Bob stopped jumping and blushed. “Oh, I forgot,” he said. He had really forgotten that Hank Brown was an important man, a millionaire. But Hank only laughed. “How would you people like to take the plane up on its last ride this year?” he asked. “The last ride?” said Bill. “Why the last?” “Well, I’m putting her away,” said Hank. “That’s what I was talking to the mechanic and Headlund about. I was going to spend my summer up in my log cabin in Canada, fishing, and all that. But my wife wants to go to Europe instead. She’s going to take the two girls over to France and leave them there in school. That would mean she’d have to come back all alone. I’ve been intending to go back to take a look around ever since I’ve been back in America, so I thought I’d take the opportunity of getting over there now with her. I wouldn’t take the plane. I won’t need a big ship like this. If I want to fly I can pick up a little French or German bus. So I’m putting old Lizzie in the hangar. Seems a shame. But how would you like to go up now? Would you like to try her out?” he asked Bill. “Would I?” said Bill. He slid into the pilot’s seat, and looked over the instrument board, to familiarize himself with the instruments with which the plane was equipped. Then he turned back to the boys. “Want to go up?” Bob was almost beside himself with excitement. “Take her up, Bill go on,” he squealed. “Sure we want to go up. Go ahead, Bill.” Hal said nothing. His face was pale. Bill thought that it would be best to ignore him, and just take it for granted that he wanted to go up, too. And Hal, although he was by this time frightened to death, would not admit it. He decided to risk the going up rather than say that he was afraid. The mechanic taxied the plane out into the open and took away the steps. Bill pressed the starter, and the great propeller began to move. Slowly the ship rolled over the ground, gradually gaming momentum. Finally it rose into the air. Bill handled the huge ship as though it were a toy. Higher and higher it rose. Bob, looking out of the window, saw the building of the airport whizzing by below them, then disappear into a whirling mass. Were they going? Were they standing still? Bob couldn’t tell. “How high are we?” he shouted at the top of his voice to Hank. “About 5,000 feet,” judged Hank. He was looking over at Hal rather anxiously. He thought that maybe the boy was going to be sick. But Hal manfully hung on, and said nothing. “We seem to be standing still,” shouted Bob. “We’re going, all right. Your uncle is a great one for speed!” shouted back Hank. The plane was banking now for a turn. They were going back. In a short while Bill had brought the plane down once more into the airport. “Well, how did you like it?” he said, turning around in his pilot’s seat. “Great!” said Bob. But Hal was just a little sick. He said nothing, and waited for the world to settle down again.