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Preface

The visual experience is the principal way that humans sense and communicate with
their world. We are visual beings and images are being made increasing available to
us in electronic digital format via digital cameras, the internet, and hand-held devices
with large-format screens. With much of the technology being introduced to the con-
sumer marketplace being rather new, digital image processing remains a “hot” topic and
promises to be one for a very long time. Of course, digital image processing has been
around for quite awhile, and indeed, methods pervade nearly every branch of science
and engineering. One only has to view the latest space telescope images or read about the
newest medical image modality to be aware of this.
With this introduction, welcome to The Essential Guide to Image Processing ! The reader
will find that this Guide covers introductory, intermediate and advanced topics of digital
image processing, and is intended to be highly accessible for those entering the field or
wishing to learn about the topic for the first time. As such, the Guide can be effectively used
as a classroom textbook. Since many intermediate and advanced topics are also covered,
the Guide is a useful reference for the practicing image processing engineer, scientist, or
researcher. As a learning tool, the Guide offers easy-to-read material at different levels
of presentation, including introductory and tutorial chapters on the most basic image
processing techniques. Further, there is included a chapter that explains digital image
processing software that is included on a CD with the book. This software is part of
the award-winning SIVA educational courseware that has been under development at
The University of Texas for more than a decade, and which has been adopted for use by
more than 400 educational, industry, and research institutions around the world. Image
processing educators are invited these user-friendly and intuitive live image processing
demonstrations into their teaching curriculum.
The Guide contains 27 chapters, beginning with an introduction and a description of
the educational software that is included with the book. This is followed by tutorial chap-
ters on the basic methods of gray-level and binary image processing, and on the essential
tools of image Fourier analysis and linear convolution systems. The next series of chapters
describes tools and concepts necessary to more advanced image processing algorithms,
including wavelets, color, and statistical and noise models of images. Methods for improv-
ing the appearance of images follow, including enhancement, denoising and restoration
(deblurring). The important topic of image compression follows, including chapters on
lossless compression, the JPEG and JPEG-2000 standards, and wavelet image compres-
sion. Image analysis chapters follow, including two chapters on edge detection and one
on the important topic of image quality assessment. Finally, the Guide concludes with
six exciting chapters dealing explaining image processing applications on such diverse
topics as image watermarking, fingerprint recognition, digital microscopy, face recogni-
tion, and digital tomography. These have been selected for their timely interest, as well as
their illustrative power of how image processing and analysis can be effectively applied
to problems of significant practical interest.
xix
xx Preface

The Guide then concludes with a chapter pointing towards the topic of digital video
processing, which deals with visual signals that vary over time. These very broad and
more advanced field is covered in a companion volume suitably entitled The Essential
Guide to Video Processing. The topics covered in the two companion Guides are, of course
closely related, and it may interest the reader that earlier editions of most of this material
appeared in a highly popular but gigantic volume known as The Handbook of Image and
Video Processing. While this previous book was very well-received, its sheer size made it
highly un-portable (but a fantastic doorstop). For this newer rendition, in addition to
updating the content, I made the decision to divide the material into two distinct books,
separating the material into coverage of still images and moving images (video). I am
sure that you will find the resulting volumes to be information-rich as well as highly
accessible.
As Editor and Co-Author of The Essential Guide to Image Processing, I would thank
the many co-authors who have contributed such wonderful work to this Guide. They are
all models of professionalism, responsiveness, and patience with respect to my cheerlead-
ing and cajoling. The group effort that created this book is much larger, deeper, and of
higher quality than I think that any individual could have created. Each and every chapter
in this Guide has been written by a carefully selected distinguished specialist, ensuring
that the greatest depth of understanding be communicated to the reader. I have also
taken the time to read each and every word of every chapter, and have provided exten-
sive feedback to the chapter authors in seeking to perfect the book. Owing primarily to
their efforts, I feel certain that this Guide will prove to be an essential and indispensable
resource for years to come.
I would also like to thank the staff at Elsevier—the Senior Commissioning Editor,
Tim Pitts, for his continuous stream of ideas and encouragement, and for keeping after
me to do this project; Melanie Benson for her tireless efforts and incredible organization
and accuracy in making the book happen; Eric DeCicco, the graphic artist for his efforts
on the wonderful cover design, and Greg Dezarn-O’Hare for his flawless typesetting.
National Instruments, Inc., has been a tremendous support over the years in helping
me develop courseware for image processing classes at The University of Texas at Austin,
and has been especially generous with their engineer’s time. I particularly thank NI
engineers George Panayi, Frank Baumgartner, Nate Holmes, Carleton Heard, Matthew
Slaughter, and Nathan McKimpson for helping to develop and perfect the many Labview
demos that have been used for many years and are now available on the CD-ROM attached
to this book.
Al Bovik
Austin, Texas
April, 2009
About the Author

Al Bovik currently holds the Curry/Cullen Trust

Endowed Chair Professorship in the Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University
of Texas at Austin, where he is the Director of the Lab-
oratory for Image and Video Engineering (LIVE). He
has published over 500 technical articles and six books
in the general area of image and video processing and
holds two US patents.
Dr. Bovik has received a number of major awards
from the IEEE Signal Processing Society, including
the Education Award (2007); the Technical Achieve-
ment Award (2005), the Distinguished Lecturer Award
(2000); and the Meritorious Service Award (1998). He is
also a recipient of the IEEE Third Millennium Medal
(2000), and has won two journal paper awards from the Pattern Recognition Society
(1988 and 1993). He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the Optical Society of America,
and a Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical and Instrumentation Engineers. Dr. Bovik
has served Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing (1996–2002) and
created and served as the first General Chairman of the IEEE International Conference on
Image Processing, which was held in Austin, Texas, in 1994.

xxi
 CHAPTER

Introduction to Digital Image

Processing
Alan C. Bovik
The University of Texas at Austin
1
We are in the middle of an exciting period of time in the field of image processing.
Indeed, scarcely a week passes where we do not hear an announcement of some new
technological breakthrough in the areas of digital computation and telecommunication.
Particularly exciting has been the participation of the general public in these develop-
ments, as affordable computers and the incredible explosion of the World Wide Web
have brought a flood of instant information into a large and increasing percentage of
homes and businesses. Indeed, the advent of broadband wireless devices is bringing
these technologies into the pocket and purse. Most of this information is designed for
visual consumption in the form of text, graphics, and pictures, or integrated multimedia
presentations. Digital images are pictures that have been converted into a computer-
readable binary format consisting of logical 0s and 1s. Usually, by an image we mean
a still picture that does not change with time, whereas a video evolves with time
and generally contains moving and/or changing objects. This Guide deals primarily
with still images, while a second (companion) volume deals with moving images, or
videos. Digital images are usually obtained by converting continuous signals into dig-
ital format, although “direct digital” systems are becoming more prevalent. Likewise,
digital images are viewed using diverse display media, included digital printers, com-
puter monitors, and digital projection devices. The frequency with which information
is transmitted, stored, processed, and displayed in a digital visual format is increasing
rapidly, and as such, the design of engineering methods for efficiently transmitting,
maintaining, and even improving the visual integrity of this information is of heightened
interest.
One aspect of image processing that makes it such an interesting topic of study
is the amazing diversity of applications that make use of image processing or analysis
techniques. Virtually every branch of science has subdisciplines that use recording devices
or sensors to collect image data from the universe around us, as depicted in Fig. 1.1. This
data is often multidimensional and can be arranged in a format that is suitable for
human viewing. Viewable datasets like this can be regarded as images and processed
using established techniques for image processing, even if the information has not been
derived from visible light sources. 1
2 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Digital Image Processing

Astronomy Meteorology
Radiology Seismology
Ultrasonic Autonomous
imaging navigation
Industrial
Microscopy “Imaging”
inspection
Robot guidance Oceanography

Surveillance Aerial reconnaissance

Particle Remote Radar & mapping
physics sensing

FIGURE 1.1
Part of the universe of image processing applications.

