"And I think we'll go up in the air for that trip," he
added.
"There's an aero club in the outskirts of Chicago," explained
Lieutenant McBride. "I am a member of it, and I think we could make
a call there. It would not be necessary to cross the city, and of
course we will not land."
It was agreed that this would be a good plan, and Dick, taking the
wheel, sent his craft ahead on the lake at fast speed.
"Here we go up!" he suddenly cried. Then, yanking over the lever
of the elevating rudder, he sent the Abaris aloft. The rudder for
sideway steering worked perfectly, now that repairs had been made.
Up, up into the air soared the big biplane, and from the lake she
had left came a blast of saluting whistles from the water-craft that
thus paid tribute to a sister vessel.
During the wait on the water Dick had purchased from a passing
steamer a supply of gasolene and oil.
"Now we'll have enough so we won't have to land to take on any
more," he said. "Our provisions are holding out well, and if
nothing happens we can make the trip from here to San Francisco
without stop."
"But we still have one landing to our credit if we need it," said
Paul.
"Oh, yes, but I hope we don't have to use it," went on Dick. "It
will be so much more to our credit if we don't."
The supposition that they were not far from Chicago proved correct,
for when they had arisen above the mist that suddenly spread over
Lake Michigan, they saw, in the distance, the Windy City.
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