“She is that,” agreed Jack, enthusiastically, “Tom, old boy, we’ve got the greatest land-and-air-craft ever put together.” “And to think that you two lads, hardly more than schoolboys, invented her,” struck in Captain Andrews admiringly. “I guess my father had a whole lot to do with it,” rejoined Jack modestly; “we could never have mastered a lot of knotty points without his aid.” “Well, that doesn’t detract from what you’ve accomplished one bit,” declared Ned with enthusiasm. “This is the mode of traveling of the future all right.” “We hope to make it so some day,” was Tom’s reply. The night was almost windless, save for a slight puff now and then. But this didn’t bother the Flying Road Racer once she was under control, and Jack had managed to climb upward on an almost straight course. Now he peered over the edge of the aluminum body. Beneath him he could see the gleam of the river in the starlight. “We’ll follow the stream,” he decided. “It is bound to bring us to Herrera’s plantation.” “Keep at a good height, though,” admonished Captain Andrews. “We know that those fellows have high-powered rifles.” “We are now twenty-five hundred feet above the earth,” said Jack, glancing at the barograph. “We’ll go higher.” He pulled a lever, setting the rising planes at a more acute angle. Up the aerial staircase they climbed, till the barograph’s indicator pointed to the figures five thousand. Then Jack turned the prow of the craft in a westerly direction, while Tom, through night glasses, watched the earth so far below them, following the course of the river through the binoculars. At forty miles an hour the Flying Road Racer swept through the air on her momentous errand. CHAPTER XVI—INTO THE ENEMY’S CAMP When the Flying Road Racer took the air the weight that the craft carried was distributed as follows: Aluminum body, wheels, motor, suspension wires, etc. 900 pounds. Five passengers. (approx.) 800 pounds. Provisions, water, etc. 250 pounds. (The provisions included canned goods, preserved butter, tea and cocoa, flour, sugar, salt and a few delicacies.) Radolite crystals, instruments, etc. 275 pounds. Other articles,—including Ned’s last-minute contributions. 300 pounds. Total 2,525 pounds. This left lifting power to raise 2,475 lbs., which, however, could be increased to a considerable extent by utilizing the reserve sections of the gas bag. Jack roughly estimated the combined weights of those they were to rescue,—his father, his uncle, Abner Jennings and the two sailors,—at a little over one thousand pounds. Thus, it will be seen, that there was no reason why the Flying Road Racer should not be able to perform all that was required of her, with some lifting power left over for emergencies.