1.1 TYPES OF IMAGES

Another rich aspect of digital imaging is the diversity of image types that arise, and which
can derive from nearly every type of radiation. Indeed, some of the most exciting devel-
opments in medical imaging have arisen from new sensors that record image data from
previously little used sources of radiation, such as PET (positron emission tomography)
and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), or that sense radiation in new ways, as in CAT
(computer-aided tomography), where X-ray data is collected from multiple angles to
form a rich aggregate image.
There is an amazing availability of radiation to be sensed, recorded as images, and
viewed, analyzed, transmitted, or stored. In our daily experience, we think of “what we
see” as being “what is there,” but in truth, our eyes record very little of the information
that is available at any given moment. As with any sensor, the human eye has a limited
bandwidth. The band of electromagnetic (EM) radiation that we are able to see, or“visible
light,” is quite small, as can be seen from the plot of the EM band in Fig. 1.2. Note that
the horizontal axis is logarithmic! At any given moment, we see very little of the available
radiation that is going on around us, although certainly enough to get around. From an
evolutionary perspective, the band of EM wavelengths that the human eye perceives is
perhaps optimal, since the volume of data is reduced and the data that is used is highly
reliable and abundantly available (the sun emits strongly in the visible bands, and the
earth’s atmosphere is also largely transparent in the visible wavelengths). Nevertheless,
radiation from other bands can be quite useful as we attempt to glean the fullest possible
amount of information from the world around us. Indeed, certain branches of science
sense and record images from nearly all of the EM spectrum, and use the information
to give a better picture of physical reality. For example, astronomers are often identified
according to the type of data that they specialize in, e.g., radio astronomers and X-ray
astronomers. Non-EM radiation is also useful for imaging. Some good examples are the
high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) that are used to create images of the human
body, and the low-frequency sound waves that are used by prospecting companies to
create images of the earth’s subsurface.
 1.1 Types of Images 3

Radio
frequency
Visible
Gamma Microwave
Cosmic rays X-rays
rays UV IR

10⫺4 10⫺2 1 102 104 106 108 1010 1012

Wavelength (angstroms)

FIGURE 1.2
The electromagnetic spectrum.

Radiation source

Opaque Emitted
reflective radiation
object

Reflected radiation

Self- Sensor(s)
luminous
object Emitted Electrical
radiation signal

Altered
radiation

Radiation
source Transparent/
Emitted translucent
radiation object

FIGURE 1.3
Recording the various types of interaction of radiation with matter.

One commonality that can be made regarding nearly all images is that radiation
is emitted from some source, then interacts with some material, then is sensed and
ultimately transduced into an electrical signal which may then be digitized. The resulting
images can then be used to extract information about the radiation source and/or about
the objects with which the radiation interacts.
We may loosely classify images according to the way in which the interaction occurs,
understanding that the division is sometimes unclear, and that images may be of multiple
types. Figure 1.3 depicts these various image types.
Reflection images sense radiation that has been reflected from the surfaces of objects.
The radiation itself may be ambient or artificial, and it may be from a localized source
4 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Digital Image Processing

or from multiple or extended sources. Most of our daily experience of optical imaging
through the eye is of reflection images. Common nonvisible light examples include
radar images, sonar images, laser images, and some types of electron microscope images.
The type of information that can be extracted from reflection images is primarily about
object surfaces, viz., their shapes, texture, color, reflectivity, and so on.
Emission images are even simpler, since in this case the objects being imaged are
self-luminous. Examples include thermal or infrared images, which are commonly
encountered in medical, astronomical, and military applications; self-luminous visible
light objects, such as light bulbs and stars; and MRI images, which sense particle emis-
sions. In images of this type, the information to be had is often primarily internal to the
object; the image may reveal how the object creates radiation and thence something of
the internal structure of the object being imaged. However, it may also be external; for
example, a thermal camera can be used in low-light situations to produce useful images
of a scene containing warm objects, such as people.
Finally, absorption images yield information about the internal structure of objects.
In this case, the radiation passes through objects and is partially absorbed or attenuated
by the material composing them. The degree of absorption dictates the level of the
sensed radiation in the recorded image. Examples include X-ray images, transmission
microscopic images, and certain types of sonic images.
Of course, the above classification is informal, and a given image may contain objects,
which interacted with radiation in different ways. More important is to realize that images
come from many different radiation sources and objects, and that the purpose of imaging
is usually to extract information about either the source and/or the objects, by sensing
the reflected/transmitted radiation and examining the way in which it has interacted with
the objects, which can reveal physical information about both source and objects.
Figure 1.4 depicts some representative examples of each of the above categories of
images. Figures 1.4(a) and 1.4(b) depict reflection images arising in the visible light
band and in the microwave band, respectively. The former is quite recognizable; the
latter is a synthetic aperture radar image of DFW airport. Figures 1.4(c) and 1.4(d) are
emission images and depict, respectively, a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) image and a
visible light image of the globular star cluster Omega Centauri. Perhaps the reader can
guess the type of object that is of interest in Fig. 1.4(c). The object in Fig. 1.4(d), which
consists of over a million stars, is visible with the unaided eye at lower northern latitudes.
Lastly, Figs. 1.4(e) and 1.4(f), which are absorption images, are of a digital (radiographic)
mammogram and a conventional light micrograph, respectively.

1.2 SCALE OF IMAGES

Examining Fig. 1.4 reveals another image diversity: scale. In our daily experience, we
ordinarily encounter and visualize objects that are within 3 or 4 orders of magnitude of
1 m. However, devices for image magnification and amplification have made it possible
to extend the realm of “vision” into the cosmos, where it has become possible to image
structures extending over as much as 1030 m, and into the microcosmos, where it has
 1.2 Scale of Images 5

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

FIGURE 1.4
Examples of reflection (a), (b), emission (c), (d), and absorption (e), (f) image types.
6 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Digital Image Processing

become possible to acquire images of objects as small as 10⫺10 m. Hence we are able
to image from the grandest scale to the minutest scales, over a range of 40 orders of
magnitude, and as we will find, the techniques of image and video processing are generally
applicable to images taken at any of these scales.
Scale has another important interpretation, in the sense that any given image can
contain objects that exist at scales different from other objects in the same image, or
that even exist at multiple scales simultaneously. In fact, this is the rule rather than
the exception. For example, in Fig. 1.4(a), at a small scale of observation, the image
contains the bas-relief patterns cast onto the coins. At a slightly larger scale, strong circular
structures arose. However, at a yet larger scale, the coins can be seen to be organized into
a highly coherent spiral pattern. Similarly, examination of Fig. 1.4(d) at a small scale
reveals small bright objects corresponding to stars; at a larger scale, it is found that the
stars are non uniformly distributed over the image, with a tight cluster having a density
that sharply increases toward the center of the image. This concept of multiscale is a
powerful one, and is the basis for many of the algorithms that will be described in the
chapters of this Guide.

1.3 DIMENSION OF IMAGES

An important feature of digital images and video is that they are multidimensional signals,
meaning that they are functions of more than a single variable. In the classic study of
digital signal processing, the signals are usually 1D functions of time. Images, however, are
functions of two and perhaps three space dimensions, whereas digital video as a function
includes a third (or fourth) time dimension as well. The dimension of a signal is the
number of coordinates that are required to index a given point in the image, as depicted
in Fig. 1.5. A consequence of this is that digital image processing, and especially digital
video processing, is quite data-intensive, meaning that significant computational and
storage resources are often required.

1.4 DIGITIZATION OF IMAGES

The environment around us exists, at any reasonable scale of observation, in a space/-
time continuum. Likewise, the signals and images that are abundantly available in the
environment (before being sensed) are naturally analog. By analog we mean two things:
that the signal exists on a continuous (space/time) domain, and that it also takes values
from a continuum of possibilities. However, this Guide is about processing digital image
and video signals, which means that once the image/video signal is sensed, it must be
converted into a computer-readable, digital format. By digital we also mean two things:
that the signal is defined on a discrete (space/time) domain, and that it takes values
from a discrete set of possibilities. Before digital processing can commence, a process
of analog-to-digital conversion (A/D conversion) must occur. A/D conversion consists of
two distinct subprocesses: sampling and quantization.
 1.5 Sampled Images 7

Dimension 2

Digital image

Dimension 1

Dimension 3

Dimension 2

Digital video
sequence

Dimension 1

FIGURE 1.5
The dimensionality of images and video.

