“The altitude flight is won by Number Four,” announced the officials after they had examined the barograph; “with a height of 6,000 feet.  Number Four is Mr. James Bancroft.”

“Gee; that sounds real dignified,” laughed Jimsy; “it’s a treat to be treated with becoming dignity once in a while.”

The next flight was a race six times round the course.  This was won by one of the Kelly flyers.  Then came an endurance contest which Roy captured handily and some exhibition flying in which Bess did some clever work and was delighted to find herself a winner.

It was soon after this that the gun was fired as a note of warning that the big race was about to begin.

Peggy’s Golden Butterfly and Roy’s entry, the Red Dragon, borrowed for this race because the biplane was too heavy and clumsy for such fast work, were wheeled to the starting line.  Already three of Kelly’s machines were there, among them being that of Senora Le Roy, or, as she was billed, the Cuban Skylark, the Only Woman Flyer in the World.  It appeared now that she had small claim to the title.  The crowd set up a cheer for her as she took her seat in a neat-looking monoplane of the Bleriot type.

But when Peggy’s dapper figure, smartly attired in her aviation costume, appeared a still louder shout went up.

Kelly scowled blackly.  He stepped up to his flyers.

“You’ve got to win this race or get fired,” he snarled.

CHAPTER XXI.

PEGGY’S SPLENDID RACE.

“They’re off!”

“Hurrah!”

“There they go!”

These and hundreds of other cries and exclamations followed the report of the starting gun.  The Cuban woman flyer was off first, then came two other of the professional flyers, while Roy and Peggy got away last.

The race was to be sixty miles out to a small body of water called Lake Loon and return.  A trolley line ran past the aviation grounds and out to the lake.  For the guidance of the flyers a car with a huge American flag flying from it blazed a trail below them, as it were.

Roy’s craft gained a slight lead on the Golden Butterfly and two of the Kelly flyers were soon passed by both the boy and his sister.  But the professional woman flyer still maintained her lead.  Second came another of Lish Kelly’s aviators in a blue machine.  This was Ben Speedwell, who enjoyed quite a reputation as a skillful and daring air driver.

The flyers had all struck a level about 1,500 feet in the air.  There was a light head wind, but not enough to deter any of the powerfully engined craft.  Glancing back for an instant Roy saw one of the contesting aviators dropping to earth.  His companion soon followed.

“Overheated engines probably,” thought the boy; “I must be careful the same thing doesn’t happen to me going at this pace.”

Suddenly another aeroplane loomed up beside him.  It was the Golden Butterfly.