THE AIRPLANE BOYS AMONG THE CLOUDS

or, Young Aviators in a Wreck

by

JOHN LUTHER LANGWORTHY

M. A. Donohue & CompanyChicago ------ New York1912

CONTENTS

Chapter

 I. TRYING OUT THE NEW BIPLANE II. A RESCUER FROM THE SKIES III. THE MEN IN THE TOURING CAR IV. SUSPICION V. FIGURING IT ALL OUT VI. AN UNKNOWN ENEMY VII. SEEN FROM THE EAGLES' EYRIE VIII. MYSTERIOUS MR. MARSH AT IT AGAIN IX. STARTLING NEWS OVER THE WIRE X. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHIEF XI. A NEW ALARM XII. SANDY DROPS SOMETHING XIII. THE CHALLENGE XIV. SOMETHING DOING XV. THE AWAKENING XVI. THE CHIEF MEETS AN OLD FRIEND XVII. GALLANT ANDY XVIII. AT THE FOOT OF THE LIBERTY POLE XIX. THE MYSTERY STILL UNSOLVED XX. THE RIVAL AVIATORS XXI. THE RACE WITH THE STORM XXII. A TERRIBLE MOMENT ON OLD THUNDER TOP XXIII. THE BIRD BOYS' TRIUMPH--CONCLUSION

THE AIRPLANE BOYS AMONG THE CLOUDS

or, Young Aviators in a Wreck

CHAPTER I

TRYING OUT THE NEW BIPLANE

"I tell you, Elephant, it's the Bird boys, and nobody else!"

"But they had a monoplane last summer, Larry; and you can see foryourself it's a biplane out yonder over the lake. So that's why Ithought it must be Percy Carberry and his crony, Sandy Hollingshead. "

"Shucks! stir up your think-box, Elephant. Get a move on your mind, and look back. Don't you remember Percy lost his old biplane when hetook that trip down to South America, and had some trouble with therevolutionists in Colombia?"

"Say, now, that's right. You mean the time Andy Bird found hislong-lost father, whose balloon left him a prisoner in such a queerway? Yes, but tell me, where would Frank and Andy Bird get a biplanenow?"

"Oh! rats, what ails you, Elephant? Didn't they make the other; anddon't you know they've been busy all winter, in that shop Old ColonelWhympers fitted up for them out in the field? And not even such bullygood friends as you and me were allowed to take a peep inside. That'swhat they were working on--building this new biplane, after sending forthe parts. "

"Don't it just shine like fun in the sunlight, though?" declared thelittle "runt, " who had been nicknamed "Elephant" by his chums, possiblyin a spirit of boyish humor, and which name had clung to him ever since. 

"It sure does look like a spider-like craft, " Larry Geohegan went on. "Just see that white-headed eagle up in the blue sky. I bet you he'slooking down, and wondering what sort of thing it is. "

"Huh! don't you fool yourself there, Larry, " chuckled the other. "Thatwise old chap knows all about aeroplanes. He's had experience, he has. You forget that last summer, when the race was on between the Bird boysand Percy, to see who could land on the summit of Old Thunder-Topfirst, from an aeroplane, those same eagles had a nest up there, andtackled the boys for a warm session. "

The two lads had come to a halt on the road about half a mile from theborders of Bloomsbury where they lived. From where they stood, holdingtheir fishing rods, and quite a decent catch of finny prizes, theycould look out over the beautiful surface of Lake Sunrise, which wasover fifteen miles long, and in places as much as three or four wide. 

"Mebbe you can tell me, Larry, " the smaller boy presently said, "justwhy Frank keeps sailing around over the lake that way? Suppose he'staking pictures from his biplane?"

"That might be, Elephant, " Larry answered, slowly and thoughtfully. "Seems to me I did hear somebody talking about the State wanting to geta map of the lake, with all its many coves and points. But ain't itmore dangerous for aviators hanging over water than the shore?"

"That depends, " remarked the other boy, whose real name was FennimoreCooper Small, and who was rather apt to have an exalted idea of his ownimportance, as do so many undersized people. "If a fellow dropped outof his machine when he was even fifty feet high, he'd be apt to breakhis neck, or anyhow a leg, if he struck on the land; but in the waterhe might have a show. "

"Look at 'em circling round and round, would you?" Larry went on, hiscuriosity climbing toward the fever stage. "I'd give a fit now to knowwhat Frank's got in that wise old noddle of his. He ain't the one todo things for nothing, take it from me, Elephant. "

"Hi! step out of the way, Larry, if you don't want to get run over!"exclaimed the other, suddenly gripping his companion's sleeve. "Herecomes a car, and the driver's tooting his old bazoo to beat the band. "

"They're slowing up, don't you see, " observed Larry, who had beenstartled by the other's abrupt warning. "No need to scare a fellerlike that, Elephant. "

"Well, that machine don't belong around here, anyway; and I guessthey're tourists doing the lake road course. Lots of 'em come this wayjust for the view, which they say can't be beat, " the other went on, ina low tone; for the touring car had drawn very close by now. 

Two men sat in it, one apparently the chauffeur, and the otheroccupying the commodious seat in the tonneau. The latter was akeen-faced man, with a peculiar eye, that seemed to sparkle and glow;and Larry immediately became aware that he was experiencing a queersensation akin to a chill, when he returned the gaze of this individual. 

Still, the other could look very pleasant when he chose to smile, aswas the case immediately after the car came to a halt within five feetof where the two Bloomsbury high school boys stood. 

"Looks like you had had pretty good luck, boys, " he remarked, smoothly. 

"Pretty middlin', " Elephant said, indifferently, as though this were aneveryday occurrence with him; when to tell the truth, he and Larry hadnot done so well all season as on this particular day. 

"Guess you know where the old fishing hole lies, " laughed the stranger, pleasantly. "Quite a collection too--black bass, perch, 'slickers, ' aswe used to call the pickerel, and even some big fat sunfish. Many ahappy hour have I spent just as you've been doing. And I'll neverforget how fine those same fish tasted after I'd cleaned them myselffor the frying-pan. "

"That's what we do, sir, " replied Larry, now beginning to think thestranger rather a nice spoken man. 

"My friend and myself were just wondering what aviator you've got uphere, " continued the gentleman, as he cast a quick glance out over thelake. "You see, our attention was attracted toward that circlingbiplane as we came along. I happen to know some of the most famousfliers myself; but I never heard that any one of them was hiding uphere this summer, trying fancy stunts. Look at that dip, Longley. That was a corker, now, I'm telling you. Do you know who that fellowis, my boy; the one handling the levers of that sparkling biplane outyonder?"

Larry and Elephant glanced at each other and grinned. Then the littlefellow threw out his chest, after a pompous way he had, and observed:

"Sure we do, mister. That's a chum of ours. His name is Frank Bird, and he knows more about aeroplanes in a minute than the rest of us doin a year. His cousin, Andy, is along with him. They stick togetherthrough thick and thin. "

"Bird!" remarked the other, watching the agile movements of the biplaneeagerly, as Larry could not but note. "A very suggestive name for aflier, too. "

"That's right, " burst out Larry. "Frank always said he was just forcedto take to being an aeronaut. He says it's just as natural for birdsto take to the air, as it is for ducks to swim in the water. "

"Bird?" the other went on, turning to his companion. "Seems to me, Longley, there used to be a professor by that name in one of ourcolleges, who went daft on the subject of flying. "

"You're right, Marsh; and he lost his life down at Panama; tried tocross the isthmus in a dirigible, and was never heard from again. "

"Oh! but you're wrong, sir!" exclaimed Elephant, eagerly. "He wassaved through those two boys in their monoplane, and is alive and wellin Bloomsbury right now. It's a great story, and all to the good forthe Bird boys. "

"I'd like to hear it some time or other, " replied the gentleman calledMr. Marsh by his companion who was serving as chauffeur. "But it seemsto me these young fellows must be unusually bright boys to do whatthey're doing right now. "

"That's easy for Frank and Andy Bird, sir, " declared Larry. "Why, they've got a shop that they keep under lock and key, where they spendmost of their time when they ain't flying. That biplane is what theymade last winter--got some of the parts, and did the rest themselves. And it would be just like Frank to have invented some clever stuntthat's going to just revolutionize flying. "

Again a quick look passed between the two tourists, but the boys simplyconsidered that it implied wonder at such youthful ingenuity. 

"They must be smart boys, surely, " remarked Mr. Marsh, again turninghis head to look out over the lake. "And you say they even have ashop, where they work out these wonderful new ideas? Perhaps if westayed over in Bloomsbury, Longley, they might be willing to let ushave a little peep in that place?"

Elephant promptly shook his head in the negative. 

"I wouldn't build too much on that, if I was you, sir, " he said, "because, you see, we're chums of the Bird boys; and if they wouldn'tlet us once inside that shop all winter they ain't going to invitestrangers there. "

"Well, hardly, " laughed the other. "How's that, Longley? Quiteinteresting to run across a couple of boy inventors up this way. Musttell Wright about it the next time we see him, and Curtiss too. They'll want to look them up perhaps, and coax them to join the newaeroplane trust that's forming. But what makes that biplane shine so?It glitters in the sunlight like silver. "

"That's just what me and Elephant were talking about when you camealong, mister, " remarked Larry. 

"And we just came to the conclusion that it must be something Frank'sbeen experimenting on. Mebbe he's made his machine out of aluminum; orelse he's got a new Kinkaid engine that has a lot of brass about it. Gee! look at 'em now, Larry! My heart jumped up in my throat becausethey just skimmed the water, and I was dead sure it meant a ducking forthe boys. "

"They certainly seem to know how to handle an aeroplane as well as anyone I have ever seen, " declared Mr. Marsh; who apparently could nottear his eyes away from the thrilling spectacle of the swooping aircraft, that soared aloft, only to again dart daringly down toward thesurface of the almost quiet lake. 

"I bet you it's a game of conquer they're playing, " suggested Elephant. "Each one seeing how close to touching the water he can come. Say, Larry, d'ye suppose Percy Carberry has got his new biplane yet? He'sbeen boasting about it for weeks, and what he meant to do when shearrived. "

"I saw him this morning, and he said he was still waiting; but that thething had been shipped, " replied the other. "Never saw such an unluckydog as Percy is; and to tell the honest truth, Elephant, 'twouldn'tsurprise me one little bit if the old train got smashed up on the way, and the new flying machine along with it. "

"Wonder if he's watching the stunts them fellers are doing out there, and saying all sorts of mean things about 'em?" suggested the smallerboy, grinning. 

"Shouldn't wonder, " Larry chirped. "He keeps tab on all Frank doesthese days. You know they've had to keep a man on duty every nightaround that workshop, because of Percy. He ain't to be trusted, andwould just as soon put a match to the place as eat his dinner--if hethought he could do it on the sly. "

Mr. Marsh caught the eye of his companion, and instantly a quick signalseemed to pass between them, unnoticed by either of the two boys, whowere keeping their attention glued on the fluttering aeroplane aquarter of a mile away, and which had again mounted to quite a littleheight by means of boring upward in circles. 

"There they go again!" exclaimed Elephant, excitedly, as the flyingmachine once more tilted its planes, and started down toward the waterlike a huge bird intending to alight. 

"Oh! look at it, would you?" cried Larry, almost as much worked up ashis smaller companion. "This time there's going to be something doing!I bet you Frank wants to just snatch a floating piece of wood off thewater as he skims along, just like them Wild West riders do onhorseback, when they throw their hats down. Why! Something musta-busted--they dropped splash on the lake; and look at the old biplanesitting right there like a great big gull! Ain't that too bad, though;I'm sorry for Frank and Andy!"

But Mr. Marsh, bending his head close to the ear of the man who sat inthe front of the touring car, laughed softly, and remarked with an airof triumph:

"What did I tell you, Longley? Now say it was a false scent, will you?It isn't often I make a mistake, and already I believe we've struckgreat luck in coming up here. "

CHAPTER II

A RESCUER FROM THE SKIES

"What if the bally thing takes a notion to duck under, Larry?" askedElephant, staggered himself at the possibility of such a catastrophehappening. 

"Wow! they'd stand a chance of being drowned, then, I take it!"answered the taller lad, shaking his head as if worried. 

"Say, p'raps we ought to be chasing after a boat, and putting out thereright now, " the small boy exclaimed. 

"O K say I. Let's make a dash for Cragan's dock, and borrow hisskiff!" suggested Larry, ready to toss fishing poles, and even the finecatch in the dusty weeds bordering the road, so that they might beunimpeded in their flight. 

"Hold on, boys!" observed the gentleman in the tonneau of the touringcar, as he reached out and caught Larry by the sleeve of his shirt. "No need of bothering yourselves in the least, I assure you. "

"But perhaps the biplane might sink, sir, " declared Elephant, stillshowing extreme nervousness. "And what if Frank or Andy happened to becaught in the wires that stay the planes? They might be drowned, yousee. Accidents can happen, even to the two smart Bird boys. "

"No danger of any such catastrophe, I give you my word, " went on thegentleman. "And when you learn the truth, you'll thank me forrestraining you from acting in a foolish manner. Here, take a lookthrough this glass I chance to have along in the car. What do you seenow?"

Larry accepted the binoculars, and immediately adjusted them to hiseyes. 

"Well, of all the things I ever heard of!" he slowly ejaculated. 

"Let me look, Larry, " exploded Elephant, as he deftly "hooked" theglasses away from his companion's hands, and immediately clapped themto his own eyes, to let out a shout of amazement. "I declare if theold thing ain't floatin' like a big duck. Talk about her sinking, youcouldn't push that wonder box down under the surface. Some more ofFrank's magic; he's got 'em all queered a mile, Larry. "

"Listen, " remarked Mr. Marsh, quietly. "There's nothing so verywonderful about this new stunt of your friend, Frank. Those shiningthings you noticed about the biplane happened to be a couple of newaluminum pontoons under the craft, meant to float the whole affairwhenever it drops in the water. They will be in common use shortly. And that machine is what we call a hydroplane--that is, it will proveto be as much at home on the water as in the air. "

"What d'ye think of that, Elephant?" cried Larry, ready to swing hishat, and give a loud whoop to let the young aviators know that friendlyeyes had been watching their startling maneuvers. "Ain't they all thecandy, though? Why, Perc Carberry never could get up early enough inthe morning to best the Bird boys. "

"They float all right, " remarked the other boy, still gazing throughthe fine pair of marine glasses that seemed to bring the biplane withintouching distance. "But how under the sun can they start up again?Don't they have to take a run on them bicycle wheels first?"

"Watch and see, " laughed Mr. Marsh. "A hydroplane can rise from thesurface of the water just like a wild duck might. The propeller startsto working, the machine is sent swiftly along, and soon leaves thewater, to soar upward as the planes are moved accordingly. There theygo; now, keep tab on what they do, Longley. "

He took the glasses from Elephant and placed them to his own eye, asthough it might be of the greatest importance that he see distinctlyevery little movement of the daring young aviators. 

"Whoop! hurrah! there they quit snaking along on the water! They'regoing to climb, I tell you, Larry! Look at that, would you? Up theygo, as easy as you please! Now, ain't that just a hummer; and did youever hear tell of as smart a pair of boys as Frank and Andy Bird? Whatwon't they try next, I wonder?"

"They certainly seem to be made of the right stuff for airmen, "admitted Mr. Marsh, with animation. "Some time I hope to make theiracquaintance, and hear the story of their stirring adventure down inSouth America. What say Longley, can we afford to lay over at thisBloomsbury for a couple of days, while we have the car overhauled, andput in apple-pie condition?"

"It might be a good thing, Marsh, " the other promptly answered, as hedetected the signal wink his companion gave. "You know they say anounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. And unlesssomething is done we stand a chance of being thrown over a precipice, when that weak place in the machinery gives way suddenly. "

"All right, then; we'll stop, " remarked the gentleman with theglittering eyes, as if the new idea quite appealed to him. "I'd liketo see something of these Bird boys. They have a future before them, Ibelieve. And if I'm any judge of up-to-date things I even suspectthey've gone and applied that latest device the Wrights patented, wherea little pendulum under the machine warps the planes automatically, atthe slightest motion of the body, keeping the aeroplane in an exactlyhorizontal position. "

"Oh! they're up to snuff, all right, take it from me, " declaredElephant, with an air of pride, since it was his friends whose praiseswere being sung, and he could bask in the reflected light. 

"I bet you there ain't anything going on in aviation circles that themtwo boys don't know, " put in Larry, enthusiastically. "They take allsorts of papers and magazines, and spend every living day in that oldshop. I knew something was on, and there she is, all hatched out. Poor old Percy, won't he just want to crawl back into his hole, though, when he learns this?"

"Rats! you don't know him if you think that!" exclaimed Elephant. "Tento one he plays Frank and Andy a close second. Right now that sharperhas got cards hidden up his sleeve, and ready to surprise everybody. Didn't he slip away early in the spring, and go down to New York? Youwatch his smoke, I tell you, Larry. No, Perc ain't giving up till hehas to, and that won't be till the race is run. Just wait!"

"I declare, that's a queer thing to allow!" exclaimed Longley, who hadpicked up the glasses and with them swept the surface of the lake, aswell as surveyed the hovering biplane that had walked on the water likean aquatic bird. 

"What now?" asked Mr. Marsh, looking a little nervous. 

"Why, see that boat floating out yonder, the plaything of the breezethat seems to be rising?" asked the other, still using the binoculars. 

"I see what you mean, " remarked Mr. Marsh, "and it seems to havedrifted away from the shore. Is that some man lying down in it?There, I saw the object move then. What is it, Longley?"

"A little baby, hardly more, " came the startling reply. "Oh! he wasnearly over the side, that time. However in the wide world do yousuppose the child ever came to be in that boat? Here, take a look. Marsh. Another tilt like that, and the child will be drowned forcertain!"

"Why, it must be Tommy Cragan, the fisherman's baby, " said Larry, hisface turning a bit gray with alarm. "I've seen the little shaverplaying around his daddy's boat many a time. It must have floated off;and now it's away out on the lake, where the water is twenty feet deep!"

"Cracky! that's tough on poor old Cragan, with his wife sick abed!"groaned the sympathetic Elephant, as he strained his eyes to watch. 

"If the child would only remain quiet there would be little danger, "remarked Mr. Marsh, who was still looking through the glasses, asthough something about the picture fascinated him. 

"That's the trouble, " remarked his companion, quickly, "the little chapis getting frightened, or else bolder, for he keeps leaning far overall the time. Can nothing be done to save the child? If I could swimI'd take a chance at it myself. "

"We could run as fast as anything to Cragan's, sir, " declared Elephant, "or perhaps you could take us in, and we'd show you the way there. Hemight have another boat, and would put out to save Tommy. "

"I'm afraid that would be too late, good though the intention mightseem, " the man said regretfully. 

"I can swim like a duck, sir. What's to hinder me jumping in andtrying to get out there to him in time?" demanded Larry, hastening tostart removing his shoes as he spoke. 

"It's a long way out there, my boy, and you might take a cramp, " saidLongley. 

"But I'm willing to try it, sir. Besides, the rest of you could beheading for Cragan's fish house, and seeing if he's around. I knowthat little chap, and he's the idol of his daddy's heart. It'll nighabout kill Amiel if the kid was drowned. "

Even while he was speaking Larry had kicked one shoe off, and wasworking to undo the stubborn lace of the other, which of course had toget in a snarl as usual, exciting his nervous disposition to theutmost, as he tugged away. 

"Hold on! I'm afraid it's going to be too late!" exclaimed the otheroccupant of the touring car, still keeping his eyes glued to thesmaller end of the marine glasses. 

"Oh! is he going to fall in, sir?" gasped Elephant, in a quiver offear, as he shaded his eyes with both hands, and stared out across thatglowing stretch of water. 

"There! he has done it!" cried the other; and all of them saw whatseemed to be a faint splash alongside of the drifting skiff. "No, strange to say the little fellow has caught hold of the gunnel of theboat; and while his body is in the lake, he continues to hold ondesperately, just keeping his head above the surface! But it can'tlast, it can't last! He could not keep up that grip more than a minuteat the most! This is terrible; and all of us so helpless to save thechild!"

He took the glasses down as though really unable to watch any longer. But his companion did not seem to feel the same way, for he immediatelysnatched them out of Mr. Marsh's hand, and clapped them to his eyes. 

"No use, boy, thinking of swimming out yonder, " said Mr. Marsh, seeingthat Larry had finally broken the obstinate lace, and kicked the shoeinto the bushes. "Long before you could get near the boat it would allbe over. If anything is to be done, some one else will have toengineer the rescue. "

"And it's coming, " shouted the other, just then. "Watch the biplane, Marsh! The boys have seen the danger of the child! They are headedfor the drifting boat, and darting down again. Perhaps they mean toalight in the water alongside, and pick the little chap up! Good!Another ten seconds, and they will have arrived on the spot!"

Even Larry, barefooted now, and with both hands tightly clenched, suchwas his wrought-up condition, stood and watched with burning eyes asthe aeroplane sank lower and lower in its forward swoop. Undoubtedlythe Bird boys had suddenly become aware of the dreadful perilthreatening the little chap belonging to the well known Bloomsburyfisherman, who was every boy's friend; and meant to do their level bestto save Tommy from the watery grave that yawned to receive him. 

"Oh! it's too late!" suddenly cried Longley, staggering back as if hehad himself received a blow. 

"What happened?" exclaimed his companion, hoarsely. 

"The child let go! See, he is struggling in the water, but mustdisappear before the aeroplane can alight, for it is still twenty feetabove the lake. Too bad! Too bad! They might have got him in anotherminute!"

"Look there! One of them has leaped into the lake! See that splash, would you?" shrilled Larry, jumping up and down in his excitement. 

"That was Andy, I reckon!" cried Elephant, climbing up on the side ofthe car, the better to see, at this tremendously exciting stage of thegame. "He ain't afraid of anything; neither is Frank, for that matter. And he just dove right down like a hawk after a breakfast of fish. Doyou see him, mister? Ain't he come up yet? Oh! my! I wouldn't havemissed this for a cookey. What's he doing, mister, please? He's ourchum, Andy is, and we're proud of him. "

"Yes, there he is alongside the boat now, " said Longley, using thebinoculars again, "I can see him swimming with one hand. He seems tohave injured the other--no, no, it must be he's got the child grippedin his right arm, for I seem to see a yellow head close to his. There, the hydroplane drops in the water near by. The boy lifts up his burdenand places it in the boat. Now he's climbing in himself, as if hemeans to revive the child. Marsh, he's done it! And if that was AndyBird I take off my hat to him. "

Whereupon both Elephant and Larry started in to shout and cheer at thetop of their voices; as though they might have a personal interest inthe gallant rescue which had just come under their observation. 

CHAPTER III

THE MEN IN THE TOURING CAR

When Andy Bird, wet through to the skin, arrived at the fisherman'sdock a little later, he found quite a crowd awaiting his coming. 

The small urchin, Tommy, had apparently not suffered seriously from hisimmersion in the waters of Sunrise Lake. Perhaps he was to some extentaccustomed to tumbling overboard; though this time the consequencesmight have been most serious only for the lucky presence of the Birdboys near by, intent on trying out their new hydroplane. 

Tommy's mother managed to thank the rescuer, after a fashion; but Andywas a modest lad, and made light of his recent adventure. 

"Don't mention it, fellows, " he laughed when Larry and Elephant startedto lavish praise on his head. "I'm thinking of sending in anapplication to become a member of the Life Saving Corps on the GreatLakes, you know. And this was just the finest chance ever to try howthings worked. Besides, some day Frank and myself may have to take aheader from an aeroplane, and it's just as well to know how to drop. "

"Well, all I can say is, that you did it as well as any expert, "observed the occupant of the tonneau, who had given the name of Mr. Marsh. 

Andy looked at him, noticing for the first time that strangers werepresent. 

"Thank you, sir, " he said, blushing a trifle, for he was as yet hardlyaccustomed to praise, and quite unspoiled. "But there comes Frank withthe machine. Did you see us rise from the lake, fellows?"

"Did we?" exclaimed Elephant, with his face beaming; "well, I shouldsmile we did now. It was the greatest stunt ever. I thought at first, Andy, something had happened to your new biplane; but these gentlemenknew all about such things, and they explained to us what you meant todo. "

Andy at this stole another side glance at the occupants of the bigtouring car. Noticing this, Mr. Marsh hastened to remark:

"Well, that is putting it rather strong, my boy. We've been interestedin several aviation meets during the last year, and keep posted as towhat is new along those lines. Plenty of people know abouthydroplanes, and such things. And so this represents the last thing inyour work, does it? I must say you are a credit to your teacher, whoever he may be. "

Frank, who had landed close by, heard these words, as possibly thegentleman intended he should. But he was too much interested in othermatters to pay any particular attention to the flattery of passingtourists. 

"How did Tommy come out of the accident?" he asked. 

"All right, I guess, " laughed Andy Bird, his cousin. "His ma hascarried him off into the house, to fill him up with cake, or bread andmolasses. He didn't swallow more than a pint of water. "

"Lucky Tommy!" observed Mr. Marsh. 

"You made the drop in fine shape, Andy, " Frank went on, still keepinghis face turned toward his chum, as though not really caring to enterinto conversation with these unknown gentlemen, who seemed to be sowell posted on things aeronautic. 

"It was a peach of a dive!" exclaimed Elephant, enthusiastically. 