1.5 SAMPLED IMAGES

Sampling is the process of converting a continuous-space (or continuous-space/time)
signal into a discrete-space (or discrete-space/time) signal. The sampling of continuous
signals is a rich topic that is effectively approached using the tools of linear systems
theory. The mathematics of sampling, along with practical implementations is addressed
elsewhere in this Guide. In this introductory chapter, however, it is worth giving the reader
a feel for the process of sampling and the need to sample a signal sufficiently densely.
For a continuous signal of given space/time dimensions, there are mathematical reasons
why there is a lower bound on the space/time sampling frequency (which determines
the minimum possible number of samples) required to retain the information in the
signal. However, image processing is a visual discipline, and it is more fundamental to
realize that what is usually important is that the process of sampling does not lose visual
information. Simply stated, the sampled image/video signal must “look good,” meaning
that it does not suffer too much from a loss of visual resolution or from artifacts that can
arise from the process of sampling.
8 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Digital Image Processing

Continuous-domain signal

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Sampled signal indexed by discrete (integer) numbers

FIGURE 1.6
Sampling a continuous-domain one-dimensional signal.

Figure 1.6 illustrates the result of sampling a 1D continuous-domain signal. It is easy

to see that the samples collectively describe the gross shape of the original signal very
nicely, but that smaller variations and structures are harder to discern or may be lost.
Mathematically, information may have been lost, meaning that it might not be possible
to reconstruct the original continuous signal from the samples (as determined by the
Sampling Theorem, see Chapter 5). Supposing that the signal is part of an image, e.g., is
a single scan-line of an image displayed on a monitor, then the visual quality may or may
not be reduced in the sampled version. Of course, the concept of visual quality varies
from person-to-person, and it also depends on the conditions under which the image is
viewed, such as the viewing distance.
Note that in Fig. 1.6 the samples are indexed by integer numbers. In fact, the sampled
signal can be viewed as a vector of numbers. If the signal is finite in extent, then the
signal vector can be stored and digitally processed as an array, hence the integer indexing
becomes quite natural and useful. Likewise, image signals that are space/time sampled
are generally indexed by integers along each sampled dimension, allowing them to be
easily processed as multidimensional arrays of numbers. As shown in Fig. 1.7, a sampled
image is an array of sampled image values that are usually arranged in a row-column
format. Each of the indexed array elements is often called a picture element, or pixel for
short. The term pel has also been used, but has faded in usage probably since it is less
descriptive and not as catchy. The number of rows and columns in a sampled image is also
often selected to be a power of 2, since it simplifies computer addressing of the samples,
and also since certain algorithms, such as discrete Fourier transforms, are particularly
efficient when operating on signals that have dimensions that are powers of 2. Images
are nearly always rectangular (hence indexed on a Cartesian grid) and are often square,
although the horizontal dimensional is often longer, especially in video signals, where an
aspect ratio of 4:3 is common.
 1.6 Quantized Images 9

Columns

Rows

FIGURE 1.7
Depiction of a very small (10 ⫻ 10) piece of an image array.

As mentioned earlier, the effects of insufficient sampling (“undersampling”) can be

visually obvious. Figure 1.8 shows two very illustrative examples of image sampling. The
two images, which we will call “mandrill” and “fingerprint,” both contain a significant
amount of interesting visual detail that substantially defines the content of the images.
Each image is shown at three different sampling densities: 256 ⫻ 256 (or 28 ⫻ 28 ⫽ 65,536
samples), 128 ⫻ 128 (or 27 ⫻ 27 ⫽ 16,384 samples), and 64 ⫻ 64 (or 26 ⫻ 26 ⫽ 4,096
samples). Of course, in both cases, all three scales of images are digital, and so there
is potential loss of information relative to the original analog image. However, the per-
ceptual quality of the images can easily be seen to degrade rather rapidly; note the whiskers
on the mandrill’s face, which lose all coherency in the 64 ⫻ 64 image. The 64 ⫻ 64 fin-
gerprint is very interesting since the pattern has completely changed! It almost appears
as a different fingerprint. This results from an undersampling effect known as aliasing,
where image frequencies appear that have no physical meaning (in this case, creating a
false pattern). Aliasing, and its mathematical interpretation, will be discussed further in
Chapter 2 in the context of the Sampling Theorem.

1.6 QUANTIZED IMAGES

The other part of image digitization is quantization. The values that a (single-valued)
image takes are usually intensities since they are a record of the intensity of the signal
incident on the sensor, e.g., the photon count or the amplitude of a measured wave
function. Intensity is a positive quantity. If the image is represented visually using shades
of gray (like a black-and-white photograph), then the pixel values are referred to as
gray levels. Of course, broadly speaking, an image may be multivalued at each pixel
(such as a color image), or an image may have negative pixel values, in which case, it
is not an intensity function. In any case, the image values must be quantized for digital
processing.
Quantization is the process of converting a continuous-valued image that has a con-
tinuous range (set of values that it can take) into a discrete-valued image that has a
discrete range. This is ordinarily done by a process of rounding, truncation, or some
10 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Digital Image Processing

64 3 64

128 3 128

256 3 256

64 3 64

128 3 128

256 3 256

FIGURE 1.8
Examples of the visual effect of different image sampling densities.

other irreversible, nonlinear process of information destruction. Quantization is a neces-

sary precursor to digital processing, since the image intensities must be represented with
a finite precision (limited by wordlength) in any digital processor.
When the gray level of an image pixel is quantized, it is assigned to be one of a finite
set of numbers which is the gray level range. Once the discrete set of values defining the
gray-level range is known or decided, then a simple and efficient method of quantization
is simply to round the image pixel values to the respective nearest members of the intensity
range. These rounded values can be any numbers, but for conceptual convenience and
ease of digital formatting, they are then usually mapped by a linear transformation into
a finite set of non-negative integers {0, . . . , K ⫺ 1}, where K is a power of two: K ⫽ 2B .
Hence the number of allowable gray levels is K , and the number of bits allocated to each
pixel’s gray level is B. Usually 1 · B · 8 with B ⫽ 1 (for binary images) and B ⫽ 8 (where
each gray level conveniently occupies a byte) are the most common bit depths (see Fig. 1.9).
Multivalued images, such as color images, require quantization of the components either
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 CHAPTER VIII.
THE PROFESSOR LEADS THE WAY.

