And Bland, who had glanced over his shoulder and glimpsed some one coming,--some one who much resembled a messenger boy,--turned the motor over with one mighty pull, and made the cockpit in two jumps and a straddle.
"We're off, bo! Give it to 'er!" he shouted, in a tone quite foreign to his usual languid whine, and fastened his safety belt.
Johnny settled himself, felt out his controls, gave her more gas.

A uniformed young fellow, running toward them, shouted something, but Johnny gave no heed.

Uniforms did not appeal to him, anyway.

He scowled at this one and went taxieing down the field, spurned the earth, and whirred off into the air.
"We want to climb to about ten thousand," Bland shouted over his shoulder, "and f'r cat's sake, don't let's lose sight of the railroad." Rapidly the earth dropped away.

The town shrunk to a handful of toy houses flung carelessly down upon a dingy gray carpet, with a yellow seam stretched across--which was the railroad--and yellow gashes here and there.