



Produced by Sean Pobuda









The Air Ship Boys

or

The Quest of the Aztec Treasure


By H. L. Sayler




CONTENTS

       I  THE DEPARTURE OF THE OVERLAND LIMITED
      II  NED'S MEETING WITH MAJOR BALDWIN HONEYWELL
     III  THE RELATION OF MIGUEL VASQUEZ
      IV  THE CONTRACT, AND LIQUID HYDROGEN
       V  A DINNER PARTY ON THE PLACIDA
      VI  BOB RUSSELL OF THE KANSAS CITY COMET
     VII  THE MAKING OF A NEWSPAPER STORY
    VIII  THE HOSPITALITY OF NEW MEXICO
      IX  "CALIFORNY KID" GETS A JOB
       X  AN ERROR IN CALCULATION
      XI  A DISGUISE PENETRATED
     XII  NED TO BOB RUSSELL'S RESCUE
    XIII  QUICK JUSTICE IN THE WEST
     XIV  BUILDING AN AIR SHIP
      XV  HOW JACK JELLUP LOST AN ARM
     XVI  READY TO "LET GO ALL"
    XVII  AN INTERRUPTED FLIGHT
   XVIII  FREE AND AFLOAT AT LAST
     XIX  THE FIRST FLIGHT
      XX  FIGHTING INDIANS WITH A SEARCHLIGHT
     XXI  A CORDITE BOMB AND ITS WORK
    XXII  A THRILLING RESCUE IN MID-AIR
   XXIII  CAMP EAGLE IN THE MOUNTAINS
    XXIV  A GRAVE IN THE DESERT
     XXV  BARTERING STORES A MILE IN THE AIR
    XXVI  THE SECRET TUNNEL IN THE MESA
   XXVII  THE TURQUOISE TEMPLE DISCOVERED
  XXVIII  THE COLLAPSE OF THE CIBOLA
    XXIX  THE GOLDEN EAGLE OF THE AZTECS
     XXX  A QUARTER OF A TON OF TREASURE
    XXXI  AN ADVENTURE WITH THE NAVAJOS
   XXXII  ALAN SUCCUMBS TO EXHAUSTION
  XXXIII  A FORLORN DASH FOR HELP
   XXXIV  THE RESCUE




CHAPTER I

THE DEPARTURE OF THE OVERLAND LIMITED


The Overland Limited, aglow with lights, stood in the Dearborn
Street station in Chicago waiting for eight o'clock and the last of
its fortunate passengers.  Near the entrance gates, through which
perspiring men and women were hurrying, stood the rear cars of the
train.  Within these could be seen joyous passengers locating
themselves and arranging bags and parcels.

In fifteen minutes the long journey of Ned Napier and his chum Alan
Hope to the far southwest was to begin.

At the other end of the big shed, where the cars of the long train
seemed to fade almost out of sight, four persons were anxiously
awaiting the approach of the hour of departure.  One of these, the
conductor of the train, consulted his watch, as he had done several
times already, holding it close within the glow of his green-shaded
lantern.

"It's getting pretty close to time, Major Honeywell," he said with
some concern.  "You're sure he'll be here?"

The man addressed, who stood leaning lightly on a cane and whose
soft dark hat and clothes indicated his military calling, showed
similar concern, but replied confidently:

"We have nearly fifteen minutes.  Young Napier has a reputation for
never failing.  I'm sure he'll be here in time."

"Here's the telegram," interrupted young Alan Hope, as he drew a
yellow sheet from his pocket.  "It is from Youngstown, Ohio, and
says Ned's train is on time.  He left Washington yesterday and if
everything is all right he reached the Union Depot a half hour ago.
He'll be here."

"Well, you know we can't wait, much as I'd like to," replied the
conductor.  "You'd better have everything ready."

"She's dat, sah," interrupted the fourth person of the group, a
young <DW64>, who, as he spoke, placed his hand on the side door of
the car, and moved it on its easy running bearings.

"You see, there isn't much time left," continued the sympathetic
train official.  "We're coupling up."  And he nodded toward the
gloom beyond the train shed out of which the big compound locomotive
was already emerging.  The military man with the cane became more
apprehensive.

"What shall we do if Ned fails to get here?" he said suddenly after
peering down the long platform toward the busy end of the station.

"Oh, we didn't go into this to fail," cheerily responded the youth
by his side.  "If we 'fall down'