"And since you're wringing wet I don't think you'd better go up with meagain right now, " Frank continued. "Hike for home, and get into somedry duds. I'll knock around for a spell, to try out a few more stuntsI have in mind. "

Truth to tell Frank was eager to get his new hydroplane away from thosesearching eyes of Mr. Marsh. They gave him a queer feeling, which ofcourse he was quite unable to understand. 

During the preceding summer, when the Bird boys were using themonoplane they had put together so successfully, it chanced that theyhad quite a serious adventure with a couple of thieves who had robbed ajewelry establishment, and were trying to get out of the country, wherethe roads were being closely watched by the police. 

On this occasion one of the rascals chanced to be a man named JulesGarrone, who, over across the water had been something of an aeronautand aviator. Conceiving the brilliant scheme that if the monoplane ofthe Bird boys could only be stolen he and his companion could easilyelude their hunters, he had given Frank and Andy lots of trouble beforefinally falling into the net. 

That was one reason why Frank felt rather cool toward strangers whomanifested undue interest in his work. He was of an inventive turn ofmind, and believed he had several new features connected with thishydroplane that as yet were, so far as he knew, novel to the science ofaviation. 

And those keen eyes of Mr. Marsh gave him an uneasy feeling. 

"Your biplane seems to be built especially for two?" remarked thatgentleman, as he watched Frank swing the machine around, with the helpof the willing Larry and Elephant. 

"Yes, sir, " replied the boy, promptly. "Andy and myself always hunttogether. We are called the Siamese Twins, because we won't beseparated. Where one Bird boy is found you can make up your mind theother isn't very far away. Once on a time they got to calling meSmoke, and Andy, Fire; but we just wouldn't stand for that. "

"But possibly your machine may not fly quite so well with only one tobalance!"

Was that a broad hint that he would be only too glad of an invitationto occupy the seat left vacant by the departure of Andy? Franksuspected such a thing; and made a quick reply. 

"Oh! we've got all that arranged to a dot, sir, " he laughed. "I canchange my seat, and still reach every lever easily. And as tobalancing, the time has come when the aviator is going to be freed fromall that anxiety. Give me a start, will you, fellows? It's easierrising from the water than on land, because no stumps or roots get inthe way there. That's it. Good day, sir!"

There was a whirr of the powerful little Kinkaid engine, the lightestever installed in an aeroplane, and immediately the new biplane startedto take on speed. When, in the estimation of the one who handled theflier, it has attained sufficient momentum, the planes were elevated, and like a great bird it gracefully began to mount upward into space. 

Larry was watching the two gentlemen in the car, who had been payingthe closest attention to every little detail. He saw Mr. Marsh turnhis head, and nod several times quickly to his companion. 

"As neatly done as I ever saw it accomplished, " the gentleman muttered, though the sharp ears of Larry Geohegan caught the suggestive words. 

Then, after a few pleasant words to the two boys who had been fishing, the men in the touring car started off, heading toward town, and werespeedily lost to sight in a cloud of dust. 

"Let's take the short-cut, and bring up at the field where Frank andAndy do pretty much all of their practice, turning, and cuttingfigure-eights, " suggested Larry, as though he had a purpose in sayingthis. 

"Oh! I guess I'm still able to toddle that far, " remarked Elephant whowas compelled to work his short legs very fast when trying to keepalongside the taller Larry; and yet these two, so unlike in almostevery way, had long been known as inseparables, ready to have anoccasional little spat, yet just as quick to pour oil on the troubledwaters again. 

"There's Andy turning out, " remarked Larry, after a while. "Perhaps, if you could only get going a little bit faster we might overtake himbefore he reaches home. I reckon he means to head for the shop in thefield, because I know he always keeps a lot of old duds there. "

"Sure thing, " assented the dwarf, cheerfully, as he started on what wasfor him very like a run. "And it would be just like Andy to want tohelp when Frank comes along with the new biplane. Say, ain't she adandy, though? Did you ever see such a neat contraption? Guess themgents thought we had some pretty smart fellows in Bloomsbury. "

"That's just what I was thinking, Elephant, " remarked Larry, "but herewe are at the edge of the old field, and Andy just ahead. See that, he's aiming for the shop in the middle of the patch, where the hangarlies that holds their old monoplane. Perhaps you could buy that cheapnow, Elephant. You know you always declared you meant to take upflying some day. "

"Haven't given it up yet, either, " returned the other, doggedly. 

"Well, I advise you to think it over good and hard. Remember the fateof Darius Green. It needs a mighty active fellow to manage one ofthose tipsy, cranky machines. And if you ever should fall out I betyou there'd be an awful squash!" chuckled the tall boy. 

"Let up on that, can't you?" expostulated Elephant. "I'm small, but Ican get around as well as the next one. And when I get to sailingthrough the air, I expect to have wings. Then, if any accident comesalong, it's me to flap my feathers, and drop like a thistle-down. Inother words, Larry, I've got a parachute all arranged that will let medown easy; just like the fellow at the county fair, who drops from ahot air balloon. "

"Hello! now what d'ye think of that?" claimed Larry, suddenly. 

"What do you mean?" demanded the small boy. "You're the mostmysterious fellow ever. Oh! I see now, by the way you stare overyonder. Yes, it's the same two gentlemen who admired the daring of theBird boys a little while back. They must have found out where Andylives, and have run out here from town to see what sort of a hangarthey have. "

"Yes, that's right, but I don't like it, I tell you, " Larry went on, ashe led the way over the fence that surrounded the field. 

"What's that?" cried Elephant. "Sure you don't suspect these two finelooking gents might be another pair of crooks like the ones that triedto steal Frank's monoplane last summer, do you?"

"Oh! rats! You wouldn't understand if I did try to explain. Therethey go now, in a cloud of dust. Guess they saw us pointing at thecar. Come along, slowpoke, and get up with Andy, " and Larry linked hisarm in that of his comrade, though he had to stoop considerably inorder to make the connection. 

"Why, hello, fellows!" exclaimed Andy, who now for the first timebecame aware of the fact that they had been trailing after him. 

"Just dropped around to see if we could be of any use putting the newmachine away, " remarked Elephant, as if an apology were needed toaccount for their presence; but both boys had always been accountedspecial friends of Frank and Andy, and warmly greeted, though not takeninto the secrets of the shop, where mystery reigned much of the time oflate. 

"And there's Frank coming right now!" declared Andy. "I guess he madeup his mind he didn't care to put her through all her paces, with meaway. We're sure proud of this new one, fellows. Why, she works likea clock, and minds her helm better than anything that ever answered tothe call of the plane. "

"Say, did you happen to notice that car on the road over there?" askedLarry. 

"I saw one moving along in a cloud of dust; but didn't notice who wasin it. Why do you ask that?" answered the young aviator, looking athis friend curiously. 

"Oh well, it happened to be those same two men you saw, when youbrought little Tommy ashore, " remarked the other, mysteriously. 

"But I thought they were headed for Bloomsbury?" exclaimed Andy. 

"That's what they said; but you see they thought it worth while to runpast and come away out here, just to take a peek over the fence and seewhat you Bird boys had in this section. "

"That's funny now, " muttered Andy, who, being less keen than hiscousin, could not let suspicion find lodgment in his brain as quicklyeither. "But perhaps Frank may know who they are. He keeps prettywell posted on everybody connected with aviation meets and inventions. Marsh, he said his name was; what was the other, do you know, fellows?"

"I heard him call the man at the wheel Longley several times, so Ireckon that must be his handle, " said Elephant, who never liked beingleft out in the cold whenever there was an argument on the carpet, orin fact any talking being done. 

Frank came sailing directly toward them with considerable speed. Whenit began to look as though he might mean to collide with the lowworkshop close by, he suddenly swooped upward, and passed over theirheads, uttering a laugh as he saw how the alarmed Elephant dropped flaton his face and hugged the earth. 

Circling around, Frank cut several fancy figures with the new biplane, the hum of the twin propellers making merry music in the ears of thedelighted boys. 

Finally, as though tiring of this sport he dropped on the grass aslightly as he had a little while before nestled on the smooth surfaceof Sunrise Lake. 

The three boys joined him, and willing hands soon stored the aeroplanein the snug hangar prepared for it alongside the workshop. Then Andydodged inside to change his clothes before he got a chill; for thoughsummer had come, the air was far from hot right then by any means, astorm having cleared the atmosphere during the preceding night, andleaving it delightfully crisp. 

"I saw a car buzzing along the road while I was up, but couldn't use myglass to see who was in it. Did you notice, Larry?" Frank asked asthey stood there near the open door of the shop. 

"I was just going to mention the fact that those two men act like theyhad taken a great fancy to you and Andy, " returned the other, readily. 

Frank Bird frowned. 

"H'm! I just don't like to hear that, " he said. "Andy and myself havebeen working on something lately that we want to keep a dead secretfrom everybody. If we don't tell even our friends, then there can belittle chance of a leak. But I'm not inviting strangers to take a ridewith me, or visit us in our shop. Though you can come in now, any timeyou want, Larry and Elephant. "

"Sho! we wouldn't know the wing feather of a plane from one thatbelonged in the tail or steering rudder, " chuckled Larry. 

"But I'm meaning to learn, Frank, " put in the small chap, strenuously. "It looks so easy for you fellows, knocking around up there, withnobody ever getting in your way, like on our roads, that I want to fly. "

"Well, " pursued Frank, shaking his head. "I don't encourage anybody totake up the business. It's certainly the most dangerous calling goingat present; but after the Wrights have put their latest balancing ideainto general use, the number of dead aviators will drop fast. In timeit may be a fellow can hardly fall out of a well-made flying machine ifhe is the most reckless aviator going. "

"Hear that, Elephant, " laughed Larry. "Hope yet that some of us commontruck may be flapping through the upper currents, and getting out ofthe wet when it rains, by sailing above the clouds. But I see somefellow coming along the road on his wheel like he had a hurry call. Looks like Nat Holmes too, and he's coming in here. "

"Funny how badly balanced that fellow is, " remarked Frank. "Always ina hurry in everything he tackles; and then falling all over himselfwhen he tries to talk. He's waving his hat too like he had somethinginteresting to say. Let's hope, boys, it happens to be one of his goodhours; or we're in for a lot of gibberish Hottentot patter, I'm afraid. "

CHAPTER IV

SUSPICION

"F-f-frank!" stammered the new arrival, as he actually fell off hiswheel, allowing the same to drop in a heap on the turf. 

"That's me; what d'ye want, Nat?" asked the one addressed; as heassumed a reassuring air, knowing what a terrible mess the wretchedstutterer often made of his attempt at speech, especially when hehappened to be excited. 

Nat was breathing hard. He always did things with a whirlwind method;and of course the exertion added to his difficulty in forming suchwords as he wanted. 

"D-d-did y-y-you k-k-k-, " he started, with a rush; and then seemed tolose his grip entirely; for all he could do was to make a sharp, hissing sound, get red in the face under the strain and tremble allover. 

"I s-s-say, d-d-do y-y-y-, " he went on, when there came another fullstop, and as Larry said, a further escape of gas to account for thathissing noise from between his partly closed lips. 

The contortions of his face when poor Nat worked himself into this sortof a fever were simply agonizing. Some boys made it a habit oflaughing coarsely at the afflicted boy. But Frank always felt sorry, and tried the best he knew how to break the spell that seemed to bindup Nat's vocal faculties. For strange to say, there were other timeswhen Nat could really speak calmly and evenly, as if he had neverstammered in his life. 

As though utterly despairing of ever being able to get out what he soeagerly wished to say, the boy suddenly snatched a pencil from onepocket, and a pad of paper from another. These necessities he alwayscarried along with him, though hating to have to make use of such asilly trick at all. 

Rapidly dashing a line or so upon the little pad, Nat tore the sheetoff, and thrust it into Frank's hand. 

Andy had come out of the shop by that time, dressed in dry garments;and bending over his cousin's shoulder he read these words:

"Percy's new aeroplane has arrived at the station. He's down thereright now, seeing about having it put on a cart and pulled to hisshack. "

"Just about what we expected; eh, Frank?" asked Andy, handing the scrapof paper to Larry, so that he and the runt could read what news Nat hadbrought in such a tremendous hurry. 

It was as if the stammering boy had judged, that of all the people inBloomsbury who would be interested in knowing that Percy had received anew aeroplane, the Bird boys took front rank. For was not PercyCarberry the old-time rival of Frank; and on numerous occasions had henot striven furiously to keep the cousins from winning the laurels thatcame their way, despite all opposition?

"Yes, I understand that he was going in for aviation again, " repliedthe other. "And I don't know whether I'm glad or sorry. If Percy andthat crony of his, Sandy Hollingshead, only believed in the squaredeal, we might have great times in racing and exploring; but thetrouble is, they hate to see anybody getting ahead of them, and lots oftimes as everybody understands, have tried to injure our machine. "

"Oh! I don't know, " said the optimistic Andy; "we always managesomehow, to come out of every affair right-side up, and they get therough end of the deal, as they should because they won't leave us aloneto manage our own business. I can see some warm times coming soon, when they get to cruising around once more. "

"Well, " said Frank, thoughtfully, "I never believed that Percy hadreally reformed when he said he was through playing mean tricks. He'salways kept quiet about that trip down to South America. Why, he evenaccused me of giving him away just because I told of our adventuresthere, even glossing over the part he played in our little rumpus withthe revolutionists in Columbia, at the time I found my dear father, andrescued him. "

"That's just like Percy, " declared Larry. "Don't I size him up, though? He never knew what gratitude meant. I've been told that youand Andy really saved his life down in that upset country. "

"Oh! perhaps it wasn't quite all of that, Larry, " protested Frank. 

"All right, " spoke up Andy immediately; "at least we got those fellowsout of a mighty tough hole. But it was just like Percy to declare thathe was going to use some chloroform he had with him, to put the wholebunch of revolutionists to sleep, take their guns away, bind them handand foot, and send some of the government troops out to capture 'em. So you see, we spoiled all that fine game by insisting on rescuing himand Sandy. "

Larry laughed uproariously. 

"Too bad about that chap, " he remarked, when he could catch his breathagain. "He's that slippery you never know when you've got your fingeron him. And the excuses he gets up to cover his knockouts, they justsizzle. I reckon Percy is bound to be a promoter when he grows up. "

"Say, let's all go down to the railroad yards, and watch Percy get hismachine on the cart?" suggested Elephant, wickedly. 

"Count me out, fellows, " remarked Frank, immediately, "I don't want himto think I'm curious about what he bought that time he went to NewYork. Perhaps it's a better aeroplane than we've got here; but I don'tbelieve it yet, after what she did for us in the tryout this day. "

"Besides, " observed Larry, "the chances are ten to one such a slyfellow as our Percy ain't going to knock the crates around the manyparts of his machine into flinders right there in the open. He likes alittle bit of mystery too, even if he hasn't got any reason to hidethings. "

"That settles my neat little scheme, " sighed the runt, disconsolately. "Don't understand why it is that everything I happen to propose, Larryor somebody else always sits down on it, kerchunk! It's discouragingto genius, I say, and might keep a budding inventor from ever attaininghis manifest destiny. "

"Hear! hear!" chuckled Andy. 

As for the tall boy, he came near having a fit, so doubled up withlaughter did this important remark on the part of his small chum leavehim. 

"No danger of you ever being discouraged, or left at the stake, Elephant, " he managed to say, presently. "You come up smiling afterevery backset. You've sure got grit, and to spare, if they did forgetyou when handing out bone and muscle. "

"And I bet you if I'd only had the chance, fellows, I'd have droppedinto the bally old lake, just like Andy did, and saved that sweetcherub, Tommy Cragan!" declared the "Bug, " as Larry often called hisdiminutive chum, when he tired of using his other misplaced nickname. 

"Sure you would, " said Andy. "I was only lucky in having the chance, that's all. Why, I don't see anything in that to make a fuss over. Itwas just like a picnic to me. Frank wanted to go the worst kind, buthe couldn't let go the levers of our new and dandy machine, which mightsail away up in the clouds. "

"Oh! how I envy both of you fellows!" sighed Elephant, placing a handon his breast, though Larry told him that his heart was probablylocated on his right side, which would account for the flutter he fellinto whenever he thought he detected an opportunity for distinguishinghimself approaching. 

But everybody took these sharp sayings of Larry Geohegan in the samehappy-go-lucky spirit in which they were uttered. No one had morefriends and fewer enemies than the tall boy; because he was generous toa fault, humorous in his remarks, and the life of the camp when outwith any of his companions. 

Andy had stalked back into the shop again, though Frank had lookedafter him as though inclined to wonder what ailed his cousin to be somysterious in his actions. 

"Forgot to take his change out of the pockets of those wet clothes?"suggested Larry, noticing the upraised eyebrows of Frank. 

"I don't know about that, " returned the other, stepping back a pace towhere he could glance through the open door. "He's gone straight tothe drawer where we keep some of our stuff. There, he's taken out themarine glasses that I just put away. What under the sun do you supposeAndy wants with them? He doesn't look up at the summit of Old ThunderTop, where we landed from our monoplane last summer, being the firsthuman being ever to step there above the big cliffs. No, Andy has goneto a window with the glass. He seems to want to keep out of sight. Now, I wonder why?"

"Three to one he just saw your sister Janet going along the furtherroad; and couldn't keep from wanting to admire her at close range, "chuckled Larry. 

"But now he's elevating the glasses, " Frank went on. "He seems to beinterested in that old mill you can see yonder above the trees. Ideclare, I did see something moving then in one of the upper windows. That beats everything. To think of Andy having such sharp eyes. "

"Oh! the boys used to play there last summer, " ventured Elephant;"though since then nobody goes near the old place. I was told it hadbecome the haunt of hoboes this summer. Anyway, the boys fight shy ofit right along now. "

"Here comes Andy; now we'll know, " said Nat, just as smartly as any ofthem could have spoken, for his hurry spell was over, and he hadcommand of his vocal chords once more. 

"Wondering what took you inside to get the glasses, " remarked Frank, asthe other joined them, a frown marked on his usually placid face. "Andthen, what made you go to a window instead of standing outside openly, and looking?"

"I'll tell you, " returned Andy, solemnly. "I didn't want 'em to see mepeeking. "

"You mean the fellows in the old deserted mill?" asked Larry. 

"No other, " came the quick reply, "I don't know how it came to strikeme, because you know as a rule I ain't suspicious; but something aboutthe way those two men in the touring car looked so greedily at our newaeroplane gave me an idea it might be them. "

"Goodness gracious!" gasped Elephant, his eyes round with wonder andexcitement. 

"And was it?" demanded Frank, hastily, frowning at the same time. 

"Nobody else, " replied Andy, impressively. "They must have swungaround, passed up to the old mill on that side road, and from the upperwindows have been watching us all the time through the fieldglassesthey carry!"

CHAPTER V

FIGURING IT ALL OUT

"It begins to look as though you were right, Andy, and that thesestrangers certainly feel an uncommon interest in what we've been doingup here, " said Frank, seriously. 

"Oh! I don't take much of the credit for hitting on that idea, Frank, "declared the other Bird boy, quickly. "You kept watching that Marshright from the start. I could see a question in your eye every timeyou looked at him. And it spurred me on to keeping closer tab over hisways. "

"Are they still up there, d'ye think?" queried Frank; while Larry, Elephant, and Stuttering Nat hung around, saying nothing, but listeningfor all they were worth. 

"No, " replied Andy; "I've got an idea they began to suspect some of youwere looking that way. Anyhow, I saw Marsh duck his head, and thinkthey came down. No use going in to take a shy at 'em now. "

"I'd give a fit to know what they are up to?" mused Frank, a thoughtfullook on his face. 

"Well, perhaps we can hit somewhere near the facts if we startguessing, " remarked Andy, with a knowing nod. 

"Look here, you've been turning it over your mind, then?" asked hiscousin. 

"Sure I have, " grinned Andy, promptly. "Never could bear to letanything puzzle me long. Used to lie awake half the night trying toclinch a name that had just slipped a cog in my memory. "

"All right. Suppose you give us the benefit of what you decided mightbe the answer to this problem. Who are these two men, Andy?"

"You know they admit being well up in aviation?" the other remarked asa preliminary. 

"So Larry and Elephant said, " Frank replied. 

"And that not only had they attended many meets but admitted being wellacquainted with a lot of people whose names we see in the papers everyday--men who have done things along the line of aviation. Get that, Frank?"

"I have. Now go on with your answer, " nodded the other, encouragingly. 

"These gentlemen have been sent up here for a purpose! Perhaps theyare in the pay of some unscrupulous manufacturer of aeroplanes, whowould not be above stealing the ideas of two boys, and applying them tohis up-to-date machines, placed on the market, and for sale to thepublic!"

"Gosh!" exclaimed Elephant. 

"That sounds all to the good to me!" remarked Larry; while Nat tried toexpress himself intelligently along similar lines; but being suddenlyseized with one of his spasms, was obliged to take it out in numerousmouthings, and a working of his facial muscles, all the while makingunintelligible sounds. 

Frank seemed to consider this startling proposition of his cousin, forthere were lines about his forehead, and his eyes took on a reflectivelook. 

"Now, I can see already that you don't agree with me wholly, " Andysaid, quickly for he was accustomed to studying that countenance of hiscousin, and could read between the lines. 

"Well, I'd hate to think that any maker of aeroplanes could descendthat low as to want to steal ideas from any one, " Frank answered. "They are few in number, and so far as we know, honorable men. If theywanted to get something that you and I, or any other fellow, hadhappened to hit on, and which would be of value to aviators, thechances are they'd send somebody to open up negotiations, and offer tobuy the improvement outright, or take it on a royalty basis. "

"Perhaps you're right, Frank, " admitted the other; "but all the samethere was something I didn't like about that Mr. Marsh. I warrant youhe's a sharp one in a dicker. He looked it. But see here, what've yougot to offer in place of my poor little kicked-out suggestion? There'ssome sort of answer to the puzzle; and five to one you've guessed it. "

Frank laughed as he replied:

"Hold on, now, I may be just as far off as you are. As usual we lookat things on opposite sides, you know, Andy. But we never disagree, and that's one good thing about our partnership. Either you convinceme, or I show you. "

"Sure we do, Frank; and nine times out of ten it's your game. When Imake a hit it's a great day for Andy Bird. But please hurry up, andtell us what you think!"

"Yes, " said Larry, who had been moving restlessly about, being consumedwith the fever of curiosity, "who do you say Mr. Marsh and his friendare, Frank?"

"To begin with, just as you did, the fact that they admit knowing manypeople connected with the game, strengthens my suspicion. I toobelieve they may be connected with some maker of aeroplanes like theWrights; but instead of being sent up here to steal our ideas, theyhave come as detectives, to find out if the Bird boys have been liftingany patented inventions belonging to their employers!"

"Whew! that takes my breath away!" gasped Andy. 

"It's sure a screamer, that's what!" cried Larry. 

"Frank, go up head!" said Elephant, solemnly. 

Stammering Nat wanted to say something the worst kind; but being stillunder the domination of his nervous excitement, he could only work hisjaws and violently nod his head; but then that stood for acclamation onhis part, and so they all understood it. 

"Frank, I begin to cave already, " declared Andy. "Because that wouldaccount for the way they stared so hard at our hydroplane, and thealuminum pontoons under the body. But we bought those from thepatentee, and have the bill of sale to show for it. "

"And there isn't a single stolen idea about the machine, " Frank wenton. "I've been mighty careful about that. I believe in an inventorhaving full credit for his work. If ever I do happen on a valuabledevice, I would want to feel that it couldn't be stolen away from me. "

"Listen, boys, " Larry spoke up. "That would account for something thatMr. Marsh said when we were talking to them, before little Tommy tookour attention. As near as I can remember I'd been telling them aboutyour shop, and how you fellows just haunted it all winter, working onlots of ideas. He turned to his friend, and he says, says he:'Longley, they might be willing to let us have a little peep into thatwonderful shop of theirs, eh?'"

"Yes, that sounds interesting, " remarked Frank. "Go on, Larry. Whatdid you say to that?"

"Oh! Elephant here took the words right out of my mouth, Frank. He upand says: 'I wouldn't bank too much on that, mister. Both of us arechums of the Bird boys; and if they wouldn't let us come inside theirshop all winter, I guess they ain't inviting strangers there!'"

"How did they take that?" continued Frank. 

"Mr. Marsh just laughed, and asked the other man what he thought ofthat. Said it was mighty interesting to run across a couple of brightyoung inventors so unexpectedly; and that Wright and Curtiss ought toknow the Bird boys. Also remarked, as he winked at Longley, that youmight be induced to join the big aeroplane makers' trust that was beingtalked of; but I believed he was just joshing when he said that, Frank. "

"It's all in the wash, though, and mighty interesting, " Frankcontinued, still thoughtful. 

"And you can take it from me, them gentlemen never just happened onBloomsbury, like they said, " Elephant declared, emphatically. 

