the call of the air and action was again insistent. our aviator boys grew restless with leisure, though it could be imagined that they had well earned a season of rest. only the regret of henri to leave his mother held them quiet even so long as a couple of weeks.

as to jimmy, he was hankering for submarine service, and only reddy had the paris fever. he wanted to live out his dream.

what a gala occasion it was, then, the day that captain johnson and josiah freeman pressed with their brogans the pavement of rue de rivoli, and brought the news that another brand new sea-plane[192] had slapped the face of the seine two hours previous.

“the testing and exhibition work has grown a little too much for uncle josh and myself,” was the captain’s first after-dinner remark, when madame trouville had laughingly accorded him the privilege of smoking a cigarette. henri and billy did most of the laughing, however, when the captain really tackled the cigarette.

“as i was saying,” went on the captain, “it is not in the pins that we can train two of the planes at the same time—and we have three now in the hangars at dover that must have our warrant. now i know,” waxing confidential, “a pair of likely young men who could, with a reminder or two, fill the bill to perfection.”

“are they at present in france?”

henri passing the wink to billy.

“oh, go on there, now,” bluffed the captain.

“i know who you mean,” clamored jimmy, who at times was seriously english.

“you’re a genius, my boy,” put in josh.

“well, and out with it, the very boys are here, and guying their old friend for attempting suicide with a cigarette.”

“is it a go?”

“it is.”

one voice from both henri and billy.

[193]

“i suppose it will have to be,” sighed madame trouville.

“don’t worry, mother,” henri meekly submitting to the hair-stroking process, “we’ll never get hurt if we keep off the ground.”

“that’s the way for an aviator to talk.”

the captain’s approval was hearty.

“it’s in the morning, my boys, that the good airship leaves for dover.”

“and i’ll get a lift, won’t i?”

“you’ll be set down in dover, jimmy, as sure as shooting. how about this youngster?” turning to reddy.

“he has enlisted as guard for mother,” explained henri. “you can’t tear him away from paris.”

“good-night all,” said the captain, making a move to go, after signal to josh.

“but you’re going to stay here to-night,” urged henri.

“no, thank you, my boy, freeman and i have the ‘plane’ to look after, and we’re not used to gilded beds, anyhow.”

the truth of the matter was the captain and josh had each a blackened briar pipe in his pocket that would have spoiled before morning.

gilbert was among the crowd that had assembled at the river front the next morning to see the big airship make its getaway.

he was made an honored guest aboard the craft[194] and was greatly impressed with the tremendous power stored in the sea-plane.

“it is a big advance over anything i have ever seen in this construction, and, think of it, a ship within a ship.”

the great airman had parting words with henri and billy:

“if you ever have the notion to fly for france, the wireless will be all too slow to bring me the word.”

ten minutes later the sea-plane was in full flight.

on this trip captain johnson and engineer freeman joined jimmy in the passenger list. billy was at the wheel and henri at the motor end.

this was the order until the sea-plane finally took to its floats in dover harbor.

“you have won your certificates as english air navigators. my word and my hand on it.”

the captain spoke the word but he used his hand to slap the boys between the shoulders.

“now, my young submarinist, i don’t suppose you’re going to let us teach you the business.”

“i guess not, captain; i think i prefer the other game, though you’ve got a good one. i hate to quit the band, though, i tell you.”

jimmy looked for a minute like he was going to cry.

henri and billy made a show of being cheerful[195] to help jimmy out, but it was not much of a success.

“look alive, youngsters, you’ll be running together in dover right along.”

the captain was a good sympathizer.

it was a long time thereafter, however, until the band was reunited, for the submarine boy went north in a torpedo boat destroyer, and our aviator boys went—but that’s another story.

for several weeks the boys—only two of them now—listened to daily lectures from the captain and freeman on the fine points of sea-planing.

“you must remember that you are going to be demonstrators and instructors—you’re not just plain aviators any more,” jollied the captain.

“when you go out alone in the cold world—aloft i mean—it is just as well to know just what to do in any weather. you may never have a chance to correct an error if it occurs five thousand feet from nowhere.”

the boys evidently never forgot the captain’s advice, for they lived to report all the mistakes they made.

day after day the young airmen drilled as pilot and engineer, one time in one position, and one time in another, change about. billy was regular as pilot, but the captain insisted that each could take the place of the other if emergency demanded.

“you are both qualified for a?roplane work, fore[196] and aft, but you must remember that a sea-plane is a bigger proposition, and i want you to be top-notchers. you get me?”

“we ought to be able to get you, captain, for this is the eighty-eighth time this week that you have said the same thing.”

“all right, billy, i’m stopping on the eighty-eighth. i think you’ll both do.”

the next day the boys were ordered to speed a sea-plane to london.