H ARVEY HAMILTON was making his way toward the aeroplane,

when his right hand touched a big lump at his hip. Reaching
down to learn what it was, he drew forth his six-shooter.
“Well, I’ll be hanged! I’m the champion idiot of the twentieth
century!” he exclaimed, with a pang of self-disgust as he looked at
the small weapon. “Every chamber is loaded, and I have a lot of
cartridges in my pocket, but I forgot all about them until this minute!
While I was chafing my legs on that limb I might have filled the bear
with lead. His snout wasn’t a dozen feet from me, and though I
didn’t see clearly I couldn’t have missed him if I had tried.”
He certainly had cause for exasperation. While a Colt’s revolver isn’t
a very formidable weapon, and hunters as a rule do not seek big
game with small arms, yet the modern make possesses great
penetrative powers and it is quite likely that, counting Harvey’s
reserve ammunition, he might have given the bear his quietus.
Strange that our young friend never realized he was armed until the
necessity for it had passed.
“I wish he would show up again,” he added, peering around in the
gloom; “I should like to square matters with him for what he made
me go through.”
But the brute was not seen or heard again, and perhaps it was as
well for the young aviator, who might have been disappointed in the
effectiveness of his weapon.
A pleasing fact became manifest. Night was ended and moonlight
was giving place to the increasing glow in the eastern sky that
showed day was breaking. The hours of trouble, annoyance,
vexation and danger were over and he must gather up the threads
of life again. He was hungry, but no food was within immediate
reach, and he could afford to wait until the situation cleared before
seeking nourishment. He was within easy reach of thriving
settlements, towns, and even cities of considerable size. To the north
stretched the picturesque Adirondacks, with their wealth of streams,
rivers and lakes, their vast areas of wilderness and many recesses
where only the solitary hunter had as yet forced his way. Hundreds
of people in quest of health and recreation were roaming through
the wilds, living in log cabins or tents, or sleeping in blankets by
wood fires, kindled in the depth of the solitude. They spent the
glorious days in fishing, tramping and breathing the life-giving
ozone, which sent them back to their duties invigorated,
strengthened and renewed in body and spirit. It was a famous
clergyman who, a half century before, published a book of his
experiences in the Adirondacks, insisting that the mountains would
cure men who had almost reached the last stages of consumption.
The tonic properties of the region are extraordinary and the
entrancing story sent droves thither. The majority were disappointed
by his glowing pictures and when they emerged and registered their
names at the primitive hotels on the outskirts, they added, “Murray’s
Fools.” None the less, unnumbered invalids have found the section a
veritable land of hope.
There was no thought of anything of this nature in the mind of
Harvey Hamilton when he stood beside his aeroplane, after an
inspection had shown him it was in perfect condition and ready for
whatever service he required of it. As is often the case with the brain
which is perplexed at night, it was clarified in the morning. He was
confronted by a formidable task, but his policy was settled.
He fully believed that Professor Morgan after studying his invention
in his workshop, subjected it to the decisive test in the open air, by
sailing well to the northward and returning to his retreat when he
discovered any defect. The distance passed might be ten, fifteen,
twenty or a greater number of miles. He had not yet perfected his
invention, but expected to do so quite soon. He was resolute in his
purpose to carry Bohunkus Johnson across the ocean to Africa, and
would fight to prevent any one taking the negro from him. With the
whimsical persistence of an unbalanced brain he grew to distrust
Bunk himself. The dusky youth had asked that he might be a
passenger on the wonderful journey, and having received
permission, would be held to the agreement.
It was this state of mind that led the inventor to transport his
assistant, as he may be considered, to the northern terminus of
those experimental flights, and there leave him until the time should
come to start on the aerial voyage to the other side of the world. As
has been said, it was an easy matter to take such food as he
required, and Bohunkus having no weapons and being in the heart
of an unknown wilderness, would be terrified by the thought of
trying to make his way out without some one to guide him.
Such in brief was the theory that Harvey had formed and upon
which he decided to work until its error appeared. As he figured
matters, the great problem to solve was the location of the spot
where Bohunkus was held a virtual prisoner, for the young aviator
put from him the fear that the crazy Professor had made way with
Bunk.
If Harvey was right in his surmises, the monoplane would soon wing
its way northward, passing not far from the spot where the other
machine was partially hidden on the edge of the small meadow.
Harvey must learn so far as he could where the Professor’s
destination lay. It would be easy to do this, provided he could pursue
without danger of discovery, but that was impossible: some other
method must be followed.
Harvey decided to wait where he was until the monoplane sailed
past and then watch its course through his field glass. If he failed to
locate the precise spot, he would approximate it and narrow the
area of search.
The aeroplane rested on the northern side of the clearing, from
which position it was impossible, because of the intervening trees, to
see the country lying in that direction. It was so early in the morning
that Harvey felt safe in walking to the other side, where his
observation would be clear. Prudence suggested that he should not
expose himself to the risk of detection, and it would have been easy
to skirt the open, thus keeping out of sight for the whole distance,
but the danger was seemingly so slight, that he did not hesitate to
move out from the margin of the wood toward the opposite limit of
the unfenced meadow.
Straightway he received a lesson which he could never forget and
which came within a hair of upsetting all his carefully laid plans. He
was in the middle of the space when there was a whirring rush
overhead as of the wings of a mighty bird, and Professor Morgan in
his monoplane shot past directly above the youth, at a height of not
more than two hundred feet. Harvey stood still, dumfounded and
scared, for he was sure he was or would be discovered in the next
instant. Staring upward, he saw the well-remembered machine and
read the ominous name painted on the under side of the immense
wings: “The Dragon of the Skies.” The gaunt, long-limbed Professor
sat upright, staring ahead with his hands grasping the levers, while
he watched every movement of his car. So absorbed was he in this
task that he did not glance downward at the form standing like a
statue and gazing up at him.
It was the narrowest escape conceivable for Harvey Hamilton. He
waited until the monoplane in its arrowy flight was several hundred
yards away, and still going with the speed of the wind. Even then if
the Professor should look behind him, he could not fail to see the
spectator on the ground. In a panic, the latter broke into a run, not
pausing until under the shadow of the protecting limbs of the trees.
There he waited, glass in hand, and raised it to his eyes when the
gigantic bird was a long way off.
“He did not wait for breakfast,” was the conclusion of Harvey; “which
may mean that he intends soon to return, or will eat his morning
meal somewhere else, or will go without it altogether.”
The sky was as clear and radiant as before, and stepping into the
open, the young aviator leveled his binoculars at the inventor and
his machine. They seemed to be aiming for the mountainous ridge
ten or twelve miles away.
“If he stops on this side,” thought Harry, “it will mean that Bunk is
there awaiting him; if he goes over the summit, it will signify that
beyond it is the place.”
For the twentieth time, the youth blessed the makers of the
admirable field glass which adds so markedly to the power of the
natural eye. The whole expanse of romantic country, with its masses
of rocks, belts of forest, wild, uncultivated land, broad fields, small,
winding streams, scattered dwellings, three villages at varying
distances, rough surface of hill, valley and precipitous elevations,
some of which deserved the name of mountains, was spread before
him. The ridge, like a mighty wall, shut in this impressive prospect
on the north. The side of the ridge was covered with a growth of
exuberant though somewhat stunted trees, gray towering masses of
rocks showing at intervals; a couple of tumbling waterfalls, whose
bases looked like rumpled snow, could also be seen.
Harvey Hamilton, however, had no eye for any of these: his interest
lay in that object which was coursing through space at tremendous
speed, as if it meant to dive into the forest which blocked its course.
He kept gently shifting the focal distance of the glasses so as to hold
the monoplane in distinct view, though the edges of the wings
showed at times a fringe of prismatic hues that did not interfere,
however, with his vision.
Professor Morgan was flying low, but at the base of the ridge, when
Harvey expected to see him make a landing, he used his elevating
rudder and skimmed upward toward the summit. The picture was
that of an enormous bird which with its vast wings outspread was
scaling the mountainside by stepping lightly on the treetops and
lofty rocks. Up, up, he climbed with dizzying swiftness, was
silhouetted for a moment against the clear sky, and then shot out of
the watcher’s field of vision.
“Bohunkus is on the other side,” was Harvey’s conclusion, as he
screwed up the glasses and shut them in their leathern case, which
he slipped over his shoulder.
It was guesswork as to when the Professor would come back. He
might make a brief circuit in the sky beyond and return in a few
minutes to his workshop, or be out of sight for hours. It might occur
to him that it was wise to eat breakfast and to get food for his dusky
assistant. Be all this as it may, Harvey decided to act at once, since
nothing was to be gained otherwise.
He ran across the open to his machine, pulled it clear of the
undergrowth and limbs, pointed it toward the western limit of the
clearing, spun the propeller round, and sprang into his accustomed
seat in time to direct the fast rising speed. He had a good supply of
fuel and the biplane worked smoothly. Swerving to the north, he
“put on steam” and was off.
His plan was to spin ahead until he reached the base of the ridge, or
perhaps passed a part of the way up its side. He would be on the
watch for a good landing place, hide the aeroplane as before, and
then press his investigations on foot.
Before he had gone half the distance, he abandoned the plan of
flying part way up the ridge. A dread of the Professor’s return grew,
and his eyes began roaming over the surface in quest of a safe place
to descend. He regretted having come thus far, and resolved to take
the first chance that offered. It appeared on a slight swell near the
base of the ridge, but somewhat to the right of the course he was
following. It was not the spot he would have selected had he not
been pressed for time, but such as it was he had to accept it and he
believed it would answer.
He was not in a settled section, though one of the villages could not
have been more than two miles to the eastward. The ground upon
which he rested his hopes could not have contained more than a
couple of acres and the upper end was shut in by a lot of boulders
which threatened to play havoc with his machine. Both on the left
and right, however, were undergrowth and stunted pines that
promised to be a good hiding place for the aeroplane. Accordingly,
he dropped as low as was safe, shut off his motor and dipped to the
rough ground. He landed with a bump that came near unseating
him, and would have shattered his front rudder against the boulders
had he not managed to veer his course so as to avoid them in time.
“I don’t fancy this business,” he muttered, as he stepped to the
ground and looked the machine over; “the folks at Garden City know
how to construct these things, for this one has stood a good deal of
jarring without harm so far as I can see.”
It was a work of considerable difficulty to work the biplane among
the trees where it was not likely to be seen by any one passing
overhead, though in plain sight of a person on the ground. Some
five or six hundred feet had to be climbed to reach the summit. The
surface was of the roughest character, his way leading around piles
of stone, through thick woods, which fortunately were not cluttered
with undergrowth, across deep gullies, and so steep in some places
that it was trying even to a professional guide or hunter.
Standing thus and debating the situation, Harvey caught the murmur
of the waterfall on his right. He recalled that it was near, and would
have paid it a visit had not more important matters demanded
attention.
 CHAPTER IX.
MEETING AN OLD FRIEND.