"I agree with you there, Elephant, " Frank echoed. "They came here todo something. It may be as Andy said, to steal our thunder, if so bewe had anything worth lifting; and then again my idea may be the rightone, and that they represent owners of patents who are determined toprotect their rights in things they've spent time and money inperfecting. Perhaps we may never know the truth. And then againbefore many days, or even hours, we might run across the answer. "

"Well, " remarked Andy, complacently, "one thing sure, we've got to takeextra measures to protect our shop, and keep prying fingers frommeddling. I'll speak to my father and Colonel Josiah about it. Theymay hire old Shea again to watch of nights. "

Colonel Josiah Whympers had been Andy's guardian during the time hebelieved his father to be dead. The old man was lame, and used acrutch; but he was a great admirer of the Bird boys, and ready to backanything they advocated. Once a great traveler he had been to everycorner of the world, and was full of the most thrilling stories of whathad happened to him during his forty years of roving in queer places. 

"Excuse me from Shea, " laughed Frank. "Don't you remember how hefailed us last year, and was caught napping. He's as honest as the dayis long, but a mighty poor guard. No, we'll have to do just what wedid before, take up our lodgings right here in the shop, where we candefend our property. "

"That suits me OK, " returned the jovial Andy. "And so we'll considerit settled, Frank, that so long as these mysterious strangers arearound Bloomsbury we'll just camp out here. "

"And then some, " continued the other; "because, you see, they mightguess what we had up our sleeve, and just pretend to move along. "

"It's a measly shame, that's what!" grumbled Larry. 

Elephant immediately fell upon him and shook his hand vigorously. 

"Me too!" he exclaimed, looking unusually sad. 

"What's all this row about, fellows?" demanded Frank, pretending not tounderstand. 

"It's ghastly to have all the good things pass us by, that's what!"Larry declared. 

"Meaning what?" Andy inquired. 

"Think of the bully good times you two can have here, playing atcamping out. You've even got a stove handy, and a whole outfit ofaluminum cooking ware to be carried along with your aeroplane when yougo off a long ways. There never was a luckier pair than you two Birdboys, that's what, " and Larry groaned again to express the envy thatwas burning in his boyish soul. 

"If you'd only let us bring over our blankets, and sleep here with you, it would lighten things up a heap, I tell you, Frank, " said Elephant. 

"We wouldn't occupy much room, " went on Larry, eagerly, thinking he sawsigns of giving in on the other's face. "Why, you could chuck Elephantunder the workbench and never find him again. And I'd sling a hammockin a corner. Looky here, if you say no I'll feel like jumping in thelake right away. "

Frank and Andy exchanged glances. They were genuinely fond of thestrangely mated pair; and besides, there was no longer any reason whythese old chums should be longer refused the liberty they had onceenjoyed, of entering the workshop as they pleased. 

"It's a go, Larry; eh, Andy?" said the taller of the Bird boys. 

With that the two favored ones indulged in sundry whoops and leaps toexpress the joy that Frank's announcement had given; even StammeringNat grinned, and no doubt wished he had been included in theinvitation; though he knew there would be no room for a furtherincrease in the guardians of the shop. 

"I'm going right home and get my blankets, " said Elephant, eagerly. 

"And me ditto, " echoed Larry. "Hey, fellows, you know what dandydoughnuts my mother makes; shall I fetch a bunch along, with a loaf ofbread?"

"Fine, " laughed Andy, "and be off with you. "

"Hold on, boys, " Frank broke in just then. "Let's see what thisprocession coming along the road means. Two hay wagons, and eachloaded with some crates of merchandise. Beside each driver I notice asecond figure, and unless I'm mistaken the first one is Percy ShelleyCarberry. "

"That's right, " remarked Larry. "And it's his crony, SandyHollingshead, on the second wagon. Say, you're gazing right now on thewonderful new aeroplane which your rival Percy has sent for, and inwhich he means to make you fellows look like two cents. Hey! what'sthis I see?"

"They've stopped short, that's all, " observed Andy. "An automobile hasblocked the road, and Percy seems to be having a confab with one of theparties in the car. Frank, do you see who whose men are? The verygents we were talking about. And now they've struck another scent, forthey seem to be bent on learning all about who these boys carrying acrated aeroplane in parts can be. The mystery grows! My word! butthere's going to be lots doing around here soon!"

CHAPTER VI

AN UNKNOWN ENEMY

"Huh! see there, that Mr. Marsh has got down from his machine, and goneahead to talk some more with Percy, " remarked Andy, as they continuedto keep their eyes directed toward the road, not so very far distant, where this little drama was taking place. 

"They certainly seem to be interested in everything touching onaviation, " mused Frank. "Going to hang around Bloomsbury several days, are they, while their car is being over-hauled? Did it look brokendown to you, Larry?"

"Almost new, " replied the other, readily "I'd just like to say thatthat was only an excuse for hanging around a while. They came here onpurpose, with something in their noddles; and you mark me, Frank, theydon't mean to skip without having a try at that same. "

"Well, there they go off, and the procession starts again. Percy isturning around to look after the two men, as if they interested him aheap, " Andy observed. 

"He's calling something to Sandy, but I can't make out what it is, "Larry declared; for he was noted on account of his unusually keenhearing. 

"Anyhow they seem to be laughing, and looking over this way, Frank, "Andy remarked. "Just as if they thought they had a good joke on us. Say, d'ye suppose now, that Mr. Marsh gave Percy a little hint he hadit in for us? If he did, it would tickle that bunch to beat the band. Don't I know 'em though? Never did take any stock in that conversationof Percy's. He had to say something, after we got him out of the handsof the revolutionists down in old Columbia. "

"Well, " Frank went on, "there's no need of our worrying about thingsthat may never happen. We won't cross this bridge till we get to it. "

"But, Frank, while that sounds fine, you know right well that it'salways been your way to prepare for possibilities?" Andy continued, positively. 

"That's correct, and we mean to now by camping out here, " Franklaughed, as if quite at his ease. "Besides, we've got things fixedpretty safe by now, so that if what you thought turned out to be true, the thieves couldn't profit by anything in the line of an idea theyhooked out of our shop. Those ideas are being patented, and safe fromthe hands of a robber. "

"Just as you say then, " Andy went on, "we'll try and forget aboutMysterious Mr. Marsh--how's that strike you as a stunning title for ournew adventure? Be off with you, Larry and Elephant. Nat, would askyou to join us, but I'm afraid there wouldn't be room for so big acrowd, unless you slept in my boat, which I've not had in the waterthis summer so far. "

Stammering Nat tried to answer, but knowing the uselessness of such athing, instead he darted into the shop, took one look at the open canoeoccupying slings at the further end, and then came hurrying out. Hepounced on Andy, wrung his hand violently, and managed to gasp the oneword:

"B-b-b-bully!"

Then he waved his hand toward Frank, and shot after the two boys whowere heading for the road, anxious to return with their belongings. 

Within half an hour they made their reappearance, each laden down witha bulky bundle, under which poor little Elephant seemed almost buried, though he trudged manfully along, and asked no favors from his tallercompanions. 

Evening was now near. Andy had made several trips to his home beyondthe border of the big field, each time returning with a load; though heand Frank had for a long time kept their cooking kit and their blanketsin the shop, so that they would be handy when wanted. 

He had also told his father and Colonel Josiah about their intention tosleep in the workshop. Neither of the gentlemen thought anythingstrange of the proposition, for the Bird boys were well able to lookout after themselves. They had proved this so often in the past, thatby now Frank's father, as well as the parent of Andy, offered noobjection to their projects, however bold they might appear at times. 

"I had your dad on the 'phone, Frank, " Andy remarked, the last time hecame back. "He'd just gotten in from his round of afternoon visits;for there's a heap of sickness about Bloomsbury just now, I hear. Andof course he said that he wouldn't worry because you stayed away for afew nights. I tell you, old chum, we've just got the finest governorsever. It's a lucky thing to have an obliging dad!"

"And be able to wind him around your finger, as I hear you do yours, ever since he came back from South America, " laughed Frank. 

By the time darkness began to gather the boys were deep in thedelightful task of cooking a genuine camp supper. The stove was ofgenerous size, so that several could work around it at the same time. Andy took charge, nor would he let Frank have any hand in theproceedings, calling upon Elephant, Larry and Nat when he neededassistance. 

Of course the ham was tender, the coffee nectar fit for the gods, theBoston baked beans just as appetizing as they could possibly be, andall other things on the menu equal to any they had ever tasted. Butthen, hungry boys are not apt to be discriminating, save sometimes athome. Anything eaten under such romantic conditions as this was sureto be classed as prime. 

Larry had been as good as his word, and brought back a generousdonation on the part of his mother, whose doughnuts were reckoned thevery finest in all that section; so that they topped off a heartysupper with several of these apiece. 

After the aluminum cooking outfit had been thoroughly cleaned, andevery piece put away in its exact place, as was the custom of the Birdboys, who could never tell just when they might want to go off in ahurry, and take the camp kit along, they gathered around a table andindulged in some friendly games, Andy having been thoughtful enough tofetch these out from the house. 

About ten Elephant was discovered to be fast asleep, while the otherswere holding a talk fest by themselves. 

"Time we all turned in, fellows, " Frank declared, after Larry hadaroused his mate by tickling his ear with a straw. 

So for a short time there was much fussing and blanket turning. Finally one by one they announced themselves settled comfortably, Frankstaying up until the last in order to put out the lamp. 

All of them had arranged it that in case there came a sudden alarm theywould not be more than a dozen seconds getting into some clothes andtheir shoes, so as to rush outside. 

There were several patent fire-extinguishers handy, for the Bird boyshad had one experience with a conflagration that threatened to destroytheir workshop, and with it their precious aeroplane, and they did notmean to be caught unprepared for such an emergency again. 

Many times during that night Frank awoke, and on each occasion he wouldsit up to listen. It was a quiet night, and the windows of the shop, over which heavy wire netting had been secured, were of course open, sothat the air could pass on through. 

Thus, what sounds there might happen to arise without could be plainlyheard. But the hours passed on and there was no cause for alarm. Frank had arranged certain devices whereby he expected to be warnedshould any one attempt to enter the workshop. The fine wire had beensecretly carried to Andy's room in the house, where a bell would soundan alarm, and arouse the sleeper. 

Of course this was not wholly in use while the boys were camping therein the enclosed shed; but in its way it would prove another guardian. 

Once Frank thought he heard murmuring voices; he was so impressed thathe even crept out of his bed and advanced to the nearest opening, thinking to locate the speakers, whether they proved to be PercyCarberry and his crony, bent on mischief, or the mysterious Mr. Marshand Longley, spying around for some secret purpose of their own. 

It turned out to be only little Elephant, who was lying on his back, and breathing heavily. Frank turned him over, and then crept backunder his blankets. 

So morning found them, ravenous as wolves, and each one ready with somesuggestion as to what they could have for breakfast. 

But after all, Andy had assumed the office of high cook, and his wordwas law to the rank and file. He declared that codfish cakes would bea good starter, and that he had the stuff already mixed, as given himby the colored aunty in the Bird kitchen. 

Besides that, he announced that he would treat his guests to pancakes, or as they are always known in camp, flapjacks, which he prided himselfon knowing how to make. Some honey had been smuggled over to makethese more acceptable. Indeed, it would appear that Andy did know howto make light cakes, since it seemed impossible for the others to getenough of them, and he was kept over the fire until as red as a turkeycock in the face. 

"How about taking a turn this morning Frank?" asked Andy, as he foundhimself forced in turn to cry quits, with half of a flapjack still onhis platter. 

"Don't wait to clean up, fellows, " said Larry, promptly. "Give therest of us something to do while you're sailing around up among theclouds. I know just where you keep every article, and my word for ityou'll find them in place when you get back again. "

"That's nice of you, Larry, " laughed Frank; "and I'm going to take youup on it. It does seem a shame not to take advantage of so fine amorning as this. Hardly a breath of wind as yet, you notice. And yetby noon it may be blowing great guns. You never can tell. Andy, shallwe get the new machine out of the hangar?"

"Oh! I'm game for anything you offer, " asserted the other, getting upslowly, as became one who had just been crammed. 

"We tried the pontoons yesterday, and they worked as fine as silk, "Frank went on to say. "Suppose we leave them off this time, as we willnot be over the lake?"

"Just as you say, " returned the willing Andy. "I tell you what, Frank, let's go up to the top of the mountain again. Haven't been there thisseason, you know. "

"Just what I had in mind myself, and I think you knew it, " Frank said, as he led the way outside. "Then we might sail around over the woodsup in that region where we discovered those two hiding jewelry thieves, who were making headquarters of that old shack in the forest. If thisbiplane can climb any better than our little Bug used to do, she'll bea wonder, all right. Come on, and help us get things moving, fellows. "

Many hands made light work, and presently the biplane was ready for thestart. 

When Frank gave the word the others pushed her off; and as the twopropellers hummed, the machine started along the ground on the threebicycle wheels until presently it arose in the air as gracefully as anybird could have done. 

"Now, which way first?" asked Andy, when the shouts of their comradeshad died away in the distance, and they were half a mile from thetrying-out field. 

"I guess we'll take a little twenty-mile spin first, " Frank replied, moving a lever; "to see what she can do in a hurry pinch. That newengine seems to work all right; just as the smaller one did, seldomfailing us. Tell me, what could be as fine as this, sailing over theearth? I don't wonder that when a fellow has once started in to be anaviator he can't ever break away. Peril and accidents he laughs at;not because he's reckless always, but just on account of thefascination of the sport. "

"We're the luckiest fellows ever, just as Larry and Elephant say, " Andydeclared as they soared upward, and then descended in daring spirals asFrank tried out the new airship, to see what it was capable of doing. 

In a dozen ways had it proven even more than they had expected, andboth boys were wild with enthusiasm over the performance. 

"Let Percy come along with his new one!" cried Andy, after they hadvolplaned successfully down toward the earth, until not more than a fewhundred feet above the tree tops of the forest; "it would tickle me tohave a turn with him again. He has forgotten his other beat, and isbeginning to boast again about what great stunts he means to kick up. "

"Well, who knows what may be in store for us yet, " Frank remarked; "andnow, let's head up again, and strike for the summit of Old Thunder Top, ten miles away. "

"Oh!"

Andy's sudden exclamation was caused by the report of a gun in amongthe scattered trees directly below them; and both young aviatorsdistinctly heard the peculiar "whine" of the bullet, as it passed closeby their ears, actually making a little hole through the cloth of bothplanes!

CHAPTER VII

SEEN FROM THE EAGLES' EYRIE

They were already spinning along at a lively clip, and rising too, atthe moment that shot sounded, and the leaden missile whizzed past soclose to them. Almost through sheer instinct Frank instantly shiftedhis lever, and started the biplane upward on a slant that was thelimit, and approaching the danger line. 

The two Bird boys turned and stared at each other. Wonder andindignation seemed struggling for the mastery in their faces. 

"Frank, he fired that shot at us!" exclaimed Andy. 

"Seemed like it, " returned the other. "At any rate, it came much tooclose to suit my ideas of comfort. Made me think of those warm timeswe had down in Columbia, when the revolutionists were after us. "

"What a wicked shame!" went on the other fiercely. "And I guess thesilly fool thought he was doing something smart! That's a new dangeraviators will have to face--being shot at by every loon that carries agun, just like they might be some strange bird. "

"Well, we're Birds, all right, but hardly strange ones, " Frankcontinued, with a frown on his face. "And we've been knocking aroundthis section of the country in our jolly little monoplane so long, thatI supposed every farmer's boy knew us and felt an interest in our work. That makes me believe it could hardly have been done in a spirit ofwhat some people would call a joke. "

"Good gracious! Frank, do you mean that the fellow really wanted tohit us? Oh! that seems too terrible to believe!" cried Andy, aghast. 

"Stop and think, " Frank continued, steadily. "In the first place, whatwould any one be doing, hunting in the middle of summer. Why, outsideof a short spell given over to woodcock, there isn't a thing the lawallows a sportsman to shoot up to Fall. And Andy, did you ever hear ofanybody shooting woodcock with a rifle?"

"Oh! Frank!"

"Well, am I right about that? It sounded like the report of a rifle tome; and it was sure a bullet that whistled past us!" Frank pursued, inhis customary positive way. 

"Yes, you're right about that. But who could be so horribly mean as towant to injure us?" said Andy. "Why, even if that bullet had struckour biplane in one of half a dozen places, it might have made us fall. And Frank, that would be just criminal, you know. "

"I suppose you noticed that puff of smoke below us?" Frank went on. 

"It just happened that I was looking down, and I saw it burst out of athicket, " came the answer. 

"It was the same way with me, " Frank continued. "I had just a glimpseof some fellow throwing himself under the bushes but if you asked me Icouldn't say for certain whether it was a man or a boy. "

"Just like he was afraid of being seen, and recognized; is that whatyou mean?" asked Andy. 

"It looked that way, " Frank replied. 

"Don't you see, Frank, he gave himself away in doing that? First, heknew he was doing a dirty mean act; and second, he must have beensomebody we knew, or he wouldn't have been so afraid of being seen. "

"That's so, Andy. Another thing, perhaps it may not have struck youthat once before you and I met with an adventure while almost over thesame spot. "

Andy gave vent to an exclamation that told of excitement revived. 

"You mean the time we sighted those two skulking jewelry thieves, thefellows who had robbed Leffingwell's store, and were hiding until therow quieted down?"

"Yes, Jules Garrone, and his pal, " Frank went on. 

"Jules was the one who had been an aviator over in France, and whotried to steal our Bug, meaning to fly away, and leave no trail behindfor the hunting police. But Frank, you can't possibly believe Juleswas the fellow who fired that shot? It don't stand to reason; becauseyou know, he was sent to the penitentiary for ten years. Oh! no, Iguess we'll have to think up something else this time, " and Andy shookhis head vigorously in the negative. 

"Well, time may tell, " Frank said, simply. 

"Looky here, Frank, now there's no use denying it, I know you've gotsome sort of idea about finding out who that rascal was, " declared Andy. 

"Well, perhaps there is some sort of hazy notion hovering around in mybrain, that I ought to learn more about him, " the other smiled back. "This thing of being made a target by any fool who happens to own arifle is something that ought to be stopped with a jerk. Yes, I doexpect to try and find out. "

"And you won't tell me what's on your mind?" asked Andy. 

"Not just now. It's too uncertain to speak of, yet. And perhaps, after all, it was only some boy, who thought it would be smart to giveus a little shock; and who sent his bullet closer than he had meant to. "

"You sure don't mean--Percy?" exclaimed Andy. 

"Oh! no, I didn't have him in mind, " laughed Frank. 

"Not that he wouldn't be guilty of such meanness if the chancecame--you know that fellow isn't above anything!" declared Andy, vigorously. 

"Well, just at present I can imagine that Percy and his crony SandyHollingshead, are using up every minute of their precious timeassembling the parts of their new aeroplane. Consequently, Andy, neither of them would be apt to wander away up here, miles fromBloomsbury, and carrying a rifle. "

"Guess you're right, " grumbled the other, as if loth to entirely giveup the idea that had flashed into his mind. "But it strikes me, Frank, after this, when we're out for a spin, we ought to give that region ofthe old charcoal burner's shack a wide berth. It spells trouble forthe Bird boys. "

"Oh! I don't know; perhaps the trouble may later on be all in storefor the fellow who held that gun. But look up, Andy; we're gettingalong toward the peak at a gay old pace. Say, what do you think of thebiplane now?"

"She's a peach, that's what!" burst out Andy, impulsively. "I thoughtthe little Bug was the whole thing, and then some; but honestly, Frank, she wasn't in the same class as this new machine. "

"And yet, " Frank laughed, "remember that with her we beat Percy and hisbiplane, manufactured by one of the best firms in the market. Thatought to be glory enough for the Bird boys. Now, get ready for yourpart in the landing; because, you know the plateau isn't extra big onOld Thunder Top. "

"I see our old friends, the white-headed eagles soaring around. D'yethink they'll tackle us again, like they did last year?" Andy asked. 

"Oh! I hope that by now they've grown used to us, and consider thatwe've got just as much right up here as they ever had. Besides, wegave 'em an awful walloping you may remember. And this time we've beensmart enough to fetch along a couple of fine sticks to repeat the doseif necessary. Careful now, Andy. Here goes for a snug drop on therock!"

Almost as lightly as a thistle-down the biplane alighted on the smalltable rock that constituted the apex of grim Old Thunder Top. Highcliffs completely surrounding this summit had kept it from ever beingreached, up to the time Frank and his cousin landed there, in winningthe race for a silver cup; and planted the Stars and Stripes there forthe first time on record. 

Since then the boys of Bloomsbury, not to be wholly outdone, had set towork, and actually carved a set of rough steps, that were hardly morethan footholds, in the uneven rock; so that the most daring had beenable to climb up; and with the aid of a friendly rope carried along forthis purpose, get down again in safety. But in the annals ofBloomsbury the Bird boys would be set down as the pioneers who led theway to the peak. 

Frank and his cousin were soon walking around the rocky plateau, usingtheir fieldglasses to observe the many things that lay stretched out inevery direction. It was well worth all the trouble it cost to enjoythat magnificent view; for they could see for many miles in everydirection. 

Andy more than once turned the glasses toward the quarter where theyhad had their peculiar little adventure that morning. But of course hesaw no sign of the unknown party who had fired the shot. The denseforest would naturally prevent their sighting him when miles away. 

Half an hour they spent in this manner; and then Andy suggested thatthey might just as well be starting for home. 

"I notice that the wind is beginning to come up quite some, " heremarked. "And at such a height I rather guess it can blow for allthat's out, when it wants. Besides, we've got a number of littlethings we had expected to attend to at the shop. "

"All right, " replied Frank, who was using the glasses at the time. "I'll be ready to join you in a minute or so. "

"You seem to be interested in taking in our practice field, " remarkedhis cousin. "See the boys; and are they watching us right now?"

"I was wondering what was going to happen, " said Frank, taking theglasses down. 

"Happen--to us, do you mean?" Andy asked, instantly taking the alarm, because he saw from Frank's manner that the other meant something byhis remark. 

"Here, have a look, and then tell me if you recognize it. "

Andy immediately accepted the glasses, and clapped them to his eyes. He had no sooner done so than he gave vent to an exclamation. 

"I know now what you meant, Frank, " he remarked. 

"Well, what do you make of it?" asked the other. 

"The same car, beyond a doubt; and it's stopped in the road right infront of the bars where we enter our field. Yes, and there's thatmysterious Mr. Marsh going into the field right now. Frank, he knowswe're away, for he must have seen us sailing around up here. Andthat's why he's heading for our shop. Perhaps he believes it'sunguarded, and expects to get a chance to spy around. Now, what do youthink it all means? Oh! I wish we had started back long ago. What ifthe boys fall to his dope, and let him see everything with those sharpeyes of his? Frank, let's be going home!"

CHAPTER VIII

MYSTERIOUS MR. MARSH AT IT AGAIN

"What's the hurry?" remarked Frank, who seemed much more composed thanhis chum. 

"Why, think of the impudence of that man!" burst out Andy. "Takingadvantage of our being away, to prowl around our shop. "

"Now you're guessing, you know. He may be only intending to call onus. Anyhow, it's no use to think of trying to get there in time. Wejust couldn't do it. And besides, Larry and Elephant are there, and wedon't think they're fools, do we?" Frank remarked, as he again used theglasses. 

"There, didn't he go inside the shop?" demanded Andy, straining hiseyes to see what went on far below. 

"That's so; but Larry promptly walked him out again. They're talkingright now in front of the door, and the other two fellows fill thedoorway, " Frank reported. 

"I just bet he'll pull the wool over their eyes, and get in again. Iknow he's a soft talker, and can blarney to beat the band. Oh! if wecould only shout loud enough to make them hear. Or if we had ourwigwag flags along with us, " and Andy actually groaned with thesuspense. 

"Come, let up, old fellow, " observed Frank. "What's the use worryinglike that? You know we fixed things, so even if he got in again he'dsee precious little to give him any satisfaction. There, Larry iswalking away from the door with him. Give him credit for being sharpenough to see through a grindstone that has a hole in it, will you?"

"Bully for Larry; he's all to the good!" exclaimed the other. "Buttell me what's doing now, Frank. "

"The gentleman is holding out his hand, and Larry takes it. So Ireckon they didn't have any hard words, " Frank answered, quickly. 

"And is he going away?" demanded Andy. 

"Seems like it. There, he stops and looks around, as if he might beinterested in our field, and arrangements for tryouts. "

"I hope he don't turn back again, and force his way in; you know hecould easy enough do that, Frank; because they're only three boys, andtwo of 'em hardly worth counting, " Andy observed, anxiously. 

"Nothing doing, " commented Frank. "He's started again for the road, where the car stands. Here, take another look at that car before itgoes off. "

"All right, Frank; but I'm all balled up about why you want me to dothat, " replied Andy, suiting the action to the word. 

"You see which way the car heads, don't you?" asked his cousin. 

"Sure; toward town. That's as plain as the nose on my face, " Andyanswered. 

"And from that you'd judge they'd been out for a spin, wouldn't you?"

"Ask me something harder, won't you, Frank?" said Andy, scornfully. 

"But you forget that they expected to hand their car over to the man atthe garage to be entirely overhauled! That was to be their excuse forremaining over in Bloomsbury a couple of days!" Frank exploded. 

