"Who is in charge of it?" inquired John Ross.
"Five arrived in it. Four of them are to be in the contest, they say.
The other gentleman is Mr. Wrenn, of the New York Clarion."
A few minutes later, when they pushed the Sky-Bird into one of the big double hangars, their suspicions were conclusively clinched. For there at one side stood the very counterpart of their own airplane, differing only in the name painted upon its sides and under its big hollow wings. These letters spelled "Clarion"!
CHAPTER XIV
A FAMILIAR FACE
Our friends exchanged glances. The brow of every one of them contracted into so plain a frown that Mr. Masters, the superintendent of the airdrome, could not help noticing it.
"I hope nothing is wrong, gentlemen," he ventured half-interrogatively.
"So do we," responded Mr. Giddings, "but if there is, it is nothing concerning you, sir, at least. We thank you for your attention to our machine, and wish you to take the best care of it while it is here. Don't let anybody meddle with it, will you?"
"We'll look after it right, you may depend upon that," said the flying official; and the party turned and left the building.
Outside, where they would be secure from the hearing of others, all came to a pause, for there was a lot on their minds.