I T was a half hour’s climb to the top of the ridge, it being so

precipitous in places that even a lusty youth like Harvey Hamilton
had to pause more than once to rest his limbs and regain his wind.
He accomplished his task in due time and reaching the crest, uttered
an exclamation of amazement at the wonderful beauty of the
landscape spread before him.
He had crossed the boundary of the county and was in Essex, which
includes nearly all of the romantic Adirondack region, familiar to the
thousands who visit it every year. As far as the vision could travel
were wooded mountain peaks, craggy spurs, lakes, some of
considerable size, the headwaters of the Hudson and other rivers,
waterfalls, dashing streams, the country dotted here and there with
straggling hamlets, a fashionable hotel or two, scattered cabins and
rude dwellings, while tiny columns of smoke climbing through the
treetops told where parties had their camps and were living in the
open, with the sensible resolve to get all that the forest, redolent
with spruce and balsam, could give them.
With the aid of his glass, Harvey identified a canoe containing a man
and woman, the latter paddling up the winding stream far to the
left, while on the shore of the lake, to the right, gleamed the white
tent of some campers. He even recognized the tiny figures moving
about, and saw a man enter a canoe and hurry out upon the sheet
of water, which gleamed like a vast mirror of silver.
The view was worth traveling thousands of miles to enjoy. In all his
wanderings through Switzerland, the Tyrol, and Italy, Harvey had
beheld nothing like it. While those parts of the Old World far surpass
the Adirondacks in magnificence and grandeur, there was a certain
witching charm in this place not easily describable that enthralled
the young American and held him mute under a spell that no
European scene had been able to weave about him.
While in other circumstances he could have stood or sat for hours
drinking in the fascinating beauty, he could not keep his thoughts
from the serious task upon which he had entered days before.
Bohunkus Johnson, if alive, was in peril from the demented man
who held him a prisoner, and his rescue must be accomplished
without waste of time.
Somewhere in that unrivaled landscape, Professor Morgan had gone
with his monoplane. Possibly he had crossed the limit of the
searcher’s vision, but the latter did not think it likely. At any rate he
determined to examine the territory at his feet before entering new
fields.
The prosaic truth forced itself upon Harvey Hamilton that his most
pressing need just then was food. He was sure he never felt quite so
hungry, and there was no call for him to suffer so long as he was in
a land of plenty, where hospitality is the law.
His first intention was to go down the slope to the lake, on whose
bank the tent stood. He knew he would be welcome and be given
abundantly of what he needed. But the spot was two miles off at
least, and somehow he disliked meeting a party of jovial campers, as
they were likely to be. He was not in the mood for jest and quip and
feared that the contact would not help him in his self-appointed task.
In the opposite direction from the lake, nestling in a small clearing,
was a cabin similar to those which he had seen during his
adventurous days in eastern Pennsylvania. It was not more than a
third as far from where he stood as the camp. While he observed no
one moving about, a tiny spiral of smoke climbing from the stone
chimney showed that the dwelling had occupants. He decided to go
thither.
This compelled him to leave his aeroplane behind. Had the distance
been greater he would have used it, though still dreading a sudden
return of the crazy inventor and his machine. His own brief flight to
the spot did not seem to have attracted attention and he gave the
matter no further thought, but set out at once.
As he drew near the humble structure he was favorably impressed.
It was made of logs, but the two or three acres of surrounding
ground were under cultivation and the vegetables were not only
plentiful and vigorous, but there was an air of neatness brooding
over all, that proved the owner and occupant to be thrifty and
tasteful. The front of the house was covered with climbing vines and
flowers, and the windowpanes were clean, as was the little porch
upon which he stepped.
That which he now saw pleased him still more, for an old-fashioned
latchstring hung outside in accord with the primitive form of
welcome. When the leathern string thus shows it says: “Come in
without knocking.”
All the same, Harvey hardly felt warranted in accepting the
invitation. Instead, he knocked sharply, and straightway bumped into
another surprise. He heard quick footsteps, the lifting of the latch
from within, and then the door was drawn back. He had raised his
hat in salutation but recoiled in pleased astonishment.
“Well, I declare!” he exclaimed, “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
“Nor did I think I should ever see you again,” was the reply, as the
girl extended her hand, which was grasped and shaken.
She was Ann Harbor, the daughter of the keeper of the Washington
Hotel in Purvis, where Harvey had spent a night a short time before.
“Come in,” said she hospitably; “Aunty will be as glad as me to see
you.”
Harvey stepped across the threshold into the living-room of the tidy
dwelling. Seated at the opposite window was a small, neat,
motherly-looking woman in spectacles engaged in sewing. She
looked up with a winsome smile and greeted the visitor as his name
was announced. She was Hephzibah Akers, sister of the landlord of
the Washington Hotel, in Purvis, with whom her niece Ann was a
favorite. Hat in one hand, the young aviator bowed and extended
the other to the woman. She motioned him to a chair and expressed
her pleasure in welcoming him to her humble home. After a few
commonplaces, Harvey turned to Ann, who had also seated herself.
“You are quite a distance from Purvis?” he said inquiringly.
“Not so very far,” she replied lightly; “Aunty doesn’t come to see us
often, so I run up to see her.”
“I am not as young as she is,” replied the elder, “and she is kind
enough to come to see me, though not half as often as I should like
to have her come.”
“How long have you been here?” asked Harvey.
“I left home yesterday morning; bus’ness is dull with paw just now
and he let me come up to Aunty’s for a day or two. I shall have to
go back to-morrow or next day. Now, how is it you are here when I
thought you had gone to your home in New Jersey?”
The visitor had considered this question before it was asked. He
decided that the best course was to be frank with the woman. So in
a few words he told them that Professor Morgan had taken the
colored lad with him, and since the aviator was known to be
unbalanced in mind, Harvey was doing his utmost to get his friend
away before it was too late. The story was so absorbing that Aunty
ceased her sewing while she and her niece listened.
“I did go to my home,” added Harvey, “but came back as soon as I
could.”
“Did you stay at our hotel last night?” asked Ann.
“No, your father likes the Professor better than he does me and I
thought it best not to let any one know I was in the neighborhood.”
“I guess you did right, for what you say is true. The night of the day
you went away, the Professor stayed a good while at the hotel after
supper and he and paw had a long talk. I was in and out of the
room most of the time, so I heard nearly all they said. Paw told him
you had gone off and we’d never see you agin; the Professor said it
was lucky for you that you’d done so, for if you come round poking
your nose into other people’s bus’ness, you wouldn’t live to try it a
second time.”
“Mercy!” exclaimed the shocked Aunty; “why did he say that?”
“’Cause he’s crazy,” was the prompt explanation of her niece.
“Ann is right the Professor has formed a plan which no one but a
lunatic could think out; it is that of crossing the Atlantic Ocean with
his aeroplane and of taking the colored boy with him. If they ever
try it, it will be the last of both. I cannot rest idle if there is any way
to prevent them.”
“Of course not,” assented Aunty; “it would be wicked if you didn’t do
your best to stop it. Can Ann and I help you?” she asked with such
childlike simplicity that Harvey smiled.
“I see no way unless you have some information to give.”
“I don’t understand you.”
“You have seen the Professor and his airship, I suppose?”
“Several times. I went to the spring on last Sunday morning for a
pail of water, when the thing skimmed over my head so low that I
ducked, though there wasn’t any need.”
“Which way was it traveling?”
“Straight north,” she replied, indicating the direction by gesture.
“Did the man give any attention to you?”
“He didn’t seem to see me, but was staring ahead, with his hands on
the levers each side of him. He didn’t look down, but the person
with him did.”
“Ah!” said the interested Harvey; “he had a companion then?”
“Yes; it must have been the young man you spoke of, for I
remember he had a black face; he leaned over, waved his hand at
me and shouted some words which I didn’t catch. He was sitting
beside the Professor.”
“That was Bohunkus. When he and I sailed together, he never lost a
chance of saluting every one who looked up at him. Now, Aunty, you
tell me you saw an aerocar going northward; can you tell me how
far it went?”
The woman shook her head.
“I watched him till my eyes ached. I can’t see very well with my
glasses and he soon passed out of sight.”
“But what was his course?”
“Not exactly north, but a little to the east of north, toward Dix Peak
and the Schroon River. He may have kept on to Nipple Top and
Elizabethtown or even farther.”
“What time of the day was this?”
“A little after breakfast. I was expecting Gideon and had waited for
him, but he must have been too busy to come home.”
“And may I know who Gideon is?”
“Why haven’t you heard of Gid Akers?” asked the surprised niece;
“he’s one of the greatest guides in the Adirondacks. He is off now
with a party, near Sanford Lake and Mount McMartin. He’s been
hired till the end of August, but manages to take a run down here
once in awhile.”
“You know I never was in the Adirondacks till the other day and
really know nothing of them. You tell me, Aunty, that it was on
Sunday morning that you saw the couple going northward in the
airship. Did you see them return?”
“That was the funny part of it,” replied the woman with a smile; “I
was home alone all day, busy about the house, for I don’t often get
to church, when I went out again to the spring. I was dipping up
water, when a queer shadow whisked over me and made me look
up. There was the Professor, as you call him, going with the speed of
the wind to the south.”
“Alone?”
“Yes; he paid no more attention to me than before, though he must
have seen me, but the seat beside him didn’t hold any one.”
This information was important, as confirming a part of Harvey
Hamilton’s theory: Professor Morgan had carried Bohunkus Johnson
to some spot at an uncertain distance to the north, and left him
there, with orders to stay until his master was ready to pick him up
and start across the Atlantic.
“He went north again this morning,” said the visitor, “and of course
was alone.”
“Where were you when you saw him?” asked the lady.
“On the other side of the ridge to the south, where I had hidden my
aeroplane.”
His listeners showed their astonishment.
“Have you got one of them things too?” asked Ann.
“I should have explained that I came all the way from home this
second time in such a machine.”
“Why didn’t you come here in it?” asked Aunty; “I should dearly love
to see one when it isn’t whizzing like a bird through the air.”
“You shall have a ride in mine, if it can possibly be arranged, and
you too, Ann, for your kindness to me.”
The big gray eyes sparkled.
“That will be bully—I mean splendaceous. Ain’t you afeard
something will happen to it, while you’re gone?”
“I think not; it is well screened from sight, unless some one should
happen to pass near. I was afraid to use it to come any farther lest
the Professor should discover me. It is necessary that I should
prevent that at all costs.”
“Where did you stay last night?”
“In the woods with my aeroplane. You remember the weather was
mild, and I was comfortable in my thick coat.”
He did not think it worth while to tell them of his experience with the
bear.
“Where did you have breakfast?”
“I didn’t have any, and only a bite or two last night and, Ann, if you
ever want to look upon a starving fellow, just take a good look at
me.”
 CHAPTER X.
AUNTY HEP TAKES A RIDE.

