As the boys came down he eyed them sharply.  Then he addressed them.

“My name’s Lish Kelly,” he said.  “I’m manager of the United Aviators’ Exhibition Company.  We’re showing out at the City Park tomorrow.  I understand that you kids have been asked to butt in.”

“We’ve been asked to participate, if that’s what you mean,” rejoined Roy rather sharply.  The fellow’s manner was offensive and overbearing.

“Well, see here, you stay out,” rejoined the man, shaking a fat forefinger on which glistened a diamond ring of such proportions as to make it dubious if it boasted a genuine stone.

“You stay out of it,” he repeated.

Roy and Jimsy were almost dumfounded.  The man’s tone was one of actual command.

“Why?  Why should we stay out of it?” demanded Roy.

“The mayor of the town has asked us to take part,” came from Jimsy; “what have you got to do with it?”

“It’s this way,” said the man in rather a less overbearing way than he had hitherto adopted; “we’re going about the country giving flights.  The city gives us the park in this town and we get so much of the receipts.  But we rely on winning the prizes, see.  Now if you kids butt in, why you might win some of them and that knocks my profit out.  Get me?”

“I understand you, if that’s what you mean,” rejoined Roy; “but I still fail to see why we should not compete if we want to.”

The man placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder impressively.

“’Cos if you do it’ll make trouble for you, sonny.”

“Who’ll make it?” flashed back Roy indignantly.

“I will, son, and I’m some trouble maker when I start anything along them lines, take it from me.”

He turned on his heel, stuck his cigar at a more acute angle in the side of his mouth, and strode off, leaving the two boys dumfounded.

“Well, what do you make of that?” demanded Roy, as soon as his astonishment had subsided a trifle.

“Just this, that Mr. Lish Kelly thinks he can run this thing to suit himself.”

“What will we do about it?”

“For my part I wanted to compete before.  I desire to more than ever now.”

“Same here.”

“Maybe he was only bluffing after all.”

“Maybe; but just the same I wouldn’t trust him not to try to do us some harm.  As he says, his main profits come from winning the prizes offered by the different communities.”

“Humph! well, so far as that goes, I don’t see why that need keep us out of it.”

“Nor I; but we’ve had troubles enough, and I don’t want willingly to run into any more.”

“Nor I. Well, let’s sleep on it.  We’ll decide in the morning.”

“That’s a good idea.”

The two lads went up to bed and slept as only healthy lads can.  The next morning dawned bright and clear.  There was hardly any wind.  It was real “flying” weather.  The aeroplanes had been sheltered in a big shed belonging to the hotel.  Before breakfast the boys went out and looked them over.  All were in good shape.