“Do you really think he’ll chase us up?” asked Carl hopefully. “I certainly do!” answered Havens. “That will be great!” exclaimed Jimmie. “A flying machine race across the continent surely appeals to me. Are you going along with us, Mr. Havens?” he asked, then. “I hope so,” was the reply, “although I’m not quite sure of getting through with several business deals now under way. However,” he went on, “you boys can go on with the _Louise_ and the _Bertha_ to-night, and I can catch you somewhere on the way over with the _Mary Ann_.” “Not me!” Jimmie laughed. “You can’t catch me with the _Mary Ann_ as long as I’m on board the _Louise_!” “We’ll decide that point on the way across!” Havens replied. “Well,” Ben suggested, “if we’re going to start to-night, we ought to be getting our camp equipment ready.” “Aw, never mind the camp equipment!” exclaimed Jimmie. “We don’t want to carry a load of stuff across the continent. We can carry one light silk tent, like we had in Mexico, and a few provisions, and buy all the mountain outfit after we get in Monterey.” “That listens good to me!” Carl put in. “If Mr. Havens is going to race us for three thousand miles in the _Mary Ann_, we don’t want to carry much excess baggage.” “How soon can you get ready, boys?” asked Havens. “My idea is,” he went on, “that you ought to get out of the hangar as soon as possible. We may be over-anxious regarding the matter, but it is my belief that you’ll be followed unless you get away secretly. Now, you boys all go to bed in the bunks in the hangar and I’ll attend to the details. When the tent and provisions are on board, with plenty of gasoline, I’ll let you know. Then you can get away at once.” The boys objected to going to bed, declaring that they were too excited to sleep, but at last, in deference to the wishes of Mr. Havens, they sought their bunks. An hour later Jimmie awoke to a sense of suffocation. Ben and Carl were sleeping soundly not far away and the great shed was very still. As the boy sat up and sniffed the air a burst of flame showed at the front, sweeping fast toward the _Louise_ and the _Bertha_. CHAPTER II. A SHOT IN THE NIGHT. There was a fairly efficient fire department at the Havens’ hangar, and by the time Jimmie was out of his bunk, rolling his chums out on the floor, two streams of water were playing upon the flames. Contrary to the expectation of the incendiaries, there had been several workmen busy about the office building packing provisions into the smallest space possible and tying oiled silk tents and clothing for transportation on the flying machines. Consequently when the fire burst out at the hangar there was little delay in getting out the firemen.