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 from ours; constantly they must have been in the air, burning fuel. Yes; beyond doubt they were forced to go home.

They led me over breakers and the beach. Forty seconds or three miles ahead of me they flew, cutting across the narrow neck of New Jersey toward the Delaware and Trenton. Inland they led me; so their landing place was on some lake or river or pond.

Slowly they stretched the space between us; they had the speed of me. Still I held them in sight, two specks over the horizon, throughout the ten minutes we took to cross New Jersey. On over Pennsylvania they flew.

Now I could scarcely see them. Probably they could not see me at all; for, since they flew northwest and I followed, the sun was behind me.

Suddenly they appeared more plainly to me; suddenly I succeeded in gaining upon them. The explanation was simple; they had reached their goal and were circling, preparatory to descent. So I rushed up on them, a mile nearer every twelve seconds.

I saw, then, a third speck rise above the