"Wow! that's so!" exclaimed the startled Andy. "And seems now theydidn't bother doing it. Something else gripped 'em to Bloomsbury. They concluded that they had right good need of their old car whilethey hung around here. Frank, it knocks me silly; but I honestly ownup I just can't get the hang of this thing. "

"Well, I'm almost in as bad a state as you are over it, " replied theother, as he pressed his lips firmly together in thought. "But, Andy, that wasn't all I wanted you to notice, when I asked you to look at theway the car stood. "

"It wasn't, eh? Well, please keep right along, now that you've gotstarted, Frank. I'm shivering all over with excitement right now. Something seems to tell me we're in for a new set of adventures thatwill make all the others look tame. "

"If they came along that road, Andy, it would have been the easiestthing in the world for Mr. Marsh and his friend to have been up in theneighborhood of the old deserted shack half an hour ago!"

Andy stared into his cousin's face, while an ashen hue spread over hisown usually cheery countenance. 

"Oh, my! then you believe--, " he began when Frank interrupted him bysaying:

"I don't believe anything; but the circumstance seemed a littlesuspicious to me, that's all. It's possible, and that's the extent ofwhat flashed into my mind. But we have no proof; and I'd hate to thinkthat Mr. Marsh could be guilty of such a nasty thing as trying toinjure us. "

"Shall we make a start now?" asked Andy, who seemed more or less in adaze. 

"I suppose we might as well. Look at the eagles dipping lower andlower. They've got some young ones in the nest, and if we went closerthere'd be a circus going on pretty quick. But we're not looking fortrouble today, " Frank remarked. 

"No need to, " replied the other, instantly; "because it's hunting us. "

They were very careful to make sure that no loose stones barred theway; for as the plateau was very short they must sail off into the airalmost immediately on starting the engine; and even a small turn atsuch a critical moment was apt to cause the biplane to swerve, andbring about a catastrophe. 

But the start was successfully accomplished. Frank always paid so muchattention to little things that he was not very apt to be caughtnapping. 

"Straight home?" asked Andy, once they were afloat, and heading downfrom the dizzy height. 

"Yes, " replied his cousin. "I'm curious to hear what our friend Mr. Marsh could have had to say to Larry; and how the boy carried out hisjob of keeping strangers from nosing around inside the shop. "

"Just as well that we left when we did, " remarked Andy; "for over inthe southwest I noticed some clouds that may bring a lot of wind along, and weather that no self-respecting aeroplane has any business to beout in. "

"Why, yes, I've seen the peak of Old Thunder Top buried in low hangingclouds many a time, " Frank declared. "And it wouldn't be the nicestthing in the world for us to be caught up there, with a wild stormraging. "

"Ugh! deliver me from that experience, " grunted Andy, turning his headto look back toward the peak they had just left, and which was alreadyfar astern, so rapidly did the little but powerful Kinkaid engine whirlthe biplane onward, when let out to its limit. 

Frank kept his eyes ahead; but he knew when his companion gazed towardthe dense woods away off to the right, where they had been fired at bythe unknown marksman. 

"Still harping on that bang, eh?" he observed. 

"Yes, and I won't have any peace till we find out who fired that shot, "answered the other, doggedly. "Just think how nasty it is to neverknow when you're going to be potted, like an old crow! It takes mostof the fun out of flying, that's what. "

"Well, wait a little, and perhaps we may learn something, " Frank wenton; and before his companion could make any remark he suddenly switchedthe conversation by saying: "the boys are waving their hats to us, andI thought I got a faint yell; but the breeze is dead wrong for hearing. I'm tickled to death with the handsome way the machine carries herself;and that's a satisfaction worth while, eh?"

So Andy stopped twisting around to look back, and confined hisattention to the scene in front. As they drew closer to the practicefield the shouts of the trio of lads near the shop came plainly totheir ears. 

Then Frank began circling, and cutting figure eights, wishing todiscover just what the biplane could do in that line. Perhaps he alsowas not averse to giving the admiring audience below something more togape at. But all the same, Frank took no great chances; he was toocautious and level-headed a boy to do that, unless the emergency calledfor it; and then his nerve was equal to any demand. 

When the biplane finally dropped down to the ground close by the hangarwhere it was to be housed, the three comrades were only too glad of achance to clutch hold, and assist to the best of their ability. 

"She's just a jim-dandy for going and turning, Frank!" exclaimed Larry. 

"Yes, " exclaimed Elephant; "I used to think that little Bug was thelimit; but now I see I was away off. This biplane has got her number, all right. Why, there ain't anything you couldn't trust her to do, fellows. "

"W-w-with F-f-frank at the h-h-helm, you m-m-mean!" spluttered Nat. 

"Oh! that goes without saying, Nat, " declared Elephant. 

"We was wondering whether you had another scrap with the two pirates upthere?" remarked Larry, pointing toward Old Thunder Top. 

"No, the eagles have become used to seeing an aeroplane by now. Theycame close to watch us, because they've got eaglets in the nest; butnever once swooped down to strike at us with talons, wings or beaks, "Frank replied. 

"We're going to tame 'em so's to shake hands with us, " grinned Andy. 

"I was watching you through the old telescope Andy has here, " observedLarry; "and which he says one of his ancestors used when he was captainof a sailing vessel more'n eighty years ago. She worked fine too, though a bit clumsy. And Frank, what under the sun did you make thatsudden upward slant for, when you was away off over the Powell woods?Whew! I thought you'd sure go clean over backwards!"

The Bird boys exchanged glances, which of course aroused the curiosityof the observing Larry more than ever. 

"Here, none of that, now, fellows, " he remarked. "There's something inthe wind, and you've just got to tell us all about it. Did the leverbreak or get away from your grip, Frank? There was a reason for thatjump, and I know it. "

"Sure there was, " said Andy. "If you heard a gun go bang a few hundredfeet below, and then got the zip-zip of the bullet as it whipped pastnot five feet from your ears, perhaps you'd move the ascending leversome too, and take chances on getting out of that dangerous spot in abig hurry, eh?"

Larry and the other two could not reply at once. The explanation givenby Andy fairly took their breath away, so that they could only stare, and gasp. 

CHAPTER IX

STARTLING NEWS OVER THE WIRE

"Frank, is he kidding us?" finally cried Larry, turning to the pilot ofthe new biplane; for Andy sometimes liked to joke his chums, as theywell knew. 

"Not this time, " replied Frank. 

"And somebody did really and truly shoot at you, then?" gaspedElephant, holding up his hands in horror. 

"Huh! what d'ye think of these holes through the planes?" demandedAndy, drawing attention to the stout tanned cloth that constituted theair-resisting cover of the framework. 

"Oh! my, it's so, as sure as you live!" cried Elephant, thrusting afinger through one of the little openings. "And not five feet awayfrom where you sat. What a terrible shame! Whoever could have been sowicked?"

"We don't know, " returned Andy, soberly. "But we're going to try andfind out. And all I can say is, that if we do, we're going to make itmighty warm for him, no matter who he may be. "

"He ought to be tarred and feathered, " gritted Larry. "Of all the meanand contemptible things anybody can do, I think the worst is to shootat a fellow up in a balloon or an aeroplane. Because they can't fireback; and the least accident means death to the aviator!"

"Bully for you, Larry!" exclaimed Andy. 

"My sentiments exactly, " remarked Elephant, with a vim. 

Poor Stuttering Nat wanted to echo what Larry had said; but of coursethe excitement had seized him in its grip, so that words positivelyrefused to pour from his parted lips. So after making a great effort, amid much twisting of his facial muscles, he contented himself withpatting Larry on the back, and nodding, as if to stand for everythingthe other had said. 

"Well, let's drop that subject for the present, fellows, " Franksuggested. "We saw that you had visitors while we were away, Larry?"

"Why, yes. Your friend, Mr. Marsh, dropped in to say howdyedo. Hebreezed in some unexpectedly to us, for we happened to be all insidewhen he stepped across the sill, and said he was delighted to renew ouracquaintance. "

"Yes, go on, please!" urged impatient Andy. 

But there was no hurrying Larry. When he had anything to tell healways insisted on narrating it after his own fashion. 

"Of course I jumped for him right away, " he went on, slowly; "andmanaged to escort him outdoors, all the while explaining how Frank herehad plainly left word that nobody was to be allowed inside the shopbesides us three. "

"How did he seem to take it?" asked Frank. 

"Oh! he wasn't at all flustered, as far as I could see, " came the readyreply. "Elephant here says he saw him frown, and bite his lips, as Igrabbed his arm and hustled him out; but I only saw him smile, pleasantlike; and then he said it was all right, and that he didn't blame youone whit for being careful--that perhaps if you knew him better youmight invite him in. "

"He said all that, did he?" Frank continued. 

"Sho! ten times as much. That man has the gift of gab. He can wrapyou right around his finger, I reckon, " Larry went on. 

"Told you so!" exclaimed Andy, nodding his head in affirmation. 

"But seems he didn't wrap you around, very much, " Frank laughinglysaid; "because you didn't take him back in again, did you?"

"He never asked me. P'raps I wouldn't a-done it if he had; but I don'tknow. He's sure got a way about him that's terribly convincing, " Larrymuttered. 

"And he went off pleasantly, didn't he? I saw you shake hands withhim, " continued Frank. 

"As smooth as oil. Why, I can feel his grip yet, it was that strong. Thought my bones'd crack that time. Wonder who Mr. Marsh is, anyway, Frank, do you know?"

"I do not, " was the prompt reply Larry received; for if Frank happenedto have any suspicion, he did not consider it his duty to confide thesame to everybody who expressed the least curiosity. 

When the biplane had been safely housed Frank dodged into the shop asthough to convince himself that nothing had been taken. When theothers followed they found him moving around. Finally he came to astand near the door, and called out once more to Larry:

"Was he in this far when you discovered him?"

"What say, boys; it must have been about there, eh?" the one addressedremarked, appealing to his comrades for their opinions. 

"Just about, " Elephant answered; while Nat nodded his head as theeasiest way to cut a Gordian knot. 

"Oh! well, he couldn't see anything worth while from here, " Frank wenton. "Now, did any of you notice whether he used his eyes to lookaround; or was he only bent on saying howdyedo to you?"

"When Larry grabbed him by the arm and started to lead him out, I sawthe gentleman take a good look all around; and that's the truth, Frank, " Elephant remarked. 

Frank hardly knew what to think. This might be a very significantthing; and then again, if one looked at it another way, was it notsimply what any curious stranger, interested in the doings of theventuresome Bird boys, might have done?

It was about ten o'clock, and growing quite hot, since the time wasJuly. Just as Andy had hinted, that bank of dark clouds hanging lowalong the horizon in the southwest might take a notion to climb up inthe heavens at any time, and bring about a summer thunderstorm. 

Apparently Frank did not bother his head in connection with such apossibility; for a little later he wheeled his bicycle out of the shedas though intending to leave the others temporarily. 

"Be back in half an hour or so, Andy, " he called over his shoulder, ashis cousin came to the door to see what he was about to do. 

"Going over home for something, Frank?" called Andy; but if the otherheard he chose or some reason to decline to commit himself. 

Had Andy been able to follow his course after he left the field hewould soon have known that Frank was rather heading for town thanintending to pedal in the direction of his own house, which wassituated on the outskirts of Bloomsbury. 

And doubtless the curiosity of Andy would have mounted to near thefever pitch did he but know that when Frank jumped from his wheel hestood directly in front of the low building known as policeheadquarters. 

Without any hesitation the boy walked in through the open door. He hadoften been here before; and knew the head of the force very well, alsothe officers who constituted the Chief's staff. 

Chief Waller was bending over his flat-top desk, and evidently readingsome communication or other. He looked up, and on seeing who hiscaller was, smiled amiably; for Frank Bird was a favorite of his, andpossibly the best liked boy in Bloomsbury. 

"Why, glad to see you, Frank; won't you sit down?" he said, offeringhis hand to the boy. 

"I didn't just drop in to chat, Chief, " marked Frank, after he hadaccepted the proffered hand, and been favored with a hearty grip. 

"No, I suppose not, because you're a boy of business generally. Well, what can I do for you, Frank?" asked the other, pleasantly. 

"Your phone here is one of the long distance ones, isn't it, Chief?"

"To be sure, since most of the use we have of it is to talk with otherplaces. Do you want to use it, Frank?" replied the officer. 

"No, but I'd like you to do something for me, and I'll explainafterwards what my reason is, " Frank went on. 

"Sure I will, my boy. Do almost anything to oblige you. Now, who doyou want me to get at the other end of the wire?" and as he said thisthe Chief took down the receiver of the desk phone. 

"The penitentiary isn't more than thirty miles away from here, is it?"asked Frank. 

"Whew! what ever would you be wanting to know from there?" the officerremarked. 

"Please call them up and ask whether that man you captured a year ago, up in the Powell woods, is still doing time there. "

"You mean Jules Garrone, do you?" asked Chief Waller. 

"That's the man. "

Still looking at Frank as though wondering what he could mean by such astrange request, the other started operations, and after someskirmishing managed to get in touch with some one who might possibly bethe warder of the State penitentiary. 

"Yes, this is Chief Waller of Bloomsbury, " Frank heard him say. "Howare you, sir? I would like you to give me a little informationconnected with a man I had the pleasure of railroading over your way ayear ago. His name was Jules Garrone, and he was convicted of havingbroken into the jewelry establishment of Leffingwell--what's that, sir?" And Frank, watching closely, could see the lips of the Chiefpursing up, as though he might be tempted to whistle while listening tosomething the party at the other end of the wire was telling him. 

Then, perhaps a minute or so later, the Chief turned around to Frank, as he once more hung up the receiver. 

"Look here, Frank, " he said, exhibiting signs of excitement now, "howdid you ever come to know or suspect that?" he demanded. 

"You have told me nothing yet, Chief, " Frank remarked, calmly. "But Ijudge from the way you acted that you heard some surprising news fromthe warden at the penitentiary. What about Jules, sir?"

"He no longer lodges with my friend, the warden, " went on Waller. "Infact, to tell the whole truth, there was a jail delivery week ago, which has been kept secret up to now. The warden says he was justsending out the news when I called him. Jules and two other convictsmanaged to break away; and while the others have been recaptured, Julesis still at large!"

CHAPTER X

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHIEF

Frank breathed a little faster than ordinary but there was little elseto indicate that he had heard startling news. 

"And now, Frank, don't forget that you promised to take me in on this, "the head of the local force went on, persuasively. "You remember thatwe stood by you at that other time, and rounded Jules up in greatshape. Seems like we might have to do it again, sort of historyrepeating itself. How did you know about it?"

"I didn't, sir, and that's the queer part it, " replied the boy. 

"Then you suspected something of the sort--did you run across Jules onthe road; or has he been trying to steal your aeroplane again?"continued Chief Waller. 

"Neither one nor the other, sir. But some unknown person fired a rifleat our biplane today, when we were passing over those woods near theold shack. The bullet came within a few feet of us, as I can show you, for it passed through both planes. That looks as if the scamp meant todo us real harm. And it set me to thinking and guessing, with theresult that I made up my mind to come to you, and find out if Jules wasstill safe behind the bars. "

"Well, this is something I'll have to look into, " bustled the stoutChief, as he pushed back his chair. "Up in the Powell woods, you said;that makes it look as if it must be him; because he hid there before, you know. "

"If it had happened anywhere else, I guess I'd never have thought aboutJules, sir, " Frank candidly admitted. "But you see, we were justtalking about our other adventure when the shot came; and somehow, itwas natural to connect the two. But it seems foolish for him to comeback to the old place again. "

"When you know slick rascals as well as I do, Frank, you'll understandthat they often do just what everybody never dreams they'd be sillyenough to try. That's the tricky part of the game, you see. Ordinarily that woods is the last place we'd think of looking forJules. It ought to have an evil name for him, and make him shun it. You see, that's the way we'd just naturally dope it out. "

"I see now, sir. And then again, all of the plunder taken fromLeffingwell's establishment was never recovered, I heard. PerhapsJules has got a plant somewhere up in those woods, and came back to getthe stuff?" Frank suggested. 

"A bright thought for you, my boy!" cried the Chief. "Of course thatsort of thing would strike me the first thing; but for you too speak ofit proves that you have a clever mind. Yes, undoubtedly Jules has comeback for the loot. "

"And then, " Frank went on, steadily; "just by accident he happened tohear our propellers buzzing, and looking up recognized the two boys whohad so much to do with his being nabbed last summer. He couldn'tresist the temptation to have a pot shot at us, hoping to pay the Birdboys back for their share in his capture. "

"Yes, sometimes even the sharpest of them fall down, " the head of thelocal police continued; "and before we're done with him Jules willrealize that when he allowed himself to give way to temptation he didthe most foolish thing possible, for it puts us on his track, and we'llget him again. I want to thank you too, Frank, because you see, therewill be quite a little reward paid for the recapture of so notorious aconvict as Garrone. "

"Oh! you're quite welcome, sir, " replied Frank. "I was just thinkingwhether, if that was Jules, and he saw that his shot did no damage, hemightn't decide to pay us a visit in the night, and try some more funnybusiness. "

"Well, now, I wouldn't put it past him a particle, Frank, " remarked theChief, promptly; "and if I were in your place I'd be on my guard. Hemight try to steal your new biplane I've heard them talking about; oreven burn down your whole outfit. Better get a gun, and keep watch. He's fair game, you know, if so be you catch him prowling around afterdark. An escaped convict hasn't any rights in the eye of the law. "

"I wouldn't like to be the one to shoot him, " Frank observed; "but ifhe came around as you say, I'd want to be in a position to defend myproperty, and give him a good scare. "

The Chief asked a lot more questions, which Frank answered as well ashe was able. He could see that he had stirred the police head greatly, and that before long all the available men on the force would be makingfor the direction of the Powell woods, bent on rounding up the lurkingJules, if so be it had been him, as seemed so probable now. 

Frank had left his chair and started for the door, when somethingchanced to strike him, so that he turned back. 

"I don't suppose now, Chief, you happen to know the two gentlemen whoblew into Bloomsbury yesterday in a touring car, and are perhapsquartered at the hotel here. They go by the names of Mr. Marsh and Mr. Longley?"

"I understood that two gents did put up there; but I saw them go offthis morning in their car, and supposed they were leaving, " replied theother. 

"If you glance out of the door right now, Chief, you will see theparties dropping out of their machine right in front of the hotel, "Frank remarked, quietly. 

Accordingly the other moved over so that he could look out, immediatelyremarking:

"Sho! that's a fact, just as you say, Frank. Come back to dinner, Ireckon; for old Barnwell does set a good table in the Quality Inn. I've seen twenty cars parked in his dooryard of a Sunday. And theseparties like his style, it seems. "

"But why should they say that their car needed overhauling, and thatthey might as well have it done in Bloomsbury? You can see it's aright new one, and runs as smooth as silk, " Frank remarked. 

"They said that, did they? Who to, Frank?" asked the other. 

So Frank had to go back and relate what had occurred at the time Andydropped from the hydroplane into Lake Sunrise, and saved little TommyCragan from becoming food for the fishes. 

Of course the policeman was not able to look at the matter from thesame standpoint that Frank and Andy had. All the same, he admittedthat the actions of the two touring gentlemen did look a bit queer. 

"I'll take the first chance I get to look 'em over, Frank, and learnwho they really are, " he said, in conclusion. "Of course that'll haveto wait, since I've got this other business on my hands, which is ofgreater importance, you know. "

"You don't think, do you, sir, that either of them could be this JulesGarrone in disguise?" suggested Frank. 

Chief Waller caught his breath. 

"Whew; that is a notion, now, ain't it?" he exclaimed. "From what I'velearned about that rascal I wouldn't put it past him to be up to someclever dodge equal to that? The bolder the game the less danger ofdiscovery. See here, Frank, you say you was close to these parties;and sure you ought to remember Jules--now, think a bit, and then tellme if you can imagine him playing such a part?"

"Oh! I have been hammering my brain for a long time over that, Chief, "Frank answered, with a slight smile. 

"And what conclusion did you reach, Frank?"

"That neither of them could hardly be Jules, " came the ready reply. "Ionly mentioned the thing to see how it struck you. In the first place, Jules was smaller than either of those men; and he couldn't hardly havegrown under prison fare, you know. Then he had black hair, and neitherof these have. Besides, Longley wears a mustache, and no convict couldgrow one in a week. While such eyes as Marsh has I could never, neverforget, once I felt them fastened on me. "

"Well, I'll have one of my men keep an eye on the gents as long as theystay at the Quality Inn. Going now, Frank? Shake hands again, willyou; and remember, anything we can do for you, just ask. This is greatnews you've brought here today, and it may mean a heap for me. "

When Frank went outside and mounted his wheel he never once glancedacross the square to where the car of Mr. Marsh stood. True, neitherof the parties happened to be visible just then; but how was he to knowbut what they might be looking out from behind the filmy lace curtainswith which Mine Host Barnwell decorated his front parlor windows?

He rode straight home, and reaching his den where he kept all hisbelongings in the line of sport, took down from the wall adouble-barrel shotgun, with which he had had many a day's pleasure inthe past. 

From a drawer he also gathered up half a dozen shells, carrying NumberTen shot; which Frank calculated would tickle rather than severelyinjure, if used with discretion, at a certain distance. 

After spending a short time at home, and not seeing his father, thegood doctor, who was off in his car paying his morning calls, Frankagain mounted his wheel, and headed toward the home of his cousin. 

He had much to ponder over as he proceeded, making no pretense atspeed; for he was carrying the gun in one hand. It was not a verypleasant thought, that at any minute almost he might run across thatrevengeful Jules, bent on paying back the debt he chose to believe heowed the young aviator. Frank was almost tempted to stop, alight, andplace a couple of shells in the gun, so as to be ready for anyemergency that might arise. 

"Shucks! what's getting you, Frank Bird?" he exclaimed, as he laughedat the idea of being held up in that fashion on the public highway. "Just make up your mind nothing's going to happen to you; and that ifJules did come back to the Powell woods he's started away by now, fulltilt. I'm ashamed of you, that's what. If it was Andy now, he's sofull of imagination he sees lots of things that never exist; but youknow better. Why, whatever can that smoke mean? And as sure asanything, it seems to be rising straight over the field where our shoplies!"

He immediately increased his speed, and went flying along the crookedroad, bent on reaching a point where he could see the open, andascertain if his worst fears were going to be realized. 

CHAPTER XI

A NEW ALARM

The next two minutes seemed an eternity to Frank, spinning rapidlyalong on his trusty wheel as he was. He wanted to know the worst, andyet dreaded to pass beyond the trees where the field would be in fullsight; because it would be distressing if he discovered the shop andhangars blazing, and everything gone. 

Still, Frank was not the one to shirk bad tidings. And consequently heincreased his speed all that was possible. 

"Bully!"

Such was the exclamation that involuntarily burst from his dry lipswhen, having burst from behind the barrier, he had a clear view of thefield. For the shed was there as intact as ever, and also the twohangars sheltering the aeroplanes. Some distance back, far enoughremoved to avoid any danger to the gasoline in the storage houses, Andywas tending a bonfire; while the other boys seemed to be carryingshavings and trash thither in bags and baskets. 

Old Colonel Josiah Whympers was bobbing and bustling around on hiscrutch, and seemingly bossing the "whole shooting-match, " as Franklaughingly said to himself. 

Of course he saw now what Andy had been doing. For some time the otherhad threatened to clear the shop of all the accumulated rubbish of thewinter; and the notion must have seized him just after Frank left fortown. 

"Hello! back again, are you, Frank?" laughed his cousin, as the riderdropped off his wheel close to the bonfire. "Cleaning house, you see. Threatened to do this a long time back; and as we have to sleep in theshop now, thought I might as well get at it. But what's that you'vebrought along, Frank? My goodness, your gun! Now, what sort of gamedo you expect to get with that thing?"

"Don't know, " returned Frank, grimly. "Might be Jules Garrone for allI can say!"

At that Andy dropped the long stick with which he had been pushing thetrash into the heart of the blaze, and stared at the other as thoughstunned. 

"Didn't I know you had something on your mind though?" he muttered. "See here, Frank, ain't I in on this thing too? What d'ye know aboutJules Garrone? Ain't he fixed tight in the stone jug? I'm not fromMissouri, but all the same I want to know!"

"So say we all of us, " remarked Larry, who had come up while they wereindulging in these few remarks, and was able to give a good guess as tothe nature of what had been said. 

"Please confide in us, Frank; we'll keep mum, sure we will!" pleadedElephant. 

Stuttering Nat only wagged his head, and moved his jaws; but thispantomime stood for volumes with those who knew his infirmity. 

"It turns out that our old friend Jules gave them leg bail a week ago, along with a couple of other convicts. But though they recaptured thetwo fellows, crafty Jules is still at large!" Frank said, quietly. 

At that Andy came near having a fit. 

"My goodness gracious! hear that, would you, fellows?" he exclaimed. "Now we know who fired that nasty shot at us this morning. And hemeant to hit us, too. Oh! the coward, to stand down there, and justlet us have it, when we couldn't give him back as good as he sent!Frank, is that going to end our flying?"

Andy looked pained at the very idea, and Frank could hardly keep fromlaughing at the miserable face his chum exhibited. 

"Oh! I don't know, " he replied. "There's no reason it should, that Ican see. We can avoid that section, or else keep high up when passing, so he never would have the least chance at hitting us, going a mile aminute. Besides, perhaps he'll find himself in hot water presently, when Chief Waller gets a line on him. "

"Does the Chief know he's loose?" asked Larry. 

"He does now, but he never suspected it until I dropped in on him, "replied the other, calmly. 

"But see here, how did you know?" demanded Elephant. 

"The Chief told me, " laughed Frank. 

