"It is a fire!" exclaimed Tom, as he took an observation. "Not a big one, but a fire, just the same. If only—"
He did not finish what he started to say, but changed the direction of his air craft and headed directly toward a pall of smoke about a mile away.
In a few seconds they were near enough to make out the character of the blaze.
"Look, Tom!" cried Ned. "It's an immense tree on fire!"
"A tree!" exclaimed Tom, half incredulously, for he was leaning forward to look at one of the aeroplane gages and did not have a clear view of what Ned was looking at.
"Yes, as sure as Mr. Damon would bless something if he were here! It's a tree on fire up near the top!"
"That's strange!" murmured Tom. "But it may give me just the chance I've been looking for."
Ned wondered at this remark on the part of his chum as the airship drew nearer the blazing monarch in the patch of woods over which they were then hovering.