And so, after canvassing the subject thoroughly, the boys decided to go on to the Pacific coast. It was decided, too, that they should leave that very night and travel at an altitude which would render collisions with uplifting summits impossible. They were on their way in an hour from the time the decision was reached. The boys speak to-day with reverence when referring to that all-night ride. At first the clouds hung low, and they seemed sailing through great fields of mist with neither top nor bottom. Then a brisk wind scattered the moisture in the air, and they sailed for a time under the stars. Later, there was a moon, and under its light they sailed lower, watching with excited interest the lights in the towns they passed, the shimmer on the water they crossed, and the incomparable light reflecting on the smooth green leaves of the forests they shot by. At daylight they came down on an eminence from which the landscape for miles around could be seen. Below the slope of the hill lay a verdant valley in which nestled a small settlement. At the summit where the machines lay there were great wide stretches indicating the action of waves at some far-distant, prehistoric time. The boys were well-nigh exhausted with their long ride. As is well known, the endurance record is not much longer than the time the boys had spent in the air. Besides being cramped in limb and heavy from lack of sleep, the boys shivered because of the altitude at which they had traveled. When the sun rose it shone with generous warmth upon the ridge where the boys lay, and they basked in its light with many expressions of joy. “Here’s the place where we sleep!” exclaimed Carl. “We can watch the sky and the surface of the earth for miles around,” he added, “and can finish any ordinary sized nap in peace.” “I’ll watch,” promised Ben. “You’ll not!” exclaimed Jimmie. “You watched night before last.” “And came near getting the machines blown up, too,” Ben commented. It was finally arranged that Jimmie and Carl should remain awake for a couple of hours each, after which a hasty breakfast was prepared and the boys settled down for a long rest. Ben and Jimmie were soon asleep, and Carl, sitting on the ground near the _Louise_ was feeling like going to bed himself when a small red head was poked over the edge of the summit and a shrill voice cried out: “Hello, Mister!” “Hello, yourself!” answered Carl. The boy, a mite of a fellow not more than ten years of age, fully as freckled-faced and as red-headed as Jimmie, now approached the aeroplanes cautiously, his wide mouth breaking into a grin as he advanced. “Them your machines?” he asked, pointing with a dirty finger. “Sure they are!” answered Carl. “Ever see one before?” The boy shook his head while his eyes sparkled with excitement. “Give me a ride!” he demanded. “Not yet,” replied Carl with a laugh. “We’re going to remain here for some little time.” “If I stay, can I go with you?” the boy asked.