“There is nothing impossible if you do not want it to be. We are going to get into the treasure-ground by the air-route this time, even if we have to steal one of those planes to do it.” Just then the train rolled into the station and Ted and Stanley gathered up their baggage and followed the crowd along the platform and out into the street. CHAPTER IV THE RIVALRY OF THE AIRMEN “Sir, the colonel presents his compliments and commands you to report to him at once.” Ted and Stanley had just finished breakfast and were crossing the open little courtyard between the dining-room of the inn and their own quarters when the orderly stepped briskly in their path, saluted, and delivered his message. “What?” Ted asked, stopping in his tracks. “Colonel who?” from Stanley, “and what does he want with us?” “Colonel José Antonio de Estrella, commanding officer of the First Aero Squadron.” “Why this great honor? We do not know the colonel and cannot imagine why he wishes to see us. But of course if he insists, we shall be happy to pay him a visit. Only he should invite, not command, us; we have put up with enough ‘commanding and ordering’ in our own army to last us a long, long time.” “Are not the _señores_ the flyers who have been expected the past month? The colonel has been very impatient of the delay.” “No, we know nothing of the gentlemen you mention, but perhaps we can be of service, anyway. Take us to the colonel. I guess we can see him right away.” The youth saluted and started away at a fast walk, the two Americans following. “I told you we were going to get mixed up in that aviation proposition,” Stanley said. “I knew it the minute I saw that field.” “Who knows what it may lead to? but I cannot see much to it just yet. We are being mistaken for some one else, and that is about all that is clear so far. So soon as the colonel sees us he will recognize his mistake, apologize profusely, and tell us to go our way.” “Now that is exactly what we must avoid. We have an opening to do the very thing that will help us and we must manage to take advantage of it. Instead of our going to them to beg for a job, they have sent for us in error, it is true, but what is to prevent us from profiting by it?” “You are right, and I only hope we can see the thing through. How much hard work it would save us if we could fly to the Hidden Valley, to say nothing of the time we should save!” They reached the camp in a little over half an hour and were immediately taken to headquarters, where the adjutant, a second lieutenant in a brilliant uniform, lost no time in ushering them into the colonel’s office. The latter officer was of rather short build but of distinguished appearance. His hair and long mustaches were snowy white; his eyes were black. A number of medals and military decorations were pinned to his coat in a neat row, but one of the first things the Americans observed was that the wings of a flying officer were lacking.