Hike and the aeroplane

THE WAVES WERE INCREASING—THE YACHT COULD NOT LAST MUCH LONGER
HIKE AND THE AEROPLANE BY TOM GRAHAM WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN TWO COLORS BY ARTHUR HUTCHINS
NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1912, by Frederick A. Stokes Company
All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian
August, 1912
TO EDWIN AND ISABEL LEWIS, THE AUTHOR’S OLDEST FRIENDS
HIKE AND THE AEROPLANE
HIKE AND THE AEROPLANE
Two boys were riding on horseback along a little trail that overhung Canyon Diablo. They were exploring the lonely country miles below Monterey, on the California coast. Above them rose the mountains; a thousand feet below them was the Diablo River. The boys were dressed in khaki, with puttees, and with broad-brimmed felt hats that looked as though they had slept in them and used them for dippers and footballs.
The strong United States cavalry horses which they rode seemed to be ready for anything, and the boys themselves did not act as though they were much afraid of a drop from this narrow shelf of rock.
Hike Griffin, who rode ahead, was a boy of sixteen, with straight shoulders that were going to become very broad. He had a shock of the blackest hair that ever grew, and quiet, gray eyes that never seemed to worry. His mouth was strong, yet with little laughter-wrinkles at the side, as though he saw life as an interesting joke.