connected with them that he will

two on a side, and a door at one end. At the other end was the wireless apparatus, with its glittering bright metal parts, and businesslike-looking condensers and tun

On the other side of the door was a cupboard containing crockery, knives, forks and cooking utensils. Altogether, if the boys had

osited their burdens, "and we'll try and get some track of Dr. P

ials stretched above, the message went volleying. It was the call of the Portland station that Frank was sending. He flashed it out three times, as is customary, and then signed it F-C., the latter being Brigg Island's agreed-upon signat

at sea-he could hear nothing. With a gesture of impatience Frank began adjusting his tuni

F-C!

ks crashing and flashing across the gap as soon as he

He wants you to meet him," came back the answer, w

that

t's

grounded his key and told Ha

message, "for I'm beginning to think that we are in for some sort of trouble. Those two Daniels are pre

bsters, we could stand 'em off. I half wish they would come-buttons and

our father's. It is our duty to see that no harm comes to it. A bunch of those fishermen inflamed by ange

'd come down to actual viole

tell you. If it hadn't been for the electric fence they might ha