Contents ---- CHAP. Page I. PAID OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 II. A DAY OF SURPRISES . . . . . . . . . . 17 III. UNCLE BRIAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 IV. DON RAMON DIAZ . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 V. THE MENACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 VI. THE SUPER FLYING-BOAT. . . . . . . . . 48 VII. PETER'S FIRST ASCENT . . . . . . . . . 54 VIII. UNCLE BRIAN'S SECRET . . . . . . . . . 62 IX. THE PROVING OF THE RAYS. . . . . . . . 69 X. PLANS FOR ESCAPE . . . . . . . . . . . 79 XI. UP THE RIO GUAYA . . . . . . . . . . . 87 XII. "CAUGHT OUT" . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 XIII. WRECKED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 XIV. A CHANGE OF LOCOMOTION . . . . . . . . 120 XV. OVER THE SIERRAS . . . . . . . . . . . 131 XVI. "CRASHED". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 XVII. THE PASSAGE PERILOUS . . . . . . . . . 152 XVIII. ORDERS FOR CAVENDISH . . . . . . . . . 162 XIX. THE DECOY SHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 XX. TWO AGAINST ONE. . . . . . . . . . . . 180 XXI. A STERN CHASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 XXII. FLYING-BOATS _versus_ DESTROYERS . . . 200 XXIII. AT THE ADMIRALTY . . . . . . . . . . . 212 XXIV. WAR IN HOME WATERS . . . . . . . . . . 224 XXV. SEAPLANE AND SUBMARINE . . . . . . . . 232 XXVI. ORDERS TO PROCEED. . . . . . . . . . . 241 XXVII. IN ACTION--FORE-TOP. . . . . . . . . . 250 XXVIII. IN ACTION--'TWEEN DECKS. . . . . . . . 265 XXIX. AFTER THE BATTLE . . . . . . . . . . . 279 XXX. THE END OF THE RIOGUAYAN AIR FLEET . . 228 XXXI. PETER GOES ASHORE. . . . . . . . . . . 299 XXXII. "THE FENCE IMPREGNABLE". . . . . . . . 311 Illustrations ---- Facing page MAKING UP THE RIVER . . . . . . . . . . ._Frontispiece_ PETER MEETS SEÑOR DIAZ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 PETER TACKLES THE SENTRY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 THE "PANIC PARTY" (missing from book) . . . . . . . 184 "WEEDS! BEAR A HAND!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 A BLAZE OF DAZZLING BEAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 CLIPPED WINGS CHAPTER I Paid Off H.M.S. _Baffin_, light cruiser, of 9900 tons displacement, 30 knots speed, and armed with seven 7.5-inch and twelve 3-inch guns, was approaching Portsmouth. Already the Nab Tower bore broad on her port beam. Ahead lay the low-lying Portsea Island, upon which Portsmouth is built, backed by the grassy Portsdown Hills with their white chalk-pits standing out clearly in the rays of the midday sun.