T HAT which followed these words was so amusing that Harvey

Hamilton laughed outright. Aunty Hep dropped her sewing from
her lap and sprang to her feet, with hands upraised in self-reproach.
“Mercy sakes alive! Poor boy! You are starving!”
In the same moment, Ann Harbor without speaking, darted into the
small room at the rear which served as a kitchen. Evidently she
believed in deeds more than in words.
“Not so bad as that, Aunty,” protested the caller; “I am pretty
hungry, but I can stand it a little longer. I shall be glad to eat a
belated breakfast, but I beg you not to hurry.”
“Not to hurry,” she repeated reprovingly; “we can’t hurry too much.
You look pale and must feel faint. It won’t take us long to get you
something.”
He protested again, but was not displeased by the promptness with
which they met his need. Sooner than he expected, a bountiful meal
was ready, and the coffee remaining in the pot was quickly reheated
and a brimming cup poured out for him. They urged him to eat until
he was compelled to stop. He dared not offer payment and thanked
them over and over again. Their pleasure was as great as his own.
“I’m downright glad I didn’t have my regular breakfast this morning,”
he said, when he shoved his chair back.
“Why?” asked the hostess.
“I should have lost the best meal I ever ate.”
“La, now, you shouldn’t say that.”
“My mother taught me to speak the truth at all times; but Ann,” he
added, turning to the girl who was removing the dishes, “while you
are helping like the good girl you are, I shall go outside to watch for
the return of the Professor. It won’t do to lose sight of him and he
may come back at any time.”
He walked across the floor and paused with his hand on the latch.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll go to my aeroplane, and when it is safe I shall
bring it here for you and Aunty to look at.”
With this understanding he set out on his return to the spot where
he had left his machine. He was so grateful to the women that he
was anxious to gratify them in every way possible, but he could not
forget his simple-hearted friend who was in peril. More than an hour
had passed since the Professor had winged his way northward and
he was liable to return at any time or possibly he might wait for a
long while. Harvey had already run great risk and could not be too
careful.
He found that no one had been near the machine and it was as
ready as ever for service. It would have been the height of
imprudence for him to bring it forth so long as the return of the
Professor was impending. He devoted a few minutes to oiling the
moving parts and giving the structure a minute examination, and
frequently he stepped into the open space and studied the sky
through his field glass, searching for the object that had become
familiar to him.
Remembering what Aunty Hep had said, he scrutinized the country a
little to the east of north. It was mountainous, wooded, unsettled,
and so far as he could judge contained very few or no cabins.
“It is the place where I should think he would hide Bunk, but his
prison may be a score of miles beyond the farthest reach of my
vision.”
A mass of cumulous, fleecy clouds was drifting across the sky low
down, while the firmament above was of a clear soft blue. Just
below a stratum of snowy vapor, he saw what looked like a bird with
outstretched wings sailing toward him. Its rapid increase in size and
the power of the binoculars quickly disclosed the fact that it was a
monoplane. Professor Morgan was returning to his workshop near
the town of Purvis.
Instead of taking the same course as before, the inventor circled to
the east, so that he was a fourth of a mile distant on his nearest
approach to where Harvey Hamilton stood on the edge of the
cleared space with leveled glass. He was still flying low, and in a few
minutes sank from sight.
“I am sure that Detective Pendar would agree with me as to the
meaning of what I have seen to-day. Professor Morgan carried food
to Bunk, and at the same time gave his machine a test so far as he
could. He has not yet accomplished all he has in mind, though he
may be close to it, and has gone back to his workshop to continue
his experiments. He will stay there for the rest of the day and make
another trip to-morrow morning.”
This was drawing it fine, but our young friend was so confident he
was right that he acted upon the theory. It will be seen that he was
steadily narrowing the circle of search. At daybreak he had
established the fact that the place where Bunk was held a prisoner
was north of the ridge which the pursuer crossed on his way to the
home of Aunty Hephzibah Akers. He had learned later that it was
somewhere in the wild region a little to the east of north, which
loomed up on the farther limit of his vision. The next visit of the
Professor to Bunk ought to locate the spot so nearly that Harvey
could, so to speak, put his finger on it.
Aunt Hep had resumed her sewing by the window, and her niece
having cleared off the table was chatting with her about the
remarkable story told by their youthful caller, when both were
startled by a roar and racket which caused them to listen with bated
breath. Neither had ever heard anything like it, for it will be
remembered that the monoplane to which they were accustomed
sailed on its aerial voyages without ripple or noise. Ann sprang up
and opened the door.
“O Aunty! here he is! come and look!”
As she called, she sprang off the little porch and ran out to where
Harvey Hamilton had just finished volplaning to the earth only a few
rods away from the front of the house. Her relative was at her heels,
as much amazed as she. They stared at the strange looking thing,
and upon the owner’s invitation went forward and listened,
absorbed, to his description of the functions of the different parts.
Harvey patiently answered questions that belonged more to a child
than to an adult.
“And now,” he added, “I want you to take a ride with me.”
They shrank back in dismay and shook their heads.
“I wouldn’t do it for worlds!” gasped Aunty, and the awful thought
caused her niece to whirl on her heel and plunge through the door
into the house. A minute later she emerged again and hesitatingly
approached the others.
“Nothing could make me expose you to the least danger,” said
Harvey soothingly; “I have ridden hundreds of miles in this and
never been hurt; I know better how to handle it than ever before; it
is in the best condition and you need not have the slightest fear.”
The result of his persistent persuasion was that the two consented
to the venture which a half hour before they would not have faced
for a fortune. He explained that they had only to sit still, after he
had adjusted their seats so as to balance right, lightly grasp the rods
at their side, and then fancy that the long-reaching arms were their
own wings and they were two innocent birds coursing through the
upper regions. Just as everything was ready, Ann was seized with
sudden panic and would have leaped out, had not her relative
caught her arm and sternly ordered her to keep her seat.
When, in response to the whirl of the propeller the machine began
gliding down the slope, the girl screamed and her aunt had again to
check her. Harvey sprang nimbly to his place and at the proper
moment pointed the front rudder upward, and the aeroplane left the
earth and soared into the heavens. The load being greater than
usual he kept the propeller at its highest speed.
The young aviator proceeded on the principle of trying to kill two
birds with one stone. He could give his friends the treat of their
lives, but in doing so, he steered toward the point where he had first
caught sight of the monoplane on its last return from the north. He
had become so used to running the machine that he felt free to
inspect the country while gliding over it. Before starting he had fixed
the salient points in his mind,—the lofty peak to the westward, the
endless stretch of wilderness, the villages and towns in the distance,
the few scattered cabins, the ridge to the rear, the rushing, tumbling
streams, and the lake a little way ahead and to his right. Scattered
here and there were signs of life as shown by more than one canoe,
gliding over the smooth waters, or paddled up the current or floating
down it, with the fingers of vapor pointing skyward from the depths
of the forests where parties of tourists or campers were gathered
beneath. It was the glad summer time, and the visitors to the
Adirondack region were numbered by the thousands. The open
season was not much more than a month off when the hunters
would shoot one another in the ardor of their pursuit of big game,
with an occasional deer thrown in as a counterpoise to their
mistakes.
With some misgiving as to how his passengers would stand what
was certainly an ordeal, Harvey looked around at them. Each was
tightly grasping the support at her side, and they sat as rigid as
statues, their faces pale, but the glow of their eyes showing how
entranced they were with the flight and how keen was their
enjoyment of it. When Ann’s eyes met those of her friend, she shook
her head and tried to smile, but did not make much of a success of
it. Exalted as were her emotions when she gazed down at the
wonderfully picturesque landscape sweeping past, she longed to feel
it once more under her feet.
Harvey did not overdo matters. He flew ten or twelve miles, which
he was sure took him to the point in his mind. He peered below but
saw only trees, masses of rocks and a small waterfall, but no sign of
life.
“Now if Bunk is down there, as I believe he is, he ought to notice
this biplane. Likely he is looking at me this very minute.”
Prompted by the fancy Harvey took off his cap and swung it round
his head, searching the earth below in the hope of catching a
response.
“He is so ready to do that sort of thing he ought to reply. As I am
carrying two passengers he might not recognize me, but that need
not prevent his answering my salutation.”
The solitude remained as unbroken, however, as at “creation’s
morn,” and afraid to go any farther, Harvey made a wide curve to
the right and began his return.
Although he had not caught a sign of Bohunkus Johnson, he saw
others. Two men standing on the bank of the uppermost tributary of
the Schroon discharged their guns. They could have done no harm
had they been pointed at the aeroplane, for the distance was too
great, but the weapons were aimed at nothing and the action was
meant as a salute to the navigator of the air. He saw the gray puffs
and waved his cap as the only thing he could do by way of
acknowledgment. A man paddling up stream in a canoe held the
blade motionless and circled his hat, while his two feminine
companions waved their handkerchiefs and doubtless said something
appropriate to the occasion.
The large white tent to which allusion has been made and which
stood on the shore of the small lake, was hardly a mile from the
home of Aunt Hephzibah Akers. The young aviator sailed almost
directly over it, leaning well to one side and peering downward, but
the camp appeared to be deserted. He decided that the campers
were off on a tramp or fishing excursion.
From this point to the little patch of ground in front of the home of
Gideon Akers, the guide, was so slight a distance that in a minute or
so, Harvey spiraled down as gracefully as an alighting bird, on the
spot where he had halted before. The women sighed with relief and
enjoyment as he helped them to the ground. They were grateful and
urged him to spend the remainder of the day at the house.
Harvey would have done so but for the feeling that it would be
neglecting the interests of Bunk. Aunt Hep herself had commended
his vigorous earnestness, but the question which he asked himself
was whether to lay aside his aeroplane at this point or to return to
where he had wheeled about when he came back. If he did the
latter he would advance that much nearer Bohunkus, but his scrutiny
of the ground had not disclosed a suitable spot for landing. He
feared he would be caught at a disadvantage and find his machine
useless when he needed it the most. He decided upon a
compromise. He would leave the aeroplane at the home of Aunt
Hep, and since more than half the day remained, press on afoot.
Accordingly he pushed the machine to the rear of the dwelling,
where a shed gave shelter to the single cow whenever she was in
want of it, and managed to screen the biplane from sight provided
no one’s suspicion was drawn to the spot. Then he bade his friends
good-bye for the time and started off on a tramp that was destined
to bring him an experience of which he little dreamed.
 CHAPTER XI.
THE CAMPERS.