"Oh! say, is this fair, Frank?" complained Andy. "You're just gettingthe whole lot of us balled up. You told the Chief; and the Chief toldyou! Please lift the curtain, won't you, and let us see the game. "

So Frank, taking pity on them, condescended to explain. Colonel Josiahhad also joined the group, and was an eager listener to the recital. 

The old traveler had himself been through a vast number of adventuresin his time, for he had delighted in exploring odd corners of the worldseldom heard of by ordinary people. Hence, he delighted in listeningto "his boys" when they were narrating some stirring event that hadcome to their experience. 

All sorts of exclamations arose when they heard what the warden of theState penitentiary had to say about Jules. Andy even looked about himsuspiciously, as if he might entertain a feeling approaching timidity, lest the desperate escaped convict suddenly appear, and threaten themin some way. 

"Now I know why you went after your gun, Frank!" he remarked. "Notthat I blame you a particle, remember. Don't I remember the dark faceof that Jules, and how he stared at me, and ground his white teeth, when they took him away. All this time I've allowed myself to sleepsweetly, under the belief that, since he was bound to stay behind stonewalls at least eight years, I needn't be afraid. But sometimes evenwalls can be scaled. Is it loaded, Frank--your gun, I mean?"

To oblige him Frank laughingly opened the breech, and inserted a coupleof shells. 

"Shucks! only Number Tens?" ejaculated Andy. "If it had been me now, I'd have brought a handful of buckshot ones. Much good these would donow if Jules was running away, and had covered a hundred yards. "

"Then I'd be willing to let him run, " said Frank. "What I want themfor most of all is to meet Jules, if he persists in advancing tooclose. "

They were still discussing the matter an hour later; or at least someof them kept it up, while Larry started the fire inside the shop, andbegan the necessary operation looking to a dinner to which the oldColonel had been invited on condition that he relate a few more of hisstrange experiences in China, Thibet and Northern India. 

"Look who's coming!" called out Elephant and of course this made themall turn their heads; even Larry running to the door, gun in hand, asthough he had heard the remark, and thought it might refer to thedreaded Jules himself. 

A car was coming from the direction of the town, and in a cloud ofdust. Naturally the first thought that came to Frank was that it mightbe Mr. Marsh and his companion, Longley. But as the breeze lifted thecurtain of dust, he immediately discovered that this was not so. 

Half a dozen men were crowded in the car and one of these half arose inpassing, to wave a hand vigorously toward the group of boys in thefield. 

"That's Chief Waller!" remarked Andy, with more or less eagerness inhis voice. 

"And those others are some of his men, " Frank went on. "They don'tmean to lose any time about looking Jules up, do they?"

"Hey! are you sure about that?" asked Elephant; "because none of 'emhad a uniform on; and what good are the police in plain clothes?"

"Oh! there are times when they can do more without their uniforms thanin them, " Frank remarked. "And this ought to be one of them. Supposenow that keen-eyed Jules happened to be on the lookout, and saw a carloaded down with bluecoats come along, wouldn't he hide, all right?Well, that goes without saying, fellows. As it is he might neversuspect a thing. I've often seen as many fellows jammed in a car, andso have every one of you. "

"One good thing is, Waller ought to know that section pretty well, "remarked the old traveler. "He's been brought up here, and scoured thecountry as if he had a fine tooth comb, many a time. He will know howto close in on Jules, if the fellow is hiding there, which I doubt. "

"Why do you say that, sir?" asked Frank, who had a genuine respect forthe opinions of the veteran, based as they were on long experience andobservation in all parts of the world. 

"It is only a surmise on my part, Frank, " replied the Colonel. "We alladmit that Jules is a very clever and long-headed rascal. Very well. Don't you suppose that he may regret having given way to suddentemptation, and fired at you boys this morning? He will, onreflection, fear that you may guess who did it; for of course Julesdoes not know that his escape has been kept a secret all this week, inthe hope that he might be recaptured, and nothing need be told. Followme, boys?"

"Oh! yes, sir, " Frank declared. "And in that case the Chief will haveall his trouble for his pains, since Jules will have made tracks longbefore this. He may be out of the county by night. "

"That is true; providing that he does not allow a fierce desire forrevenge to stay his feet, " replied the old man, soberly. 

Usually the veteran was not the one to imagine trouble where there wasnone in sight; and knowing this Frank looked at him somewhat uneasily. 

But before anything more could be said they were surprised to seeStammering Nat coming toward them on a run, for he had been watchingthe last of the bonfire to make sure it did no harm; and of course, ashe was brimful of excitement, he had lost all power of control over hisvoice. 

He tried the best he knew how, to regain the mastery of his vocalchords; even resorting to an old expedient of whistling, that perhapshad served him on some previous occasion. Finding everything of noavail, he clutched Andy by the sleeve, and started dragging him aroundthe corner of the shed. 

"Hey! what ails you, Nat?" shrilled the struggling Andy, wonderingwhether the other could have lost his mind because of his greataffliction. 

Another moment and the rest heard Andy give tongue in a way thatannounced his complete surrender to the same mysterious source ofexcitement that had mastered Nat. Of course this needed anexplanation; and accordingly Frank and Elephant dashed off, withColonel Josiah stumping along close behind; and even Larry, leaving hiscooking dinner, to come after them, still clinging to Frank's gun. 

CHAPTER XII

SANDY DROPS SOMETHING

"Whoop! now, what d'ye think of that?" shouted Elephant, as soon as heturned the corner of the shed. 

"Percy shies his hat in the ring! Another man-bird come to keep thepot boiling! Now, will you be good, Frank? Look at it eat updistance, will you? Say, that's going some, I tell you!" Larryexclaimed. 

"Percy deserves credit for staying up about all night to assemble theparts of his new biplane, and that's a fact!" Frank candidly admitted;as with kindling eyes he watched the progress of the new wonder thatmarked the latest achievement in the line of aviation, as advanced by awell-known brand of builders. 

His whole heart and soul were wrapped up in the strange calling thatseemed to be his birthright; so that he could even admire the cleverwork of a bitter rival, and applaud his successful evolutions. 

Over the treetops the biplane had arisen. Frank instantly rememberedhow they had seen Percy starting aloft on his initial flight with hisold machine, the one later on seized by the natives of Colombia, andwhich might still be doing duty down in that South American republic, for aught they knew. 

Apparently the young pilot of the new aircraft was filled withexultation over his successful start. He sent the biplane swiftlyaround in eccentric circles, as though testing its ability in variouslines. Now he shot upward as if intending to mount like an eagle ingigantic circles until among the fleecy clouds that floated overhead. Then he would volplane downward at dazzling speed, to resume ahorizontal flight when close to the earth. 

The boys watched as though fascinated. When a particularly daring actturned out to be a success Frank was the first to clap his handsvigorously. 

Possibly those in the aeroplane might not hear the applause; butwhether or no, it proved what the boys of Bloomsbury had always known, and this was that Frank Bird did not have a mean or jealous fibre inhis whole body. He could thoroughly enjoy seeing a rival performbrilliant "stunts;" and the only effect was to spur him on to excelling. 

"Percy is just as daring as ever! That is his one weakness, I'mafraid!" he remarked, as they saw the other make a sudden swoop thatmust have been particularly trying in the planes of his machine. 

"I bet you he's going to break his neck some day, " grumbled Andy, whocould not bring himself to feel just the same way toward Percy as hiscousin did; according to the way boys look at these things, Andy wasthe more "human" of the two; having faults that were lacking in Frank. 

"That's certain a better biplane than the one they had last year, "Larry remarked, after he had been thrilled with the daring exhibitionPercy was putting up in his exultation at being once more afloat in theair, after a long absence. 

"A great deal better, " Frank admitted. "I knew what the faults werewith that old plane, and so far I fail to discover the same failingswith this one. If Percy would only use a little more sense, and not beso willing to take unnecessary risks, he could have a grand time thissummer. "

"Gee! look at him going it now, would you?" gasped Elephant. "He musthave a bully good motor aboard to eat up space like that. Talk to meabout your mile a minute, he's beating that all hollow!"

"No doubt of it, " laughed Frank; "for everything happens to befavorable just now;" but Andy frowned and remarked:

"Oh! I just guess that ain't anything so remarkable. Percy hasn't gotthe push on our biplane. I'd take my affidavy that we went faster thanthat at one time when Frank let her out. You wait and see; some fineday we'll show you a sight that'll make your eyes stick out. "

Andy was not a boaster as a rule; but whenever Percy Carberry startedto show what a mighty conqueror of the air he had become, somethingseemed to rise up within the second Bird boy that made him give vent tosuch expressions. 

"He knows we're watching him, that's why he does it!" said wiseElephant. 

"Sure, " Larry admitted; "but that don't take away anything from hiscircus stunts, does it? Now he's going to swing around and circle yourfield, Frank. Wish he'd take a notion to drop down here, and let'slook his new article over. "

Andy laughed scornfully. 

"I see him doing that same, Larry, when water runs up hill!" heobserved sarcastically. "Did you ever know Percy to be open and frank?Ain't he always hiding what he knows, and trying to spring surprises onpeople? You don't catch him letting Frank look over his biplane, notif he knows it. Why, he's afraid Frank might get on to some littledevice that he expects will play a big part in the game, if ever heraces us again. Huh! come off your perch, Larry, and take anotherguess. "

"Well, there he goes around the field, " the other went on. "Listen tothe hum of the propellers, would you? Don't they make sweet music, though? I'm afraid I'll be like poor little Elephant here, and get theaeroplane fever myself, if this thing keeps on. Then there'll be awhole flock of us bobbing around. "

He laughed heartily at the idea, as though he could imagine himselfwhizzing through the air "like a comet, " as he remarked. 

"Look at Sandy swinging his hat!" called out Elephant. "He's yellingsomething too, but I can't make it out, because of the racket themachine makes. "

"Well, it wouldn't be hard to guess, " declared Andy; "because you knowhow Sandy Hollingshead likes to boast. The joke of it is, he neverdoes anything but hang on to his crony, and keep up the shouting. He'ssuch a coward naturally that I don't understand how he finds the nerveto go up in that cranky craft with Percy. "

"There! he's making faces at us; or doing something with his hands, "Elephant continued, as he watched the biplane swinging past, somehundreds of feet in the air. 

"I suppose that's meant for a defi, " laughed Frank. "You know Sandy'sways, fellows? He always was something of a monkey on the team when heplayed ball. Don't answer back, any of you. A cat may look at a king;and we have a perfect right to stand here in our own dooryard, and gapeat the show. But, Andy, pay attention to the way his machine works. I've caught on to a little idea already that I believe we could usewith benefit ourselves. "

That was practical Frank every time, always keeping an eye out for theusefulness of things, and ready to improve his opportunities asoccasion arose. 

Three times did Percy circle the big practice field, as thoughdetermined to impress upon the lookers-on the marvelous advantages hisnew biplane had over the old. 

Doubtless time had not effaced the bitterness of his former defeats atthe hands of his rival; and he was now fairly burning for a chance towipe the memory out. 

"Now, what d'ye suppose he's hanging around here all this while for?"grumbled Andy, who was nervous just so long as the other aeroplane keptwinging its flight over the encircling fence that marked the confinesof the aviation field. 

"Oh! Percy wants you to know he ain't stingy, " sang out Larry. "Lookyour fill, from a distance, but you can't come any nearer. "

"Don't bother your head about him, Andy, " remarked Frank. "It's givinghim heaps of pleasure, and doesn't hurt us a whit. In fact, I don'tcare how long he keeps it up; for by degrees I'll be able to understandsome things I'd like to know about that make of biplane. You can seeit differs from ours in lots of ways. Some things may be a bit better, and others not so good. "

"But, Frank, you don't think it could beat us out, do you?" Andyquickly demanded. 

Frank shook his head. 

"I hope not, " he said, quietly; "but you can't always tell. That's agreat machine Percy has there now, and it would be silly to deny it. Agood deal depends on how it's going to be run. "

"That's the ticket, Frank!" exclaimed Larry. "And I'm dead sure thatno matter which biplane you handled in a race you'd come out ahead. "

"Sure he would, " added Elephant, emphatically. "Because he keeps hishead about him, and knows just what to do in a tight pinch; while Percgets rattled, and loses his judgment. "

"That's good of you to say such things, boys; but I don't think Ideserve them, " Frank laughed. 

"You sure do!" declared Andy, who ought to know better than any oneelse the good qualities of his chum, since he had seen him under firemany a time. 

"L-l-look at 'em!" burst out Nat just then, surprising himself by hisability to actually speak clearly. 

The biplane had again headed across the field at a height of aboutthree hundred feet; only this time, instead of cutting corners it wascoming on directly, and gave promise of passing over the shed. 

"Hey! what's that Sandy's got in his fist?" cried Larry. 

"He's going to drop something, as sure as you live!" echoed Elephant. 

"Mem-mebbe it's a b-b-bomb!" burst out Nat, his mind filled withaccounts he had been reading of what was being done over in Africa bythe Italians in their war against the Turks and Arabs. 

At that Elephant seemed seized with a panic. He was not a valiant boy, generally speaking, and something about the ridiculous suggestionconcerning a bomb seemed to fill him with sudden terror. 

Uttering a howl he started to run one way, and then changing his minddarted in another direction; only to come back and finally crawl undera pile of boards that chanced to be lying near. 

"Hey! what you thinkin' of doing, Sandy?" shouted Larry, shaking hisfist up at the approaching aeroplane. "Don't you dare drop that on us, or I'll take it out of your measly hide, I sure will! Look out, Frank, he's let and here it comes a-sailin' down at us. Whoop!"

From under the woodpile issued an echoing squawk, as Elephant huggedthe ground, and waited for the expected explosion. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE CHALLENGE

Frank laughed heartily, so that Andy turned toward him in surprise. Ofcourse it was silly to think of such a thing as a bomb, in connectionwith the object Sandy had dropped. Then again, Frank had seen that itwas bound to fall at some little distance away from the shed. He alsocaught the unmistakable flutter of paper, and could give a prettyaccurate guess as to what it all meant. 

"It's dropped, Frank, and didn't go off!" exclaimed Larry, havinghimself been more or less influenced by the panic into which timidElephant had fallen. 

Frank started forward as if bent upon approaching the object that layupon the ground; while the biplane was now heading straight away, as ifit might be the intention of the pilot to seek new pastures. 

"Be careful, Frank!" called out Larry. 

"Yes, go mighty slow, please!" added Elephant, thrusting his head outfrom cover, much as a cautious old tortoise might do, to see if thecoast were clear. 

They saw Frank reach the object, and immediately pick it up. He seemedto be examining it with more or less interest. 

"Why, I declare if I don't believe it's only a block of wood afterall, " remarked Larry, in disgust. 

"Sure it is; anybody could see that!" declared Elephant, who hadmanaged to slide out from under the woodpile most adroitly, and wasrubbing his cheeks to induce a return of his customary color. 

"Frank's reading something, fellows!" cried Andy. "I know what it mustbe; and just like that sassy Perc Carberry to send it in that way. Hewants to do everything just like he was on the stage, you know. "

"A challenge!" burst out Larry. 

"Sure thing!" piped up Elephant, grinning now, and ready to make itappear that he had guessed this from the very first, and that hisactions had been in the light of a huge joke. 

Frank had turned around now, and was approaching them, still engrossedwith what he had found on the paper Sandy had dropped, with a heavyblock of wood to carry it direct to the earth. 

"What is it, Frank?" asked his cousin. 

"Yes, tell us before we burst, please!" Elephant pleaded. 

"Me too!" said Larry, feeling that he ought to be heard. 

"D-d-do it, F-f-frank!"

"All right, fellows, " replied the other, nodding and smiling, as ifsomething had pleased him. "Suppose we sit down on that long bench infront of the shed. "

He had no sooner dropped upon the wooden settee than there were acouple of eager boys hanging over either shoulder. 

"It's a challenge, all right?" said Andy, his eyes sparkling. 

"Yes, that's where you hit the nail on the head, " replied the other. "And like everything that Percy manages, it is gotten up in a way tosting. We might decline an ordinary, everyday challenge; but hemanages to fix it so that you've just got to accept, or be set down asafraid. "

"Huh! no danger of our not taking him up on anything that's half wayfair, " said Andy, promptly. "And now suppose you read it out to us, Frank. "

"Here goes then. He's got it headed 'A Challenge!' And then rightbelow he gets down to business in this way: 'Frank Bird and Andy Bird, Aviators!'"

"Wow!" cried Larry, "that sounds all the good; but he's giving you thattaffy only because he wants to claim the same title himself; ain't itso, Frank?"

"You'll see presently. Here's the way he goes on, fellows: 'Greeting:I hereby challenge you to a trial of skill and speed with ourrespective biplanes, same to take place within three days from date, atan hour to be selected mutually. Said test to include first, a thirtymile straightaway race, and circle the liberty pole on the Commons atHazenhurst; next altitude, to be decided by the barograph carried oneach biplane; then three times around the peak of Old Thunder Top; andfinally the feat of volplaning from the greatest height, to land onBloomsbury high school campus. Other rules for this race to bearranged between us at a meeting to be held later on. If you declineto accept this challenge I propose to go over the aforesaid schedulealone, and claim a victory. ' And then underneath it all he signshimself: 'Percy Carberry, Aviator. '"

The boys looked at each other. 

"Sounds like a real good test, Frank!" suggested Larry, cautiously. 

"Just what I was going to say, " Elephant put in, watching Frank's face, and seeing what he considered favorable signs there. 

"And I move for one that the challenge be immediately accepted, so thatfurther arrangements may be made!" Andy observed, grimly. 

"Well, " remarked Frank, slowly; "we'll consider it. As a rule, youknow, fellows, I'm not much in favor of racing, when there's so muchdanger involved, but just as I said a bit ago, Percy knows how to fixthings so as to stick pins in you. He's written his challenge in a waythat makes us accept, or be branded for cowards. "

"Oh, he needn't have worried about that!" cried Andy, angrily. "If heknows anything about the Bird boys he ought to make sure they nevertake water. Didn't we see whatever he did before, and go him onebetter? And down in the land of revolution he knows who carried offthe honors, as well as saved him from those men who had him in theirpower. Frank, we've just got to do it!"

"I suppose so, Andy, " returned his cousin; "but if you think thatanother win on our part is going to close Percy up like a clam you'reaway off. He makes me think of a medicine ball--every time you hit itand send it flying, it comes back again as chipper as ever. He justwon't stay down, that's all. "

"I don't agree with you there, " said Andy. "If we can only rub it intohim hard enough, Percy will never have the nerve to hold up his headagain in Bloomsbury. "

"But we can't expect to do that, you know, " Frank went on. "He seemsto have a splendid machine there, that will make us hustle all we knowhow to pass ahead. And even you give the fellow credit for knowing hisbusiness. He's a bird boy all right, even if his name happens to beCarberry. No overconfidence, Andy. That's lost any number of racesthat ought to have been won, hands down. "

"Oh! I understand that, Frank, " the other said; "but I believe in you, and that Perc ain't in the same class. Count on him to make a mistakewhen the crisis comes. And if he thinks he's going to be passed thereain't any low down trick he wouldn't be guilty of. I leave it toLarry, Nat and Elephant if that isn't right. "

"I've known him to do lots of mean things, " spoke up Elephant, promptly; "and if I had to enter a race with him I tell you right nowI'd keep out of his reach, all right. "

"The best way is to get the lead in the start, and never let him comewithin striking distance. Then you could snap your fingers at hisgames, " declared Larry. 

"Say, there is something in that, Frank, " Andy admitted. 

"I believe it, " returned the other young aviator. "The only trouble Ican see is that Percy usually starts off with a furious rush, and takesthe lead. He believes it gives him an advantage, and perhaps it does. Every fellow has his pet theories in a race, and no two of them may bealike. "

"I guess the main idea with him is that he can get in some of his dirtywork if he sees the other is passing him, " Andy sneered. 

Frank shook his head at him; but on the whole did not know that hecould blame Andy for feeling so bitterly toward the other. Theirexperiences with Percy in the past had been far from pleasant; and manytimes had he attempted some unscrupulous game that had stirred Andy'sfighting blood to the boiling point. 

As for Sandy Hollingshead, Andy's opinion of him as a sneak was knownto every boy in Bloomsbury; nor did the party most interested seem tocare to knock off the chip aggressive Andy had long carried on hisshoulder. 

The aeroplane had vanished beyond the high fringe of trees. PossiblyPercy had headed for town to show off his new purchase to the gapingBloomsbury crowds, certain to come rushing from houses and stores assoon as the word was passed around that a flying machine was hoveringoverhead. 

As the afternoon passed, the boys debated pro and con concerning thechallenge. Frank had agreed to accept, much to the delight of theothers, and his answer was carefully prepared, so as to cover everypoint in question. 

He and Andy realized that after all, their prediction as to a storm hadfailed, for the clouds seemed to have passed away, leaving the dayhotter than ever. 

"Whew! ain't I glad though I can camp on a night like this, " saidElephant, as started in to assist Larry get dinner ready. 

"Just what I was thinking, " added the chief cook, looking up from histask with a grin of pleasure. "I've got the peskiest hot room ever, ona still summer night like this is goin' to be; right under the roof, cold as a barn in winter; roasting in July and August. Say, I've oftensaid they'd find me fried like a doughnut some fine morning; or frozestiff. This thing just suits me to a whiz. "

"Heard Frank ask the Colonel to eat with us tonight; so I s'pose we'regoing to have an extra good spread, " Elephant went on, scraping thepotatoes industriously. 

"That's what, " chuckled the other. "You just leave it with your uncle, and the chances are you won't be disappointed much. I like good thingsmyself. Used to say I was going to study to be a great chef when Igrew up. May yet, who knows? What's Frank and Andy doing with thatwire right now?"

"Why, you see the Colonel made 'em promise to connect him with theshed; so in case any row happened to be pulled off here he'd know it. Hard for him to understand he's out of the game with that crippled leg. He's been doing things all his life. I think he's the most wonderfulold codger I ever knew. "

"And that's where you're just about right, Larry. We must make himtell us some of his travel yarns tonight while we sit around, " Elephantdeclared. 

CHAPTER XIV

SOMETHING DOING

"I don't suppose any of you fellows have seen signs of the Chief andhis men returning with any prisoners?" Frank asked, a little later, ashe entered the shed to see how the arrangements for the evening spreadwere progressing. 

"Nary a sign, " replied Larry, who was bending over the stove, very redin the face, and yet grinning with pleasure; for he dearly loved tohandle the pots and pans on an occasion like this, and was really aclever cook. 

"Same here!" spoke up Elephant, who was fanning himself near by, andsniffing at the odors that arose from the fire, as though he wished thetime would come when he might partake of the feast Larry had prepared. 

"Then it looks as if the raid hasn't panned out a success so far, "remarked Frank. "I'm sorry, too, because I believe I'd sleep sounderif I only knew our friend Jules was caged once more. "

"Then you really think he'd be mean enough to try and burn the sheddown, and destroy your aeroplanes?" asked Larry. 

"Oh! from all I've heard about Jules, he'd never balk at a little thinglike that, " Frank continued. "The scoundrel who could shoot at twoboys sailing hundreds of feet in the air, and take chances of sendingthem down to a terrible death, wouldn't hold back at anything, in myopinion. "

"The Colonel says he'd just like to get in touch with him, " remarkedElephant, with a chuckle. "I can just see the old chap dancing aroundwith his war paint on, swinging that crutch of his to beat the band. Wow! wouldn't he just make mincemeat out of Jules though, if ever theymet up?"

"Don't you forget it, Colonel Josiah still burns with the same spiritthat carried him through a bunch of tight places. He's promised totell us all about his ride with Gomez in Cuba during the war withSpain. And mark me, it'll be worth listening to. He never yarns, andhas the proofs to show for every story he tells. That's the best partof it, because you know all the time you're listening to real hardfacts, and not fiction. "

"There he comes now, stumping along. Bet you he's sniffed some ofthese delicious smells away up at the house. Larry, if you don't get amove on, and announce dinner pretty soon, I declare if I don't start araid on the grub. Can't stand for much more of this, " and Elephanthugged himself as though it were only by a determined effort that herefrained from beginning work then and there. 

"Hold on five minutes more, old chap, " soothed the cook. "Everything'sready, and as soon as Frank gives the word we'll sit down. "

To enjoy the meal all the more they had taken the table outdoors, andplaces for half a dozen had been made ready. The sun had set, butthere would be light for an hour at least, plenty to last them duringthe meal. 

The old traveler they seated at the head of the table, and Frank wasmade to take the other end. Then Larry and his assistants set to workdishing up. As the lovely aluminum set only carried enough for four, Andy had been compelled to call upon his reserves for additionalplates, cups and such things. 

And that dinner was surely worth remembering. Larry had certainly"done himself proud, " as the delighted Colonel declared, after he hadeaten until he could no longer do justice to the spread. 

After the things had been cleared away they started the veteran todipping into certain of his recollections; and once he was set going, he might be likened to a clock, for being wound up, adventure afteradventure fell from his lips in a way to keep the listeners charmed. 

Not that the Colonel was a boaster at all; he never assumed that he haddone anything at all wonderful; but just related facts in his simplethough dramatic way, and those who heard could draw their owninferences. 

