A minute later, and Andy, who had been looking through the glasses, spoke again.

“It’s a little hard to cover them steadily, because they keep rising and dipping just like we are; but I can see that little Casper Blue, and the man alongside of him is a much larger chap.”

“Of course it’s Casper who’s piloting the biplane?” remarked Frank.

“Yes, and he knows the ropes, let me tell you.  I don’t believe there are many professional birdmen today who can go ahead of that man.  I only wish you could take a squint through here, and watch how he manipulates the levers, in spite of that stiff arm of his.  Only for that, and he’d still be in the harness, and doing stunts that’d have Beachy left far behind.”

“Either that, or else he’d be buried,” remarked Frank, drily.

“Oh! well, the less we have to say about that the better I’ll feel, Frank.  If you’re going in for aviation at all you’ve just got to forget all about being in constant danger; though I hope I’ll never get so I’ll be reckless like Perc Carberry.  But Frank, sure we seem to be picking up a little on that crowd.  And from the way they keep looking back all the while, I guess they know it too.”

“Perhaps we are,” Frank went on to say, “but if I really thought so I’d cut down a peg or two in our speed.”

At that Andy set up a howl; at least he voiced his objection.

“Well, that’s a queer stunt for you to do, I must say, Frank.  Here we are chasing after our game, and the very first time we believe we’re gaining some, you inform me you mean to cut down our speed.  Is that the way to win the game, tell me?”

“But we don’t want to come up with them while we’re booming along like this, you understand,” ventured Frank, as he gently moved a lever just a trifle; “this sort of racing is a lot different from what you’d do on the ground down there.  Suppose we did come abreast of that biplane right now, what good would that do us?  Could we put out a hand and arrest the yeggmen?  Wouldn’t it be more likely that such desperate men as these must be, would try some sort of game looking to disable our craft, and sending us tumbling down to our death?  No, excuse me from coming to close quarters up here with such hard cases.  Honest now, Andy, if they began to circle around as if they meant to turn on us, I’d think it my duty to run!”

“Oh!” exclaimed Andy, “you mean you’d coax ’em to follow us back to Bloomsbury, and then give themselves up, is that it, Frank?  Oh! but you’re a cunning chap, sure you are.  But on the level now, what is our game, if it doesn’t mean we’re going to overtake ’em?”

“I’ll tell you, Andy.  We ought to keep following after them as far as we can, and in that way learn where they drop.  If we get a chance to send down an occasional message to be sent on to Bloomsbury so much the better.  I’ve written several such out, and have the cord to tie them to weights.  Given a chance, when we’re passing over some town perhaps we can get one such message sent on home.  Even that would tell them where we were, and what the chances are.”