A S midday approached, the weather grew warmer. Harvey Hamilton

left his traveling bag at the home of Aunt Hephzibah Akers, since
he did not intend to journey far, and it would be easy to go back
when necessary. Most of the distance between him and the tent on
the edge of the lake was a gradual slope downward, through the
usual underbrush and around occasional rocks and boulders, but the
traveling, on the whole, was not difficult, and he made fair progress.
He doffed his outer coat and slung it over an arm as a sort of
balance to the field glass suspended by a cord from the opposite
shoulder.
He remembered that when he peeped down from his aeroplane he
saw no signs of any one near the tent, but if the owners had gone on
a tramp as he supposed, some of them had returned during the brief
interval. While drawing near along the beach he saw a man a little to
one side of the primitive dwelling, where he had started a fire and
was evidently preparing the noonday meal. His companion lifted the
flap, stooped, and was in the act of passing from sight when Harvey
caught his first good view of the tent from the ground. A little later
the other person came out. This brought him face to face with
Harvey when about a hundred paces separated them. The back of
his companion was toward the caller of whose coming as yet he was
not aware.
Harvey had noticed that they were attired in modern camping
costume, with leggings, gray flannel shirts, and caps instead of hats.
A gaudy handkerchief was knotted loosely about the neck and
dangled over the shirt front, across which the big red letters “C A &
W E S” could be traced, as far as the young men themselves were
distinguishable.
The one who confronted Harvey looked at him for an instant, and
then touched the forefinger of his hand to his cap in military salute.
The visitor returned it and pushed on. The second camper heard his
footfall and wheeled around.
“How do you do, sir?” he called. “We’re glad to see you.”
They both offered their hands as Harvey went forward. He was won
by their hospitality and cheeriness of manner. He explained:
“I am Harvey Hamilton, from Mootsport, New Jersey, and I have
come to the Adirondacks on a strange errand in which perhaps you
can help me.”
“It will give us pleasure to do so,” replied the one with the briarwood.
As he made this answer Harvey distinctly saw him wink at his
companion, who returned the trivial and yet often significant signal.
The young aviator was mystified, for he suspected instinctively that
something was back of it.
“We are sophomores at Yale, and are up here on a little outing. My
name is Val Hunter, and I am from Vicksburg, Mississippi. This ugly
looking tramp with me is Fred Wadsworth, from the wilds of western
New York. We have a third member who sneaked off with our boat
this morning and there’s no saying when we shall see him again.”
“I have a brother who is a sophomore at Yale,” said Harvey; “and he
is or was a short time ago somewhere in the Adirondacks. You must
know him.”
“What is his front name?”
“Dick.”
The two looked at each other and Hunter said: “I recall him and
there isn’t a more popular fellow in college. He can box, row, play
baseball and football, and leads his class in his studies.”
Harvey’s heart warmed to the Southerner.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear you say that; something of
the same nature has come to us at home and father and mother are
proud enough, but Dick never tells us anything about himself.”
“We tried to get him to go with us on this trip, but a party of seniors
dragged him off. He was very sorry to part with us and wouldn’t have
done so but for his promise made earlier. We are honored in having
his brother with us and beg he will make more than a short call.”
Harvey was sure he had never met two finer gentlemen. Val Hunter
was a true specimen of the aristocratic Southerner, with his black
hair and eyes, olive complexion, now darkened by tan, and his lithe,
sinewy limbs. His words were marked by the slight drawl now and
then and the suppressed “r” which often mark the speech of those
born and reared south of Mason and Dixon’s Line. His companion,
Wadsworth, from New York, was of stumpy build, with a round ruddy
face, also well tanned, light gray eyes and inveterate good-nature,
but by no means as comely in looks as Hunter. It was evident that
they were attached to each other, probably on the principle of like
and unlike being drawn together.
In front of the tent and a little to one side, a short decayed log had
been rolled. This was useful as well as convenient. When the young
men wished to smoke they could use it, if they preferred to sit rather
than loll on the bare ground. Besides, if they needed a table for their
plates when eating, here it was, though an up-ended box served
them oftener.
“I was about to prepare dinner,” said Hunter, “It being my day for
such menial duty, but it is early and we can sit for awhile. Have
one?”
He handed a package of cigarettes to Harvey, who thanked him and
shook his head.
“Father and Dick do the smoking for our family.”
“You’ll be along in time,” replied the other; “cigarettes aren’t good for
some folks and I’m one of ’em, which explains why I smoke ’em. You
know that’s the basic principle of human nature; the way to make a
person do a thing is first to convince him he shouldn’t do it. It shines
out in those beautiful lines of Shakespeare or Milton, I forget which:
 ‘I ne’er would have been in this condition
But for mother’s prohibition.’”
“That’s clever in its way, because of the profound truth involved,”
remarked the New Yorker, “but for fine, delicate fancy it does not
equal that quatrain:
‘This road is not passable,
It is hardly jackassable,
And you who do travel it
Should turn to and gravel it.’”
Harvey laughed at the solemn manner in which this nonsense was
delivered. Nodding toward Wadsworth he asked:
“What do those letters mean?”
The other smiled.
“That reminds me of a day when I saw a scorer in the grandstand at
the ball grounds ruling off and writing captions on his card. With
much twisting of his mouth he scrawled the word ‘Ares.’ I asked him
what it meant. With a look of pitying scorn he answered: ‘Why
them’s errors.’ It is with something of the same emotion that I reply
to your question: Those letters signify ‘Champions of the Adirondacks
and the Whole Empire State.’”
