Needless to say, the Ross boys and Bob Giddings and his father were present to see the machines off.  They had arrived in the big automobile of the publisher, and were greatly interested in every detail of the departure.  Several of the contestants John Ross knew, having met them at some time during his flying periods, and it gave him a chance briefly to renew old acquaintanceship and personally to wish them good luck on their long journey.  Of course our friends would have given a whole lot to have been able to compete in the novel contest themselves, but that was out of the question.