The boys would never forget that evening, or the feast that Larry putbefore them. It would ever be marked by a white stone in theirmemories; and doubtless in after years, when fully launched upon themore serious avenues of life, more than one of them would look backwith a smile as the picture arose in their minds' eye, with thatwhite-haired old man sitting near by, and thrilling them with hisrecollections of the past. 

It was long after ten when he bade them good-night, and betook himselfoff to the house, his last words being:

"Don't forget that your Uncle Josiah is coming like a runaway engine ifso be that bell sounds the alarm! And to tell you the truth, boys, I'mhalf wishing it might be so!"

After he had gone they began to make their preparations looking to thepassing of another night. Each one believed he could make someimprovement on the former experience. This was especially the casewith Elephant, who had been very uncomfortable in that swinging canoe;though it looked cozy enough. 

Frank seemed to be busying himself after a strange fashion. 

Elephant had cast a curious look that way several times as he laboredto improve his own conditions. Finally his natural desire to knowcompelled him to turn to Larry, and put the question:

"What's Frank doing over at the end of the shed? Sure he don't mean tochange his bunk for a place like that?"

"Oh, rats! don't you understand? Frank's making a trap!" Larry replied. 

"Rats--a trap!" repeated the runt, mystified by the coming together ofthese two significant words. "But what does he have to go to all thattrouble for? I'd think one of them ordinary regular wire traps wouldfill the bill as well. "

Larry looked at him queerly, as if making up his mind whether the othermeant it, or was simply joshing him. 

"This is a man-trap!" he said, severely. 

"Oh! my!" Elephant gasped; and then fell to watching Frank moreintently than ever, as he continued to work on. 

"And, " continued Larry, "if you wake up in the night, and hear the mostawful racket in the wide world, make sure we've caught something, doyou understand, Elephant?"

"Meaning Jules?" queried the other, in an awed tone. 

"Meaning Jules, " repeated Larry, mocking the other by even assuming hismanner. 

"But do you really think he'll drop in on us, Larry?" the small boyasked. 

"Wouldn't surprise me one little bit, " returned his tormentor, calmly. "You heard what the Colonel was saying about those Spanish brigands whocaptured him--well, this Jules is just the same sort of customer, revengeful, desperate and ready to take almost any sort of chances, ifhe sees an opening. And Frank is that accommodating, he means to havea most inviting opening ready, so Jules can't resist the temptation tostick his nose in. Then slam! bang! and it's all over with Jules butthe shouting, believe me. "

Naturally all this sort of talk had its effect upon the timid Elephant. He could not keep his thoughts away from the trap Frank was making inthe rear of the shed, and the possibility of that dark-faced escapedconvict being caught in the act of entering the place, on mischief bent. 

"I'll just dream about him coming, see if I don't!" he warned Larry, ashe prepared to crawl into the swinging canoe, where his blankets hadbeen placed. 

"All right, " answered the other; "only don't you go to whooping thingsup here too lively. Remember there are others, and that they want tosnooze right along till morning. I'm glad Frank didn't draft you for asentry, though. "

"Oh! it was nice of him, " answered the small boy, readily. "But thenyou see, Frank knows I just can't keep awake to save me. And what goodis a sleepy guard, I'd like to know. Hope I've got it fixed now so Iwon't feel the ribs of this blessed Oldtown canoe poking me in my slatstonight. They kept me uneasy last night to beat the band. Aw! I'mawful sleepy, Larry; and I guess I'll turn in. "

"Good. Only go careful, or you'll roll out the other side. That boatswings with a hair trigger. The least touch starts her to going. There you are. It's rockabye baby for you, Elephant. Mother's littledarling boy, go to sleep now like a good kid!"

Elephant mumbled some sort of answer but in another minute he was off, fast locked in the arms of the dream god. Larry lost little time infollowing his example, for he expected to be called at a certain hourby Frank, who would have the first watch himself. 

Darkness fell upon the interior of the workshop. If there was anysound to be heard, such as the heavy breathing of some sleeper, thesigh and moan of the night breeze without deadened this. 

Frank had assumed a comfortable position. He could sit there and allowhis mind to grapple with numerous things that interested him; at thesame time feel that he was keeping a strict watch. Time passed on. The air happened to be coming from the direction of the town, so thatwhen the clock in the church tower struck the hour he could easily hearthe sounds. 

In this way he knew how his watch went on, and when it would be time tochange places with Larry. To the average lad there is somethingapproaching a fascination in this near approach to life in the open. The mere fact that peril threatened, so as to compel a night watch, wasenough to keep Frank from feeling drowsy. But then he always had apeculiar faculty for controlling his weaknesses. Most other boys wouldhave had to fight desperately to remain awake. 

He had just counted the strokes as the town clock droned off themidnight hour, and was wondering whether he had not better let Larrysleep until one had arrived, when without the slightest warning therearose the most dreadful racket any one could well imagine. 

It sounded as though the whole roof might be falling in, what with theclatter of tinpans, the upsetting of chairs and the half muffled shoutsthat punctuated the entire clamor. And Frank leaped to his feet, believing on the spur of the moment that his trap had been sprung!

CHAPTER XV

THE AWAKENING

"What is it, Frank?" shouted Larry, as he scrambled to his feet, andbegan clawing around in the dark for the one he called upon. 

"We've got him!" sang out Andy, gleefully. "Frank, it worked fine anddandy. My! what a noise he kicks up!"

"Where's Elephant?" asked Frank, suspiciously. 

"Sleeping through it all. An earthquake wouldn't wake him up, once hegets to going, " snorted Larry. 

"Keep quiet; I'm going to light a lamp!" Frank went on, as he reachedout to a spot where he knew he had left a box of matches handy for justsuch an emergency. 

"Ouch! somebody kicked me then!" Larry shouted. "Frank, there's more'none of 'em, and they're inside here, feeling around for us. Go slow, Frank! Have your gun ready when you light up. Pepper 'em good, now!Who's afraid?"

"Wait! don't shoot, Frank! It's only me!" shrilled a voice as thespeaker managed to get his head out from the muffling folds of theblanket. 

Then came the scratch of the match in Frank's hand. He held it upfirst in order to see what was going on; and then with a burst oflaughter began to apply the flickering flame to the wick of the readylamp. 

And as the light filled the interior of the shed the boys saw a sightthat sent them off into spasms of uproarious merriment. Yes, it wasElephant all right, just as he had so wildly declared when he heard allthat threatening talk about guns and "peppering" and such dire things. 

He had evidently fallen out of the canoe as he tossed about during somedream that excited his mind. In tumbling to the floor his heels hadupset the entire outfit of tin kettles and pans that Andy had fetchedfrom the house. Such a clattering as they had made upon being dashedto the floor. And as if that were not enough Elephant had managed toturn a chair over with the lot, adding to the confusion liberally. 

Larry helped him up, for as he was swathed from head to foot in hisflaming red horse blanket the other was quite unable to manage alone. Poor Elephant rubbed his eyes and stared around him as if looking forthe blue dragons that had filled his dreams. 

"What d'ye mean by scaring us all half to death, Elephant?" demandedAndy, when he could in some measure command his voice. 

"My goodness gracious! you don't think I did that a-purpose, do you?"exclaimed the small boy, rubbing his elbows as though they tingledafter coming in such rough contact with the floor. "What d'ye take mefor? And Larry, didn't I tell you that rarebit would make me dream?You just made me eat it; and now see what happened! Oh! but I thoughtthe whole house had blown up, and I was heading for the stars. It wasa fierce experience. Talk about your rarebits, never more for me!"

"Listen! somebody's coming, sure!" exclaimed Larry. 

"Oh! what if it's Jules, after all? Where's the gun, Frank? Get itready, won't you? There, he's pounding at the door. Where's my club?Somebody took my club!" and Elephant scrambled around, looking for thelost weapon which he had placed within reach before retiring. 

Bang! bang! bang!

"Here, open up, and let me get at the rascals! Frank, Andy, have theymurdered you all? Why don't somebody answer? Why don't you open thisdoor before I smash it in with my crutch?" came a roar from without. 

"It's Colonel Josiah!" cried Andy. "Hold on, Colonel; we're all righthere. Nobody hurt! All a mistake! Frank, open the door, will you?Nothing doing, Colonel, you see!"

The aged veteran stalked inside, using his crutch once more to assisthis locomotion. In his other hand he gripped a tremendous horsepistol, the very size of which must have sent a shiver through anynocturnal prowler. 

"It was Elephant who raised the rumpus, Colonel!" explained Andy. "Hehad a dream and fell out of his hammock, knocking over all the tin pansand a chair. We were all scared, thinking it might be Jules come totown. "

The grim old traveler turned upon Elephant, trying to hide the twinklein his eyes by pretending to assume a heavy frown. 

"I won't do it again, I assure you, sir!" faltered Elephant, trying tohide behind Frank. "It was an accident, indeed it was. And I bruisedboth my elbows just fierce. After this I'm going to tie that swingingcanoe down, so it won't kick me out again. "

"H'm! you'd better, " was all the old man said as he turned away; butFrank was of the opinion he wished to hurry off, so that he couldchuckle over the ridiculous picture presented by the interior of thatshop, without being seen by the boys, and his dignity impaired. 

"Now, get busy, Elephant, and tidy up the mess you made, " said Larry, as he once more crawled under his blankets. 

"And remember, " said Andy, severely, despite the grin on his face, "wedon't stand for any more of this foolishness. "

"Let me help you tie the canoe, so that it can't swing, " Frankobserved, taking pity on the victim of the mishap; for Elephant wasstill rubbing his elbows, and making faces as though they hurt him. 

So after a little, peace once more fell upon the camp. The swingingcanoe had been so firmly secured that it could not "kick" as Elephantdeclared it had done before. Then the light was put out again, anddarkness reigned. 

Frank again sat there, engrossed in thought. And naturally his mindwent out in the direction of the recent event. If a false alarm couldcause such confusion and excitement it was probable that in case therecame a genuine one things would take on a still more brilliant color. 

He could hear Elephant turning from side to side. Perhaps his armspained him; and thinking thus Frank was sorry he had not insisted onswabbing them with some witch hazel which they kept handy in the shop, in case of bruises while working. But he did not think it good policyto disturb the entire bunch again in order to relieve the slight painof Elephant who must sooner or later grow used to hard knocks, if heever expected to face the world. 

Finally the boy in the canoe became quiet. Sleep had evidentlymastered him, for ere long Frank caught his heavy breathing at suchtimes as the wind stopped sighing around the eaves of the shed. 

It must be growing near one when he expected to hand over his duty assentry to Larry. All he waited for was to catch the stroke of thehour. He had the lay of things well in his mind, and could even havemoved about the shop in utter darkness without tumbling over anything;for he and Andy had spent uncounted hours under that roof during thelast year. 

Ah! there was the anticipated stroke, sounding quite clearly. 

"Frank!" came in a low tone, almost a whisper. 

"Hello!" answered the sentry, "that Larry?"

"On deck. Must have been my call the wasn't it? Thought I heard onestrike, " as Larry began to raise up alongside Frank, shedding hisblankets as he did so. 

"Have you been awake all the while?" whispered Frank, surprised. 

"Guess pretty much, " chuckled Larry. "That thing just broke me all up. I've been laughing to myself under the blanket ever since. "

"Oh! is that so?" Frank replied. "Well, do you know I wondered whatthose queer noises were. Thought possibly you had an ache from eatingtoo much. "

"How's everything on deck, Frank?"

"Fine and dandy. Nothing to cause alarm yet, " came the answer. 

"All right, then. You just crawl in, and get a snooze started. I'lltake care of the camp up to three, when Andy comes on duty. How d'yekeep awake, Frank?" asked the new guard. 

"Keep thinking of the late unpleasantness, as you have been doing. Itdid the trick before, and may again. Good night! I'm off. "

Frank found no little difficulty himself in getting asleep. Unaccustomed to his strange bed, and with all the recent excitementadded, it was not strange that even Frank had to take himself severelyto task before he could lose his senses in slumber. 

He too dreamed, for had he not also partaken of the same tasty cheeseand toast, of which poor Elephant complained as the main cause for histroubles? Several times Frank woke up and was puzzled to understandjust where he could be. Then things would come back to again; and witha chuckle he would turn over, to once more lose himself in sleep. 

The third time this happened he lay there listening. It seemed to himthat he had heard a slight rustling noise; and moreover, it had comefrom the far end of the shed!

Could it be Larry; and if so what business had the sentry to bewandering about that section of the forbidden ground? Another fancystruck Frank, to the effect that it might be either Andy or StutteringNat, walking in their sleep. If that proved to be the case, then theawakening was likely to surprise somebody, unless he was very muchmistaken. 

He put out his hand and felt Andy in his accustomed place. Thenrising quietly he crawled over far enough to come in contact with Nat'sarm, thrust out from his blanket. This left only Elephant, whom hefound slumbering soundly in his canoe, and the sentry, who was alsofast asleep!

Frank felt a thrill pass over him at this. Then the sound could nothave been made by any one of his comrades. Who then was prowlingaround that danger zone? Even as he asked himself this importantquestion he heard a sudden sharp "click!" that could only be made bythe trigger of his dead-fall trap; then came a heavy, sodden, crunchingsound, that told better than words what had happened. Frank jumped tohis feet, shouting:

"Wake up! wake up! we've caught something, fellows. Wake up everybody!"

CHAPTER XVI

THE CHIEF MEETS AN OLD FRIEND

There was a tremendous amount of excitement in the workshop when Frankaroused his four chums by this cry. All around him he could hear themcalling out. 

"Another fake alarm, I bet!" grumbled Larry. 

"It's that miserable Elephant again, " said Andy in disgust. "He oughtto be taken down to the lake and ducked, that's what!"

"Me ducked? I'd like to see you do it!" shrilled a voice close besideAndy, and which he recognized as belonging to the runt. 

"Hey! Frank, what is it?" demanded Larry. 

"Light up! we want to see something!" called Andy, now beginning toexperience a strange sensation in the region of his heart, as thepossibility of its being the genuine article of alarm struck home. 

Frank was already doing this very same thing; he struck his match evenwhile Andy was calling so loudly for a light. When the lamp wasbrought into use the boys stared around at each other. 

"Where's Stuttering Nat?" questioned Larry, suspiciously. 

"H-h-here!" came a quavering voice, as the other pushed himselfforward, so that none of them would believe he might be at fault, as hewas not particularly desirous of a bath just then. 

"Then we're all on deck; ain't that so, Frank?" asked Andy. 

"Count noses, and you'll find it that way, " returned the other Birdboy, as he calmly picked up his gun. 

"Take the lamp, Andy, and fall in just behind me, " he said. 

"O-oh! Frank believes he's caught him!" gasped Elephant, in aquivering voice. 

"Stop talking, and come on, everybody, " Frank insisted. 

Each boy had armed himself as best the occasion allowed. One carried ahammer, another a baseball bat, while Elephant had found his club, andLarry picked up a seven foot piece of piping, which he thrust ahead ofhim after the nature of a spear. 

So they advanced in the direction of the end of the shed where Frankhad arranged his trap. Every one of them felt his heart beating like atriphammer as the sound of writhing, accompanied by groans, came totheir ears. 

There seemed no reason to longer doubt but what the trap would be foundsprung, and game of some species within. 

"Hold up that lamp, Andy!" said Frank, sternly. "Here, don't let yourhand tremble so. We must have light, you know. Steady now!"

"Oh! I see him!" gasped Elephant, whose eyes were almost sticking outof his head with the excitement. 

"I guess it's Jules, all right, " Andy managed to say; as he too took ina long breath, while he thrust the lamp out further so that all couldsee better. 

Something lay in the hole, something that took on the outlines of a manflat on his face, and with a heavy log almost squeezing the last bit ofbreath from his body. A broken old gun, that looked like one of themuskets used in the Civil War, lay close beside him, and had evidentlybeen dropped when the trap was sprung without warning, after the victimhad started to crawl into the shed by way of this inviting opening. 

"Yes, it's our old friend, Jules, come to pay us another night visit, "observed Frank, coolly as he handed the shotgun to Larry, and bendingdown proceeded to draw both arms of the senseless man behind him, fastening them securely with a stout cord which he drew from hispocket, having prepared for this same event in advance. 

"Is he killed?" asked Elephant, in an awe-struck voice. 

"Sure he isn't, " replied Larry, who had seen the man moving, as thoughhis senses might be coming back. 

Five minutes later he opened his eyes, and stared hard at the array ofboyish faces before him. Evidently Jules may have suspected that theBird boys would be sleeping in their precious shop; but he had hardlyimagined that he would run up against a whole school there. 

Frank had meanwhile tied his ankles as well, and helped drag himfurther into the shop. When the man started to using language that wasoffensive, he warned him plainly that if he kept that up any longerthey would find some means of gagging him. The threat served to keephim quiet, though from the black looks on his face it was evident thatthe fellow was extremely bitter against them all. 

It was now three o'clock. Since all of them were too much excited toeven try to sleep any more, they concluded to remain on guard in abunch. Larry received no end of joshing on account of having slept onhis post; Frank even told him that it was considered so serious amatter that men had been stood up against a wall, and shot for allowingthe enemy to creep into camp. 

"All right, " said Larry, who hung onto the gun all the while. "Let'ssee you do it right now. I'm the only one that's got a shooting iron, and I refuse to give it up, or use it on myself. Call it off, Frank, and we'll begin all over, " and so, as Larry was a pretty decent sort ofa fellow, as they go, and besides, just as he said, held possession ofthe only weapon, for that musket had been broken by the fall of thelog, they concluded not to shoot him on the spot, but give him anotherchance to make good. 

It was a long wait till morning; but finally the stars vanished beforethe gray light of early dawn. Larry, as soon as he could see decently, started to get breakfast; for he declared that if he was a mighty poorsentry he did have a few good points, one of which was his ability tosling tasty messes together. 

Jules was as "mum as a church mouse, " as Elephant called it. But bydegrees he took more or less interest in what the boys were doing. 

"Look out for him, " said Larry aside to Frank. "I think he means totry and escape if he gets half a chance. That's why he smiles now andthen. "

"You're away off, Larry, " replied Frank. "For I notice that every timethat pleasant look creeps over his face it is when a smell of coffeedrifts this way. Jules hasn't tasted anything like that for more thana year. And while he's got to go back to where the law has sent him, we're going to give him a decent breakfast first. "

When a little later they heard the stamp of the Colonel's crutch theboys looked up expectantly, knowing they would have the laugh on theold veteran traveler, who had flown to the rescue when the alarm wasall a farce, and slept through the real thing. 

"What's all this? Bless me, if they haven't caught the rascal afterall! Why didn't you ring me up? That alarm bell must have played mefalse, Andy, and I believe you juggled with it! The old cry of 'wolf'again; and I'm the victim. "

Expressing his disgust in this way the Colonel stumped in, andproceeded to let the prisoner know what he thought of a man who wouldtry to revenge himself upon a couple of bright lads; especially afterbringing all his troubles down upon his own shoulders. 

It afterwards developed that Jules had stolen the musket, and also thesuit of clothes he was wearing, from a farmhouse that he raided shortlyafter his escape from the prison. Although he never confessed to thefact, Frank never had any reason to doubt but that it had been Juleswho fired that shot at them while they were speeding over the Powellwoods in their biplane. 

Jules was given his fill of good breakfast, and this possibly put himin a better humor. He was not wholly an unscrupulous villain, and thefact of these boys treating him so decently seemed to make animpression on the fellow, for he watched Frank closely. 

The boys were talking the matter over, as to how they might best gettheir prisoner transported to the lockup in town, when sharp-eyed Natbegan to make a great noise, and pointed down the road. 

"It must be the Chief and his officers heading back home!" cried Andy, jumping up from his seat. 

"Here, make a dash toward the fence, and get their attention! Don'ttell them why we want them to come in here, but just let down thebars, " said Frank; and at his words Andy went flying away across thepasture. 

By swinging his arms and shouting, he managed to attract the attentionof those in the passing car, which was halted. Then Frank saw Andyspeaking hastily, at the same time letting down the bars; after whichthe car swung in, with the Bird boy perched on the step. 

Chief Waller did not look particularly happy as he sat there alongsidethe man who served as chauffeur. He had lost a night's sleep, andcovered many miles in a useless search of the great Powell woods; andfor so stout a man this was exhausting business. 

"Hello! Frank! How are you, Colonel? Sorry to say we haven't pickedup our man yet; and the chances are we won't do it, either. He musthave taken the alarm, and slipped off before we got there. "

Then the police head must have detected Elephant grinning broadly; andthis no doubt excited his suspicions; for he whirled on Frank, havinglaboriously descended from his car, and burst out with:

"Looky here, Frank, what you got up your sleeve, anyhow? There'ssomething doing that I ought to know about, I reckon. "

"Oh! we thought it might pay us to set a trap, Chief, " returned Frank, keeping as straight a face as possible. "Sometimes you have to go tothe mountain; and then again it comes to you. We made up our minds totry it, anyhow. "

"And it worked?" demanded Chief Waller, his face lighting up witheagerness. 

"Did it, fellows?" asked Frank, turning to the rest of his mates. 

"If the Chief had been anywhere around at three this morning he'd havethought something was working all right, " gurgled Andy, his face allaglow. 

"Larry, help our guest out here, won't you?" said Frank; and only toowilling the one addressed stepped inside the shop, to reappear a momentlater and not alone. Chief Waller took but one look and then threw uphis hands, exclaiming:

"Jules Garrone, and nabbed by a parcel of boys. Men, the joke is onus!"

CHAPTER XVII

GALLANT ANDY

"Good morning, Chief!" said the prisoner, with a cool grin. 

The Head of the Bloomsbury police force looked so utterly amazed thatLarry and some of his mates could not help laughing. 

"Didn't expect to find Jules waiting up for you on the way back, didyou, Chief?" asked Andy, with perhaps a touch of sarcasm in his voice;for to tell the truth the boy did not have a very high opinion of thestout man's abilities in the way of thief catching, though liking himwell enough as a genial townsman. 

"Well, I confess that I never expected such great good luck, " admittedthe other. "And now, boys, tell me just how it happened. "

"Oh! he dropped in on us, Chief, " Andy went on. 

"And liked the accommodation afforded by the Birdsnest so well that heconcluded to stop over, " Larry remarked. "Frank here, expectedsomething of the kind, and got ready to receive visitors. "

"You mean he set a trap?" asked the official, looking admiringly at theparty in question. 

"Well, " Larry drawled, "I guess you could call it that, and not get faroff the road. It had a trigger all right, and when Jules touched thisoff a nice heavy plank that was like a log dropped, and pinned him downon his chest. We found him gasping for breath, and his gun with abroken lock. "

"Gun! Then he was armed, and creeping into your shop!" exclaimed theother, with a frown toward the grinning and apparently indifferentprisoner. "That looks bad, now. What would he want to carry a gunfor, if not to injure you boys? And where d'ye suppose he got it at?"

"Oh!" Frank remarked, "he says he entered a farmhouse, and hooked asuit of old clothes, so he could throw away the striped ones. And atthe same time he helped himself to that old musket, thinking he mighthave to hunt game while he hid in the woods. "

"Look here, Frank, wasn't you telling me about some villain who fired ashot up at you boys when you were flying over the Powell woods?" askedthe Chief. 

"That's so, and we believe it was Jules, all right, " Andy took theliberty of saying; for when excited he could not be kept still. 

"But he wisely declines to commit himself, so there is no proof, " Frankwent on. "And at any rate, what's the use bothering about that littlething? There was no real harm done, except a little scare. And Ithink Jules will have about all the trouble he wants to handle withoutadding any to it. "

He looked at the prisoner, perhaps with a touch of feeling. At anyrate, to the surprise of them all, Jules actually smiled, and made adeclaration that proved he had been using his eyes and ears sincecoming among the campers. 

"I just want to say right here, Chief, that I was a fool to botherabout these boys. I got what I deserved. I should have left themalone. And mark me, that if ever I have the luck to escape again neverwill I turn one hand to injure them. Now take me to your old lockup. I want to sleep. "

So they took him to the car, and that was the very last the Bird boysever saw of Jules Garrone, once a well-known French aviator, until hefell into evil ways. No doubt he was returned to the penitentiary, where he would have to serve an additional length of time because ofhis flight. 

Of course the talk for an hour or more was all about the recentadventure. But in due course of time Andy began to get uneasy. 

"We're losing a fine chance for a spin, Frank!" he grumbled, glancingup at the sky, across which here and there clouds were slowly moving, but with no indication of coming trouble. 

"Well, do you know, " smiled the other, immediately, "I was justthinking that same thing myself. Suppose we do hitch up, and take adrive in our aerial go-cart, Andy. There are a heap of little thingsI'd like to experiment on before that race comes off with Percy. "

"All right. And the sooner we start the better, " Andy flashed back. "What d'ye say to going all over the course this morning? It wouldonly be the right thing; and when rowing clubs train for a race theyalways study the course foot by foot, so as to learn the currents, thehidden rocks, and the chances for head winds. Will you take me up onthat, Frank?"