“If your modesty strikes in,” said Harvey, catching the spirit of the
moment, “it will be fatal.”
“That’s what we’re afraid of, but wait till you meet the Duke.”
“And who is the Duke?”
“I beg pardon for not explaining before. His full title is Duke de
Sassy. He really is a poor Cracker from Florida, who has such a hard
time getting through the University that several of us are paying his
expenses on the dead quiet.”
“Has he much ability?”
It was the Southerner who took it upon himself to reply:
“Below the average, which makes it all the harder for him.
Wadsworth and I, out of pity, invited him to go with us on this
outing. Florida is a mighty poor place in the summer season.”
“Or any other season,” amended Wadsworth.
“We were glad to do so, but it galls us to fail to see the first spark of
gratitude or appreciation on his part. Not once has he said so much
as ‘Thank you’ for all the favors done him.”
“It is hardly fair to refer to his prodigious appetite and I shall not do
so further than to say that it has doubled our expenses.”
“I hope you don’t begrudge him his food,” said Hunter reprovingly to
his friend, whose slur struck him as in poor taste.
“Of course not; it’s our food that I dislike to see appropriated by
him.”
“I suppose the treat is so rare a one for him,” suggested Harvey,
“that he cannot help making the most of it.”
“There may be something in that,” replied Wadsworth, “but the
fellow is absent and it doesn’t seem fair to abuse him when he can’t
reply, though what we have just said has been said to his face.”
“How does he take it?”
“Grins and eats more than ever. Which reminds me that the
Adirondacks seem to have become a favorite tramping ground for
airships. Two of them are hovering over and about us.”
“Yes,” remarked Hunter, “and we saw a rarity to-day. We were fishing
when a biplane sailed overhead with two women as passengers.”
“Did you recognize the aviator?” asked Harvey.
“How should we?”
“It was myself.”
“No!” exclaimed the Southerner, and he and his companion stared in
astonishment at their caller; “you don’t mean it?”
“It was certainly myself and the two ladies belong to that house up
yonder at the head of the lake. I came to this section from New
Jersey, covering the whole distance in my aeroplane, and I expect to
return the same way, but with only one passenger. My machine
awaits me at the house of Guide Ackers.”
Thereupon Harvey told his story, which it need not be said was
listened to with deep interest by his new friends.
“I never heard of anything stranger,” commented Hunter; “that crazy
inventor whom you call Professor Morgan has been in these parts for
nearly a week. We must help you to get the colored boy away from
him.”
“I shall be glad if you can, for from what I have told you he is in
imminent peril. You understand that the first necessity is to locate
the prison where he holds the poor fellow.”
“By George!” exclaimed Wadsworth, slapping his knee; “don’t you
remember, Val, that the first time we saw the machine sailing
overhead there were two persons in it?”
“You are right; we were sitting on this very log with the Duke, all
three smoking and talking of nothing in particular, when the Duke
caught sight of the thing well over toward the other side of the lake.
He dived into the tent, brought out his binoculars and we all took a
squint at it. It was going very fast and the man on the driving seat
sat up very straight with his hands on the wheel and his feet down in
front.”
“That was the Professor,” said Harvey.
“We couldn’t make out whether the one sitting beside him was
colored or not. He must have fancied we were watching him, for he
waved his cap at us and we returned the salute.”
“That was Bunk: he always does that. Now, how long did you watch
the monoplane?”
“As long as it was in sight. It returned later in the day and went back
over the same course, but it carried only one person.”
“That confirms the theory I formed some time ago. Professor Morgan
was afraid to have Bunk with him at his workshop, because he might
change his mind and run away, or could be found more readily by his
friends. So he took him to some place out yonder, where he intends
he shall stay until he is ready to start on the maddest trip an aviator
ever dreamed of. Now can you tell me how far the Professor went
with his machine?”
“I had the glass and was standing right here watching him,” replied
Wadsworth. “Up among those rocks and trees which you see a little
to the left and six or eight miles away, the machine seemed to come
to a stop and to hang motionless in the air, but that could not be.”
“That is exactly what you saw; the Professor has invented what he
calls an ‘uplifter,’ which is nothing more than a horizontal propeller
under the engine, by which he can hold himself stationary when he
wishes.”
“I was so puzzled by the sight that I handed the glass to the Duke,
who laughed at what he called my fancy. But when he had looked it
was his turn to be surprised, for he couldn’t see any aeroplane at all.
It had vanished as completely as if it had dived into a hole in the
ground. He passed the glass back to me, but I was no more
successful than he. Then Val tried it with the same result.”
“You knew what that meant?” said Harvey inquiringly. “There was no
mystery about it.”
“I presume the aviator made a landing among the trees.”
“His uplifter enables him to descend where he chooses, for he can
come as straight down as a stone falling from the sky. A space a few
yards wide will answer and there must be plenty of such spots even
in so wild a region as that beyond us.”
“That must be the explanation,” said Hunter, “and of course he can
make the same kind of start, though we have never seen him do it.
We couldn’t afford to wait here until he came back, but have noticed
him several times since.”
“Hello! that must be the Duke!” said Wadsworth as the three heard
the sound of whistling from the wood on the other side of the tent.
“Brace yourself to meet this undesirable citizen,” added Hunter,
lowering his voice; “try to bear with him, for he needs your charity.
He’s a ‘bad egg.’”
The next moment the third member of the little party, still whistling a
popular air, came into view from behind the tent and Wadsworth,
who had risen, said impressively:
“Mr. Hamilton, permit me to introduce you to the Duke de Sassy, a
general nuisance and—”
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