"If you mean that we head across to Hazenhurst, and interview thatliberty pole Percy lays so much stress on, I'm willing. Then again, Iwant to try for height while we're about it. We don't know just whatthis biplane can do, or how it'll act when a mile or so up. "

"Huh! I didn't see anything the matter when we landed on top of thepeak, " remarked Andy. "Sure she was all to the good then. Frank, honest Injun now, I'm more in love with this outfit than I ever waswith our first one. I can see possibilities about a biplane that amonoplane never can own. "

"Wait, " said Frank, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Afterwe've had this a week we can begin to talk. Just now it's up to us tostudy her every little whim, and try to improve on things. "

The other boys were taking turns in going home and "making theacquaintance of their folks, " as Larry quaintly put it. But therewould be a couple of them at the shop all the time. Of course therewas now no danger from Jules, since he had fallen upon evil ways; butas Larry said mysteriously, "you never could tell, " and everybody knewwhom he had in mind, although no name was mentioned. 

The Bird boys had that running start down to a fine point. Frank hadmade an especial study of it, so as to rise in the air with as littleground work as possible. And this was what served him well on manyoccasions--for instance when on the plateau of Old Thunder Top, wherethe level space was limited. 

So they rose quickly and successfully. Andy gave a yell ofsatisfaction, to indicate that his confidence in the new aeroplane wasbeing strengthened every minute that he saw her strong points beingdeveloped. 

They rose to a considerable height before starting away in thedirection of Hazenhurst. It looked just like a homing pigeon seekingan altitude, from which it could find its bearings, before starting ina bee line for its loft far away. 

Andy was using the glasses, while Frank drove the machine, and studiedevery little part, touching a straining wire guy here, and tightening avalve there, as he noted minute chances to improve conditions. 

It was this complete mastery of the subject that gave him such controlover his aeroplane; so that when he chose he could develop unexpectedresources of speed, or ability to successfully carry out difficultfeats. 

"I can see the town easy enough from here, " announced Andy, presently. 

"Am I headed right?" asked the pilot. 

"Just send her a trifle more to the northwest. There, now we aimstraight for Hazenhurst, " Andy called out; for the motor was crackling, and besides, there was more or less noise arising from the stiffenedplanes, so that it became necessary to raise the voice in order to beeasily heard. 

So, for some little time they went humming merrily along, just "eatingup the miles, " as Andy remarked delightedly. 

It was a great sensation for these two lads; but having been at thisnow for so long a time they fairly overcome the thrill that is apt toseize upon a novice. 

Frank had dropped down to a lower level. Since they were now passingover territory that they had never before looked down upon from such aheight, it was just as well that they keep to that distance from theearth which would probably be their course during the race that Percyhad forced upon them. 

And all the time they drew nearer the town that was to be their goal. Both boys had been there once or twice. But this was years back whenthey used to wheel all around the surrounding country during vacations. They had now gone a long ways ahead of pedaling a bicycle. After oncesoaring through the air in a biplane no one could ever be content to goback to the old ways. 

"I can see the commons, " announced Andy, who was using the glass. "Yes, and there's the liberty pole too, right in the middle. See thatbig green stretch, Frank? Will you drop lower, and circle it whilewe're over here?"

"Why not? Might as well go the whole thing when about it, " returnedthe other, as he continued to test first one thing and then another. 

"On the way back let's put her to her level best speed, and see justhow long it takes us to cover the thirty miles, " Andy suggested. 

"All right, " was the ready reply; "but before we do that I'd like todrop down to the ground for a bit. I can see several slack guys thatwill be all the better for being tightened a little. Like every othernew machine, this needs constant attention to bring things up to theirbest. "

"Oh! well, what's to hinder our lighting on the green, and giving thegood people of Hazenhurst a chance to see a genuine aeroplane. I don'tbelieve one ever came up here before, " Andy remarked. 

In a short time they were skimming along over the tops of the trees, and even dipping lower when openings appeared. 

"Going all right, Frank?" asked Andy, anxiously, as they drew within amile of the town; for if they expected to be watched by hundreds ofcurious eyes he wanted everything to work smoothly. 

"Just running like clock-work, " the other announced. 

"I haven't heard you say a single word against this biplane, " remarkedAndy. 

"Why should I?" laughed Frank. "I may not be so outspoken as you aboutmy likes and dislikes, but I feel as deeply. And, Andy, I want to sayright here that this machine is a whole lot ahead of anything I've everseen, or handled. She moves like a witch, and answers her rudder likea thing of life. Why, I almost feel that I'm a part of the wholebusiness, and that I have only to think a thing when it is executed. "

That was high praise from so conservative a fellow as Frank, as hiscousin well knew; and it filled Andy with rare delight. 

"Oh! look down there, Frank!" he suddenly cried, pointing beneath them, to where there was an open field. 

Looking quickly Frank saw a sight that filled him with dismay. A younggirl was crossing the open stretch, and as her back was toward them, ofcourse she had not as yet discovered the presence of the biplane. 

Racing back of the girl, and evidently meaning to overtake her, was asavage-looking dog; and it required no effort on Frank's part tounderstand that the intention of the brute was decidedly hostile. 

Frank was a lad of prompt action. He instantly sent the aeroplanedownward, aiming for the running dog; and at the same time starting toshout at the top of his voice, in which last Andy joined with him. 

The animal, attracted by the clamor, looked up, and seeing that monsterbird as he believed swooping down at him, turned tail with frightenedyelps and ran away. 

There was nothing for it now but to alight, since they had alreadydarted close to the earth; and accordingly Frank proceeded toaccomplish this feat as gently as possible. 

It happened that the biplane came to a stop close to the girl, who wasstanding there staring, as though hardly understanding what it allmeant. Andy hopped out the first thing even though he happened to beholding the monkey wrench in his hand at the time, having snatched itup in his excitement when he first discovered the threatening peril ofthe girl. 

He had just reached her side, and was starting to speak when a warningshout from Frank, still in his seat aboard the aeroplane, caused Andyto look around. 

"The dog! Take care, he's going to attack you!" was what Frank shouted. 

Apparently the ugly beast had already recovered from his fright, whenit discovered that human beings were aboard the strange airship. Hehad halted a little distance away, and then, as Andy actually headedtoward him, started to meet the newcomer. 

There could be no mistaking the evil intentions of the beast, he was ofthe savage bulldog strain, and from the cut of his mouth it could beseen that just now he meant business. And as Andy could not retreat, with that pretty girl standing there unprotected, he just had to raisehis monkey wrench and wait for hostilities to begin. 

CHAPTER XVIII

AT THE FOOT OF THE LIBERTY POLE

"Look out!" shouted Frank, who was trying to find some sort of weaponhimself, armed with which he could hasten to the aid of his chum. 

But Andy kept his senses well about him. Perhaps had he been alone, and there opened a favorable chance whereby he could put a convenientfence between himself and those grim square jaws of the ugly dog, hewould have been only too glad to do so. But that was utterly out ofthe question now. The girl must be defended, come what might. 

He fortunately remained fairly cool, which was a good point in hisfavor. Just then, singular to say, Andy seemed to remember what he hadread about what Old Putnam said to his Colonials at the battle ofBunker Hill: "Wait till you can see the whites in their eyes, boys!"He held himself back until he was positive that he could land a blow onthat massive head of the prize bulldog. 

Whack!

The wonder was that Andy did not crush the beast's skull in with themonkey wrench. He surely would, had he struck with all his strength;but being afraid that if he missed connections he might lose hisbalance, and be seized by the brute, he only "tapped for a single, " ashe afterwards remarked. 

It staggered the beast at any rate, and drove him back a foot, stoppinghis onward rush. 

"Good! give him another like that, Andy! I'm coming right along!"whooped Frank who had managed to lay hold on some sort of tool which hecarried for emergencies, and was jumping forward as fast as he couldmove. 

The dog tried a second time to seize the daring boy in those cruelwhite fangs. He presented a terrible sight just then; for there wasblood showing on his white hair, where the edge of the monkey wrenchhad struck. 

"You will, will you?" gasped the boy, who had thrown himself into aposition of readiness once more, with his novel weapon upraised. 

This time the dog tried to duck the descending blow. Had his ruse beensuccessful undoubtedly Andy would have found his ankle fast in the gripof those terrible teeth before he could recover. But again he hadfigured on such a move; and as he swung the tool downward he jumpedforward a pace himself. It was "meeting the ball before the breakcame, " as they would have it in baseball language. 

Crunch!

That was surely a good sound crack. The force had been visiblyincreased too, so that the brute was knocked completely over into akicking heap. 

"Try it again, if you want to!" shouted the now aroused Andy. "Plentymore like that left! Hi! hold on there; what're you sneaking away for?Not had your fill yet, have you, pup? I guess you've got a streak ofyellow in you! No prize dog about you. Well, good-bye then. Nexttime I call I'll try and do better by you!"

The dog seemed half dazed by that last blow. Struggling to its feet itbegan to run away, though hardly able to keep a direct course. 

Frank arrived on the scene just too late to be of any assistance; butthen as it turned out, his cousin had not really needed help. 

"Well done, Andy, old fellow!" he exclaimed, proudly, as he seized thehand of his cousin, and shook it heartily. "I'm glad to own you as amember of the Bird family. And you're dead game on dogs, that's sure. "

"Oh! it was splendid!" exclaimed the girl and both boys now saw thatshe was a very pretty little miss, with sparkling blue eyes, and goldenlocks. "I shall never, never forget how brave you were. That terribledog would have bitten me, I just know. I was so silly to cross thisfield to save time. "

She insisted on shaking hands with each of the lads, though naturallyit was Andy who took the greater share of her attention. 

Just then a loud hoarse voice broke in upon them. Looking up they weresurprised to see a big, rough looking man, evidently the farmerhimself, coming toward them. He carried a gun in his hands, and hadall the appearance of anger in his manner. 

"Jest stand whar ye be, ye scamps!" he bellowed as he made threateninggestures with the gun. "Don't ye try to run away, er I'll gie yesomethin' ye'll never furgit. Maul my prize dawg, will ye, and on myown private groun's? I got the law back o' me, and ye'll pay damageser go to jail. Hear that, consarn ye?"

Of course neither of the boys thought of running. Why should they whentheir precious aeroplane lay there close at hand? Evidently theexcited farmer had not yet noticed this; or if so may have taken it forsome new species of motorcycle. His entire attention seemed to bewrapped up in keeping the boys from fleeing. He was figuring on takingadvantage of his rights, and exacting heavy toll for the assault on his"dawg. "

He came on until within ten feet of the boys. Andy still held thatuseful monkey wrench in his left hand, having transferred it at thetime the girl insisted on his taking her little white hand in his. 

The enraged and suspicious farmer must have just noticed this, for hesuddenly started to bellowing again. 

"Put up your hands, both o' ye!" he exclaimed, waving the gunthreateningly. "Ye be desprite scoundrels, I take it, an' I don't meanto gi'e ye any chance to treat me like ye done my dawg. Fifty dollarswouldn't buy that critter; an' like's not he won't never be any usearter this. I'm goin' to march ye both to the town lockup, right away. Don't ye move a hand, consarn ye!"

"Mr. Sweesey, how dare you? These boys are my friends!" and as sheuttered these words; in an indignant voice, the girl stamped her littlefoot on the ground. 

"Hey! what! oh! is thet you, Miss Alice? Sho! now, I never knowed ye, Miss, " the old man stammered, looking toward the girl for the firsttime. 

"I was coming to your house with an important paper my father asked meto hand you, when he heard me say I meant to take a long walk. Icrossed this field to make a shortcut, as I've often done before. Thatterrible dog of yours was loose, although you have been warned againstallowing it. And he would have attacked me, only that these brave boyscame to my assistance. I shall tell my father about it, you candepend, sir. "

All the bravado had vanished from the farmer by now. He seemed tofairly cringe before the girl. Afterwards the boys learned that therewas good reason for this, since her father was Mayor Stephens, therichest man in Hazenhurst, and the farmer a tenant who was foreverbehind in his rents, and heavily in the debt of the owner of the place. 

"I didn't mean to run 'em in, Miss Alice, " he hastened to explain. "Iwas just a-tryin' to skeer 'em, ye know. I've had heaps o' troublewith boys from town, and in course I thought they was up to more o'their tricks. Tige broke loose this mornin'. But p'raps he got justwhat he orter hed from this brave boy. I'm orful glad he didn't biteye, Miss. And I hopes ye won't complain to yer governor. "

"I'll think it over, Mr. Sweesey, " replied the girl, somewhat softenedby his abject demeanor. "Here is the paper father wanted me to take toyou. I think I'd better be going back to town after this. And Ipromise you I'll never again cross this field. "

She turned her back on him, and looked toward the biplane. 

"How wonderful that you should have come to my help in that way, " shesaid. 

"Well, the fact is, Miss Alice, " remarked Andy, quick to catch the nameused by the old farmer, "we were on our way to Hazenhurst, meaning todrop down on the commons and give your people over here a chance to seewhat a biplane looked like, while my cousin Frank Bird was making a fewlittle changes in this new machine; when we happened to see the dogchasing after you. Then we dropped down in a big hurry; butfortunately no damage was done. "

"Oh! are you the famous Bird boys I've heard so much about?" sheexclaimed; at which Andy turned red in the face, and laughingawkwardly, replied:

"I'm Andy Bird, all right, and this is my cousin Frank, the head andbrains of the combine; but as to our being famous, that's all amistake. We have taken up aviation as a business, and mean to followit. My father was a well-known aviator; so you see it runs in theblood. You live in Hazenhurst, I suppose, Miss Alice?"

And it was at this point the pretty girl informed them who she was. 

"Oh! I hope you will stay long enough by the liberty pole for me toget back!" she observed, eagerly. 

Andy nodded his head. 

"Oh! I can promise you that we're not going to be in any very greathurry to start back home. Why, we might even have to wait a wholehour. There are lots of little things to be done, you see;" and as hesaid this Andy gave his cousin a sly kick on the shin with his toe, which was apparently understood by Frank, since he did not venture tosay a word in opposition to what had been spoken; though truth to tell, he believed ten minutes would have sufficed him to make what littlechanges he had in mind. 

"Then I'll start right away, " Alice declared. "And as I chance to be agood walker I will show up inside of fifteen minutes at the most. "

She shook hands with them again, and started toward the road. The oldfarmer, with bulging eyes, watched the two lads get their biplaneready; and obeying Frank's request even gave a shove at the properinstant. Then he stood there, craning his scrawny neck as he watchedthe great bird-like object soar upwards, hardly able to believe that hehad actually assisted in the launching of one of the modern miraclesthat had conquered the forces of the upper air currents. 

Andy was watching, and as they sailed over the road where Miss Alicewas trudging back to town he shouted a greeting, and waved hishandkerchief, to be delighted by a return salute. 

"If I'd just dared, Frank, " said Andy, regretfully, "I'd have offeredto take her to town along with us; but I was afraid you'd say no. "

"Which I certainly would, " replied his cousin, immediately. "It may beall right for us to risk our lives in the way we do, but I don'tbelieve we have any business to take chances with that of another, except under certain conditions. If we had to take up some one to gavethem from peril that would be all right. Now, here we are at thecommons, Andy. "

"Wow! look at the people rushing out of the houses, " cried Andy, "wouldyou? I guess this is the biggest thing that's happened at Hazenhurstfor a whole year of Sundays. Hope they give us plenty of elbow-room toland. If they push in too far, somebody is going to get hurt. "

Frank called out in time, and the crowd swayed back, so that presentlythe wonderful biplane dropped as lightly as a feather on the beautifulgreen commons, and close to the foot of the liberty pole. 

"Please keep back before you do any damage!" Frank exclaimed. 

Fortunately there were some sensible fellows present, who realized theneed of care; and when these athletic young chaps had formed a ringaround the aeroplane Frank breathed more freely again. 

He went about making his little changes leisurely, while Andy did mostof the talking, and answering the multitude of questions that werefired at them. 

When the good people of Hazenhurst learned that these two modest youngchaps were the Bird boys, of whom they had heard and read so much, theywere loud in expressions of pleasure at welcoming them to the town. And when later on Andy told them of the contemplated race, theydeclared that everybody in Hazenhurst would surely be on hand to seethe two contestants turn around the liberty pole. 

Of course Miss Alice arrived, even ahead of schedule time; which wouldindicate that she had indeed hurried. And presently the boys wereintroduced to her father, and had to receive his hearty thanks after helearned how greatly the Stephens family were indebted to them. 

But Frank noticed with secret pleasure that the girl entered nocomplaint against the old farmer. From which he understood she hadcome to the wise conclusion that a lot of good had sprung out of thechance meeting, that might never have happened only for Tige's breakingloose that morning. 

And later on, when the biplane arose gracefully from Hazenhurst green, a mighty roar of cheers attested to the fact that the Bird boys hadsucceeded in making a very favorable impression, not only on Miss Aliceand her father, but the rank and file of the townspeople as well. 

CHAPTER XIX

THE MYSTERY STILL UNSOLVED

"You fellows have been gone a long time!" observed Elephant, reproachfully, as the Bird boys came down in the open just before theworkshop. 

"And I've had dinner ready nearly half an hour, " complained Larry, asthough in his mind their delay consisted of an unpardonable sin. 

"Sorry, " smiled Frank, "but we found we had to land at the liberty polein Hazenhurst, to do some little altering; and it was mighty hard workgetting away again. "

Larry's sharp eyes caught the quick, quizzing look which the speakershot toward his cousin. 

"Hey! be honest now, fellows, " he said. "There was a reason back ofthat holdup, I just know. Look at Andy turning red, would you?Elephant, don't he look guilty now? Tell us all about it, Frank. Whois she; what's the name of the little witch? We're from Missouri, andwe want to know. "

"Oh! let up on that sort of soft stuff, won't you?" complained Andy. "Things have come to a pretty pass when a fellow can't just biff ameasly old bulldog on the jaw, without having a romance made out of thething. "

"A bulldog?" echoed Larry, grinning immediately. "Listen to that, Elephant and Nat! He's been having a fight with a terror of a dog. And believe me, Andy didn't hunt for trouble. Tell us all about it, Frank. Whose bulldog was it, and why did Andy tackle him? Was hegoing to bite the pretty one?"

Of course Frank had to tell the story, as soon as he could recover fromthe fit of laughing into which Larry's persistence had thrown him. Andy wandered away, as though his modesty forbade his remaining wherehe could hear his praises sung. Perhaps he also disliked the idea ofhaving those humorous eyes of Larry keep tabs on his telltalecountenance while Frank was speaking of Alice, and of course remarkinghow very pretty the daughter of Hazenhurst's mayor happened to be. 

"But you say you left there at eleven, " remarked Elephant, when thestory had been completed. "Then it took you all this time to get backhere, did it?"

"Shucks, no, " replied Andy, who had now rejoined them, since the dangerof quizzing seemed past. "We tried for height, and managed to get upto a point that we only beat once with our old monoplane. And thiscraft can do much better, Frank says. "

"We made as high a point as we dared, " Frank said. "It really got toocold, and we were shivering as if we'd been dropped into winter. Nexttime we go after an altitude record for amateurs we'll make sure tohave warmer clothes along, eh, Andy?"

"We sure will, " remarked that worthy, shivering at the recollection;and yet it was a hot July day; almost sweltering, in fact, where theynow stood. 

Larry stepped over to the biplane, and bending down, glanced at thelittle instrument intended for recording the extreme height reachedduring a flight. It could be set over again simply enough when the keywas used to unlock the frame; this particular arrangement having beenadopted in order that during a contest there could be no possibletampering with the barographs, the several keys to which would remainin the possession of the judges. 

"Hey! that's going some, " Larry immediately called out. "Ten thousandseven hundred feet is sure high, according to my notions. I don'twonder you found it slightly chilly. I've never been half that far upin all my life; and I've seen some big mountains, too. What's therecord, Frank?"

"To tell the truth, " the other replied, "I don't exactly know. Thelast I saw recorded it was about fifteen thousand feet; but hardly aweek passes without some new man forging to the front, and putting upanother win. "

"Anything doing here while we were gone?" asked Andy, carelessly. 

"Lots, " replied Larry, with a knowing grin. 

"Suppose you open up then, and tell us about it. Been having visitors?"

"How smart some people can be, eh, Elephant? Hits it the very firstguess, " and Larry winked at his chum as he said this, purposely keepingAndy on the anxious seat. 

"Perhaps you've been butting up against some sort of bulldog, too?"suggested the other, quickly. 

"No such good luck, because the girls have kept away from here, "replied Larry. 

"Then it was Percy?" Andy persisted. 

Larry only shook his head in the negative; while Elephant took occasionto remark:

"We saw him cutting all sorts of figures in the air with his newbiplane. And say, don't you forget it, Percy is some pilot. He suredid skim around to beat the band. You ain't going to have anywalkover, Frank. "

"I understand that, Elephant, " replied the other, soberly. "And I'mthe last one underrate a rival. Percy is just as good as I am in thisbusiness. His weakness lies in his spirit of recklessness; and givingway to temper when things seem to be going against him. He may beatme; but he'll have to do his level best. "

"But looky here, " Andy broke in. "That ain't telling us who was here, Larry. "

"Guess again, " answered the other, who liked to tease. 

"I just can't think of anybody; unless it might happen to be thatmeddling, mysterious Mr. Marsh again, " and then, seeing the raisedeyebrows of Larry admit that he had hit the nail on the head, Andy wenton: "What d'ye think of that, Frank; the bump of curiosity is prettybig with that gentleman. Now, what excuse did he have this time forinvading our camp; and did he try to push into the shop like the lasttime he dropped around?"

"I saw him looking all about a lot, and he seemed right interested in aheap of little things, " Larry remarked. 

"Yes, " put in Elephant, who did not like to hear his chum do all thetalking. "Lots of times he'd turn to the other chap, and nod his heador wink his eye, just like he wanted to say: 'There! what did I tellyou, Longley; wasn't I right?'"

"Oh! he did, eh?" grumbled Andy, shaking his own head in an angryfashion; "well, all I can say is, that Mr. Marsh'd better keep his noseaway from places where it ain't wanted. He's just after somethingslick, Frank. He means to steal some of your clever ideas, that'swhat. "

But Frank was not so easily convinced. He believed in hearing all hecould before making up his mind. 

"Look here, Larry, " he said, earnestly, "he must have given some sortof an excuse for coming out here again, didn't he?"

"More than a few, Frank, " was the other's prompt reply. 

"As what?" continued the young aviator. 

"Oh! he kept on saying he was so much interested in you fellers that hejust couldn't continue his vacation tour without seeing more of you. In town they're talking already about the race that's going to takeplace between you and the other biplane; make up your mind Percy wasthe one to scatter the news, and spread his boasts about how he's goingto make you look like thirty cents. And Mr. Marsh, he just wanted toknow if it was so, and all about the same; because he says he means tohang around Bloomsbury till that event is pulled off. "

"Hear that, Frank, will you?" burst out Andy. "Told you he was a spyof some kind. Perhaps Mr. Marsh expects to spring a neat littlesurprise just before we start in that bully old race. Mebbe he's got afew cards up his sleeve. Mebbe he wants to stop us from starting, andclaim we're using a device that is patented by the firm that employshim. Anyhow, he's bound to give us trouble. "

Apparently Frank was not in the same anxious and worried frame of mindas his cousin. He paid no attention to what Andy was saying, but wenton questioning the one who had been in camp, and talked with thegentleman in question. 

"What other reason did he give for coming out here?" he asked. 

"Oh! let's see, " Larry, replied, slowly, as though thinking. "Elephant, he mentioned the fact that he had heard something of ourlittle circus last night, didn't he; and wanted to hear the truth aboutthe arrest of Jules?"

"Yes, and even told us that Mr. Longley was connected with a big NewYork newspaper, an editor or something, and wanted to wire the truthdown to his office, " Elephant added. 

"I wonder if that was a yarn, now?" remarked doubting Andy. 

"Oh! well, he did take a lot of notes down in shorthand, while the lotof us kept on telling all about the coming of Jules, " Larry went on. 

"I hope you didn't stretch things too much, " Frank remarked, knowingthat this was really a failing of Larry's, especially when relating theexploits of any of his chums, rather than his own adventures. 

"Now, that's mean of you, Frank, to suspect me of yarning, " protestedthe other. "I just hewed as straight to the line as I could. Elephanthere, and Nat, tried to widen things every little while; but I wouldn'thave it. When you read the story you'll see how Truthful Larry talked. "

Frank smiled at the idea of poor Stuttering Nat being drawn into themess; when the chances were he could not have said even one word withtwo such ready and willing talkers close by. 

"How am I ever going to read about it?" he inquired. 

"Why, you see, Mr. Longley promised to have some papers with theinterview in, mailed to me as soon as it appeared, which would betomorrow morning. Said it was a dandy piece of news, didn't he, fellows? And thanked me ever so many times for my extremely modest wayof telling it. "

Elephant had a wide grin on his face about this time, and Frank coulddraw his own conclusions as to just what the gentleman really did say. 

"Well, I must say that Mr. Marsh puzzles me right along, " he remarked. "And all I hope is, that when we come to learn the truth about him itisn't some unpleasant surprise he means to fling us. "

"He acted mighty nice, anyhow, " remarked Elephant. 

"And that's a fact, ain't it, Nat?" remarked Larry, turning to thestutterer. 

Possibly Nat had been preparing for his little speech, and shaped hislips so as to give utterance to the few words promptly; for heastonished them all by calmly remarking, with not a trace of hesitation:

"It sure is; there, how's that?"

"Bully! Keep it up, and you'll be all hunky!" ejaculated Larry. 

"But see here, how about that grub?" demanded Andy, suddenlyremembering that it was now one o'clock, and that they had eaten anearly breakfast. 

"Wow! the chances are it's all burned up!" cried Elephant, making abee-line for the door of the shop; in which rush he was followed by allthe others. 

But Larry was too good a cook to leave his dinner exposed to any suchdanger. Before he went outdoors he had moved everything back on thestove; so that when the five hungry lads finally sat down they foundevery article just right. 

While they ate, many questions flew back and forth. Larry wanted toknow more particulars about that little affair with the dog, and justhow Andy knocked the savage beast headlong with that handy monkeywrench; also what Miss Alice looked like; whether she had black eyes, or blue; and so many other things in connection with the dainty littlemiss that Andy begged Frank to seal his lips, because their comrade wasonly doing this for a lark. 

Frank on his part was not wholly satisfied with what he had heardconcerning the new attempt of the mysterious tourist to pry into hisaffairs. He every little while would spring some new question, whichLarry answered to the best of his ability. Evidently Frank was tryingto discover the real motives actuating Mr. Marsh when he so suddenlydecided to remain around Bloomsbury a few days, and made such a lameexcuse for so doing. 

The balance of the afternoon was passed as usual. Frank and Andy wentup again along about four o'clock, everything being favorable for anascent. It was the desire of the young pilot to ascertain just whateffect the several little changes he had made would have upon hismastery of the biplane. 

Evidently they gave him more or less solid satisfaction; since, whenthe time came for a final landing, with the westering sun throwingalmost horizontal beams upon the aviation field before dropping beyondthe trees, Frank had a smile on his face, and Andy looked more pleasedthan ever. 

So another night came around, on which at least they need not fear arepetition of the escaped convict's visit. 

CHAPTER XX

THE RIVAL AVIATORS

"It's what I call a blooming shame, that's what!" declared Andy. "Here's the day of the big race come along, and it's within an hour ofthe time set for the start from Bloomsbury high school campus; and themeasly old weatherman has to dole us out a 'probable rain' sign. Goingto upset all our calculations sure; and disappoint all those finepeople over in Hazenhurst. "

"That's where the shoe pinches, Frank, " spoke up Larry. "He's justthinking about one pretty little girl who will be waiting to wave herhandkerchief when the hero of the bulldog scrap comes whizzing aroundthat old liberty pole. "

"Am I?" demanded Andy, indignantly. "Just you take a look yonder atthe western horizon, and tell me what you see there?"

"A low down bank of clouds, that's a fact, Andy, " replied the other, candidly. "But only for this race business you wouldn't take anyparticular notice of that same. You remember it looked just as bad theother day, and petered out without ever giving us a drop of rain. "

"Yes, that's so, Larry, " observed Frank. "I've been watching thoseclouds for some little while now. They don't seem to be climbing up, as far as I could see. "

"But I sure saw a little something right then, that may have beenlightning, " put in Elephant. 

"I reckon you did, " Frank admitted, "for I saw it, too. One thingsure, there's going to be no trial for elevation today. Nothing couldtempt me to bore up thousands of feet, with a dark storm threateningbelow. Even if we escaped the wind, we might be kept up there untilnight came on. "

"Excuse me, if you please, " remarked Andy, with a shudder. "It's badenough up there on a bright, sunshiny day, let alone night, with astorm howling below. The judges won't allow of such a thing. We'llput off altitude until a better day. "

"Percy will be mad, though, " said Elephant. "He just hates to give in;and if they let him have his way he'd defy you to make the trial, nomatter what the weather. "

"Well, that's why I made sure there were sensible men on the jurythat's going to decide this race, " Frank remarked, confidently. "Ihappened to remember what a hot-head Percy is. While I'm ready to meethim in any reasonable test, to prove which of our aeroplanes is thebetter, I don't want to act like a crazy aviator. There's dangerenough, goodness knows, at the best, without taking chances that nosensible person would consider. "

"Is everything all ready, Frank?" asked the other Bird boy. 

"I believe so. Wait till I lock the shop, and then we'll take a littlespin before heading for the campus, just to warm the engine up. "

"There's nothing lying around, is there?" asked Andy, anxiously; "incase a fellow took a notion to break in here while the circus is on intown, and everybody interested in our biplanes?"

"I've made sure of that, " smiled his cousin; adding significantly: "Isuppose you're thinking of Mr. Marsh right now?"

"That's who I am, " came the prompt reply. "Don't you see how he wouldhave loads of time to get in and rummage around, while all of us wereoff--even Colonel Josiah is bound to be at the high school buildingthis p. M. Perhaps Mr. Marsh had that game in mind when he asked somany questions about the race. "

"Oh! you suspicious chap, " laughed Frank. "But rest easy, Andy, Mr. Marsh could look a long while through here without discovering any signof my experiments; or at any rate, what success I had met with in thesame. If he goes to all the trouble to get into the shop he'll havehis work for nothing. "

"And I'm going to make it a point to keep an eye out for that samegent, " declared Larry, positively; "and if he vanishes from the campusjust you make up your mind your Uncle Larry will be camping on histrail. I'd just like to see him breaking into a private building, nomatter if it is only the workshop of two boys. Let him try it, if hewants to see what nice quarters Chief Waller has in the Bloomsburylockup. You hear me?"

"After you give us the shove-off, boys, get on your wheels and hike forthe campus. We expect you to be there to start us in the race. Something depends on a clever get-away, you know, " Frank observed, ashe locked the door, and put the key in his pocket. 

A short time later the biplane rose swiftly, like a hawk that had beenstartled, and began to mount upward in gigantic circles, the faithfullittle Kinkaid engine throbbing with the regularity of heart beats. 

As directed, no sooner had Larry, Elephant and Nat seen the Bird boyswell off, than they mounted their waiting wheels, brought over for thisespecial purpose, and started for town. 

Anybody could see without trouble that Bloomsbury was in the throes ofa tremendous excitement that afternoon. People abandoned their housesin crowds, and flocked toward the campus of the high school, whichseemed to be the hub of a vast wheel, the squads of citizens taking thepart of spokes, all headed toward the common center. 

And nearly everybody seemed to be turning around, to observe thebiplane which was plainly visible, as Frank and Andy warmed the engineup for speedy use. All sorts of remarks reached the three boys, asthey slackened their pace, once inside the limits of the town. Thevast majority of the crowds seemed to be in favor of the Bird boys;though of course there were some who sympathized with the opposition;not because they cared so very much for Percy and Sandy, as of a desireto be on the other side of the fence. Some boys are built that way. They call it "taking the weaker part" but in reality it is a spirit ofcontrariness that pushes them on. 

And when they reached the vicinity of the campus Larry and his comradeswere astonished to see the multitude that had gathered to witness thenovel event. All sorts of vehicles were parked in the nearby sidestreets, from big touring cars, and little electrics, to farm wagons;and even a hayrick, on which a dozen country people had ridden some tenmiles, with a desire to witness the miracle of the twentieth century, the flying boys of Bloomsbury. 

"Oh! my! where do they all come from?" gasped Elephant, as he lookedaround at the sea of faces. 

"Thank goodness, " remarked Larry, "Chief Waller is on deck with all hisforce, to keep the crowds back. Only for that how would the aeroplanesever get started?"

"L-l-look y-y-yonder!" said Stuttering Nat, pointing, as he stoodbeside his wheel. "T-t-there he is, f-f-fellows!"

"You mean the mysterious Mr. Marsh?" echoed Larry. "So I see, and hisfriend the great editor is with him too. If I get a chance to have afew words with that Mr. Longley I'm going to ask him just why it is wehaven't received a copy of his paper containing the account of Jules'capture. He didn't keep his promise to me, and I don't like that wayof doing things. "

"There's Percy with his biplane over yonder, holding a levee, " remarkedElephant. 

"He looks as happy as a clam, " said Larry. "You know his way, fellows?Ten to one he's dead sure he's got this race clinched already. See himshake hands with Bessie Clinton! I can just guess how he's saying whathe means to do to Frank and Andy. Huh!" finishing his sentence with asnort of disgust. 

"The feller that crows last crows loudest, " observed Elephant. 

"Well, you ain't got that just correct, Elephant, " remarked Larry, letting his frown disappear in a grin; "but it means the same thinganyhow. Let's find a place to stack our wheels, and get around. TheChief will let us go inside the lines, for he knows we belong toFrank's crowd, and are needed in the push-off. "

Just as Larry had said the big police head met them with a warm smileof welcome. His sympathies were positively with the Bird boys, thoughhe would do his duty impartially as he saw it. But Larry and hisfriends had brought him a piece of rare good luck in the capture of theescaped convict, and for this alone the Chief had a warm feeling in hisbig heart for them all. 

Presently a cry went up. 

"They're coming! The Bird boys are headed this way, fellows! Get backeverybody, and give 'em plenty of room to land! Move back! Make waythere!"

The police assisted in driving the dense crowds still farther away fromthe open campus, where the aeroplane would be likely to drop underFrank's clever manipulation of the levers. 

It happened that the big campus of the high school was entirelydestitute of trees, being in reality a wide field, on which many of thetown sports took place from time to time. In this way it offered avery good starting point for an affair of this sort. 

Every sound was hushed as the biplane circled the field, like a birdseeking a favorable spot on which to alight. Then Frank headedstraight for the vacant place, left on purpose for the second aeroplane. 

When he landed and, after running a short distance on the green, cameto a full stop, a storm of cheers broke out. Evidently the Bird boyshad a host of warm adherents among the attendant crowds. 

Frank did not allow himself to pay the least attention to the shoutinglookers-on. They would never see him bowing and scraping before therace had even been started, like Percy had done. Time enough for allthat later on. 

"Look at him, would you?" said Larry, indignantly, as he joined theyoung aviators. "Percy thinks all that shouting was for him. See himwaving his hand and laughing! Why, he's being crowned with the wreathof victor already, in imagination! Bah! he makes me tired, that'swhat!"

"Don't pay any attention to him, Larry, " smiled Frank. "I think hedoes that on purpose to make some of us mad. Percy generally has areason in everything he does. He's a sly one. It seems to give him aheap of pleasure, and I'm sure it doesn't hurt us one little bit. Lethim have his fun. "

"Well, perhaps he's smart enough to know this is the only chance he'llget to listen to the cheers, " remarked Andy, grimly; "for when the gameis over Percy is only going to be found among the 'also rans'!"

"That's it, " crowed Larry, gleefully. 

But Frank said nothing. If he believed that he would have an easything of it, and leave his rival far in the lurch, he gave noexpression to such views. 

"Here come the judges, " remarked Elephant; "and they're going toexplain just what the conditions of the race will be. Yes, Percy hasquit laughing. He looks sober enough right now. Listen to what JudgePerrine says, fellows. "

The judge had gained a spot between the rival biplanes, where he couldbe easily heard. Then he started to explain just what the committeehaving the race in charge had decided the rules should be. 

In the first place, he remarked, it would be utterly suicidal for theyoung aviators to think of trying for height on such a threatening day. That would be left until the second afternoon, to be settled then, ifboth parties were agreed. 

After that he went on to state how points were to be given for expertmanagement of the aeroplane, as seen from the start and return; alsofor speed. The time of reaching the liberty pole at Hazenhurst was tobe taken there by a member of the committee sent over for that purpose. After leaving that town the rival biplanes were to circle the peak ofOld Thunder Top three times, and last of all make a landing on thecampus. 

"Any questions, either of you, before the word is given to start?"asked the gentleman in charge of arrangements, after he had finishedreading his rules. 

Neither of the contestants evidently had anything to ask. They knewwhat they had to do only too well; and both were like restive horses, awaiting the tap of the bell, or the crack of the pistol, to be off onthe jump. 

That vast crowd surged and swayed, everybody wishing to see the start, which would prove a novel sight to many of the country people at least. Once the aeroplanes had soared aloft, their flight could be watchedwithout trouble. 

Frank and Andy had mounted to their places; and an air of expectancyhung over the broad campus. After they had left the earth it would bea straightaway course for both contestants in the direction ofHazenhurst. 

"Are you ready?" asked the starter, in loud voice. 

Both replied in the affirmative. 

"Then go!" and with the words the judge fired a pistol into the air. 

Instantly the whirr of the motors was heard, and with a rush along theground the contesting biplanes started upon the long race!

CHAPTER XXI

THE RACE WITH THE STORM

It seemed to most of the thousands of lookers-on as though bothbiplanes left the green at the same instant. And as they speedilysoared upward it was impossible for any one among those left behind topositively decide whether either one of the rivals had the slightestlead. 

Of course a hurricane of shouts had broken loose the very second therecame a forward movement. It was as though the repressed enthusiasm ofthe vast throng had refused longer to remain bottled up, and just hadto find a vent. 

Still that volume of sound would prove but a shadow to the wildoutburst by which the ultimate victor might expect to be greeted whenhe came in later on. 

Frank saw that his rival was right there alongside when they had spedswiftly over what might be five miles; and it took very few minutes toaccomplish this part of the race, too. 

"He's holding us, Frank!" shouted Andy, nervously. 

"I know it; don't let that worry you!" was the composed reply hereceived. 

"But why don't you let go, and eat up ahead?" demanded the other again, presently, when he had kept watching the progress of the secondbiplane, and calculating the distance between them. 

Truth to tell Andy was so suspicious of Percy that he felt a constantdread lest the other might play some dastardly trick, meaning to thusgain an advantage. Of course no one could guess what the nature ofthis game might be; but he had the reputation of being a "slick one, "and among boys that signifies a fellow who never hesitates to applymean tactics rather than accept a square "beat. "

In that case the sooner they put on a spurt, and left their rivalbehind, the better Andy would like it. 

"I'm waiting to study his way of doing things first, " Frank answered, as steadily as though they were seated in the shop, discussingarrangements. "Just hold your horses a bit, and we'll start something. I'm nearly ready to begin showing what our new engine can do. "

So the impatient Andy had to keep his eagerness in check, although hisvery heart seemed to be eating itself with suspense. 

Then he caught a quick breath. Frank moved his hand clutching thespeed lever. They had immediately commenced to increase their forwardmotion to a perceptible extent. 

Anxiously did Andy glue his eyes on the other aeroplane, and for abrief time he seemed to almost hold his breath as he watched to seewhether they would leave it behind, with Percy desperately endeavoringto copy their spurt. 

Looking thus he had seen Percy instantly imitate the action of theother, proving that he too had been keeping a little extra speed inreserve. And as the minutes passed Andy failed to discover theslightest difference in the relative positions of the two airships. 

"Frank, it didn't go!" he cried, with beads of perspiration on hisforehead; due, not to the heat of the afternoon, for they were makinglots of circulation in the stagnant air by their rapid progress; butbecause of intense emotion. 

"That's so, Andy, " replied the pilot; "but perhaps a second time it maybe more successful!"

"Oh! have you any more held back, then?" asked Andy, in a tremblingvoice, from which he could not however keep out the tone of joy. 

"A little. Wait till we are two-thirds of the way there, and thenwatch out!"

They talked no more. It was difficult, to say the least, when going atsuch a frightful pace through the air. Andy divided his time watchingfirst the near-by aeroplane, which Percy was so skillfully guidingtoward the haven ahead; and then turning his attention towards thewestern sky. 

That low bank of clouds had commenced to move upward now. Yes, andwhen Andy looked, he could see the sudden wicked gleam of the zigzaglightning as it shot athwart the black masses. 

No doubt he experienced a certain amount of anxiety concerning thecoming of that summer storm. It would be only natural that he should;for if the aeroplanes were ever caught in the sweep of the furioustornado they would be as straws, to be toppled over and over to theground far below. 

But the fever of the race had full possession of Andy by now; and evengiven a chance to descend it is doubtful whether he would have availedhimself of it. 

Perhaps the storm would hold off long enough to allow them to completethe conditions of the event. And, anyway, so long as Percy chose totake the chances, it must not be for them to give up, and let him crowover them by finishing alone. 

Was Frank affected in the same way as his cousin? Perhaps, to someextent; but he would have welcomed a proposition from Percy looking tothe calling off of the contest to another and better day. If no suchbail came Frank might deem it his duty to keep on. 

Now they were approaching Hazenhurst; that is, they could easily seethe many houses of the town; and the commons near the center. 

"Another big crowd waiting there to see us turn the liberty pole, "ventured Andy, who had been using the glasses a brief time before, perhaps in the vague hope of being able to discover a certainfluttering handkerchief among the waving hundreds, that had a familiarface behind it. 

"I guess it's about time we took the lead, if we can, " observed Frank. 

He had no sooner spoken these words than Andy felt the sudden change ofpace; for it seemed to him that the biplane actually jumped forward. When he heard loud shouts of rage and chagrin from the direction of theother aeroplane he did not need to be told that Percy had no furtherspeed to let loose; and that he recognized the fact of sure defeatstaring him in the face, unless fortune proved kind, and brought aboutsome accident to Frank's machine. 

If what Percy must be wishing in his heart just then could only berealized, no doubt the leading biplane would crumple up, and drop tothe ground like a crippled bird. 

But no such event came to pass. Frank continued to slowly but steadilygain on his competitor. He knew that undoubtedly Percy was trying, byevery means possible, to increase the power of his engine, alreadytaxed to the utmost limit. 

"How is it now?" asked Frank, as they began to gradually descend, so asto get within the proper distance from the earth at the time they madethe sweep around the liberty pole. 

"Still gaining a foot at a time!" shouted the exultant Andy; whothought things could hardly have been better for him, if they wereallowed to pass around that stake with their rival trailing in therear--for surely _she_ would see him there in the limelight, and he waseager to pick Miss Alice out of those many hundreds gathered to cheerthe plucky air navigators on their way. 

Now they could hear the hoarse shouts that arose. All Hazenhurst hadapparently gathered for this grand spectacle of man conquering the air. It was an inspiring sight; and while the younger element cheered madly, the older people gazed in sheer awe at seeing what, most of them had upto now, doubted could ever come to pass. 

Frank was keenly awake to everything. He did not mean to make anymistake at this critical moment. It was the part of wisdom to circlearound the liberty pole at quite a little distance. Likely enoughPercy would be more reckless, and cut in closer, hoping in that way tomake up a little of his lost ground. Very well, let him, if so be hechose to take chances. 

The Bird boys had the better machine, there could now be no doubt ofthat in Frank's mind. And as they had been able to gain while on theforward leg, the same conditions could be made to prevail when on thehomeward stretch. 

One thing alone troubled Frank. He realized that it was folly in themto think of carrying out the part of the conditions that called forthree circles around the peak of Old Thunder Top before heading for thehigh school campus on the last stage of the race. 

And after they were well on the way toward home, he meant to hail Percyto propose that they combine to cut that risky part of the performanceout. A joint agreement would settle it; and doubtless the judges wouldhail that decision as the part of prudence. Human lives were worthmore than empty honors; and while the gathered thousands might becheated out of a thrilling sight as they stood and looked towardfar-off Thunder Top, still few would complain. 

Would Percy agree?

That was where Frank felt doubtful. He knew the nature of the otheronly too well. Perhaps Percy would flaunt it in his face that he was acoward! Possibly he would declare that as for him, he meant to circlethe mountain top those three times no matter if the storm did catchhim; and having done his duty, would snatch the victory from hisweak-hearted rival. 

Now the liberty pole loomed up half a mile ahead. But the next clap ofthunder was certainly louder than any preceding one had been. Still, the storm would be behind them in heading for home, and hence theymight keep ahead of it, if only they did not dally in the neighborhoodof Old Thunder Top. 

Frank had settled down to the proper distance from the ground. Havingbeen here before he knew whether any obstacle would present itself inmaking that swoop around the tall mast. Not for a single instant musthe allow his eyes to leave the object of his flight. Andy couldobserve what was transpiring below but to the young pilot of thebiplane his only recollection would be a hazy one of a multitude ofupturned faces, a wilderness of fluttering handkerchiefs and flagstogether with hats thrown into the air; and the whole accompanied bystentorian cheers from thousands of throats. 

With scarcely any perceptible slackening of his fearful speed theleading aviator swept in a graceful curve around the big liberty pole;and having made the complete circuit, once more headed off towarddistant Bloomsbury, with the gathering storm grumbling and growling inthe rear. 

Andy was happy for the moment; and he thought he had good reason to be. In the first place, they had met Percy going in, while they were comingout; though Frank had wisely given his reckless rival plenty ofswinging room, not wishing to have a head-on collision. Then again, Andy had positively caught sight of that pretty rosy countenance thathe had seen pale with fear the other day, at the time he stood betweenMiss Alice and that savage bulldog. 

Yes, she was there, just where she had promised to be, with the mayoralongside; and how her dainty little handkerchief did wave to and fro, when the daring Bird boys were making their circuit of the liberty pole!

Gradually the shouts of the enthusiastic Hazenhurst people grew fainterin the distance; for when going at the rate of a mile a minute it doesnot take long to lose even such a vast volume of sound. 

Frank determined to put the little plan he had in mind into practice. Better speak to Percy while the opportunity was still open. So heslowed down just a trifle. 

"Frank, they're gaining!" shrilled Andy, in new alarm. 

"I want them to, " answered the other. "I cut off some of our speed onpurpose to let him come up where I can shout out to him. "

The second biplane was now close alongside. Andy could see the facesof those aboard, and noted the fact that they were flushed with the newhope that Frank had shot his bolt, and that his engine was now goingback on him. 

Waiting until the other was on about even terms Frank called out asloudly as he could. 

"Hello! Percy!"

"Well, what d'ye want?" came back the surly answer. 

"Don't you think it's next door to foolish for us to head up to thepeak with that storm coming swooping after us? Suppose we makestraight for the campus, and call that a race? Another day we can fixit to make the try over again. "

Frank was very doubtful even while shouting this proposition; and justas he feared, Percy chose to look upon it as a sign of weakening. 

"You can do what you please, " he called back, with a shrill laugh, "Iknow that I'm going around the top my three times. If you're afraid, back down, and make for the town. We'll see who's got the most nerveright now. Get that?"

CHAPTER XXII

A TERRIBLE MOMENT ON OLD THUNDER TOP. 

That settled it!

Andy had been holding in his breath while this short conversation wasbeing held between the rival pilots of the aircraft, with voices raisedto shouts. 

"Are you going to give it up, Frank?" he questioned anxiously, as theother once more let his new Kinkaid engine out to its utmost, so thatthey began to forge to the front again. 

Frank hardly knew what to do. Prudence dictated that he decline torisk his life and that of his cousin in such a foolhardy attempt tofulfill the conditions of the race. And yet he did hate mostunmercifully to show the white feather. What lad with red blood in hisveins does not? And then there was Andy, who, seeing his state ofwavering uncertainty, began to plead with him to try the thing. 

"Frank, don't let 'em crow over us!" he went on, the fever still in hisblood. "We can do it, all right, you know. It'd only take a fewminutes to wheel around that bald old peak three times; and then a longdip will carry us clear to the campus. Frank, head for Old ThunderTop! Show him he ain't the only Bloomsbury aviator that's got nerve!"

And so Frank decided. Possibly he might regret his choice when it wastoo late; but having taken the jump, he began to gradually rise, so asto get on a level with the high peak. 

"He's right after us, Frank!" commented Andy, seeking by that means tokeep the determination of his cousin from growing slack. 

"So is the storm!" thought Frank, as he realized that already some ofthe advance couriers of the cloud bank had raced up, and were even thenaround them. 

Sitting there, with his teeth pressed firmly together, Frank realizedthat by deciding on accepting the challenge Percy had so scornfullythrown to him, he had indeed taken big chances. 

Would they ever live to finish that race; or must the wind, when itfinally bore down upon them, send both aeroplanes, together with theiroccupants, to a terrible fate far below?

It was now too late to change his course. And besides, Frank was noteven at this moment fully ready to throw up the sponge. Perhaps thestorm would kindly hold off a little longer, as sometimes happened, andgive them a fair chance to go around the peak of the bald mountainthrice before heading for home. 

"Hang the old clouds!" cried Andy. "The folks won't be able to followus around each time. And if Percy chooses to turn tail, and cut forhome, declaring that he did the bend three times who's going to proveit a lie, tell me?"

"Oh, some of them have fine glasses, and you may be sure they're on usabout every second. They'd get his number, all right; just let him trysome of that funny business, that's all, " Frank replied. 

Andy said no more. Truth to tell, the conditions surrounding them wereby now beginning to look fearfully desperate, with those billowingclouds at times shutting out all view of the earth so far below. 

Frank had only eyes for the rocky top of the mountain, though he knewthat he must presently also keep constant watch for the rivalaeroplane; for Percy might elect to pass around the other way, therebeing no stipulated course about it; and in that event there was alwaysthe chance of a collision. 

When racing such a reckless fellow, one had to make his eyes do doubleduty, as Frank Bird had learned long ago. 

He could see the pair of white-headed eagles soaring around the top ofthe mountain, as though glorying in the battle of Nature's forces thatwas so soon to be opened. Frank inwardly wished they were as capableof finding shelter as those sagacious birds. 

"Watch out for the other biplane, Andy!" he called, in the ear of hischum, as he started on his first circuit around Old Thunder Top. 

His last words were fairly drowned in a peal of thunder, that seemed toannounce the near approach of the gale. Even then there was possiblytime for them to have made Bloomsbury, had they been content with justone spin around the bald knob of the great rocky height. But theconditions of the race said three; and Percy meant to hold them to theletter of the contract. 

Frank well knew that far away in the home town anxious hearts werebeating, as loving eyes kept glued to the fieldglasses--he could easilyunderstand that not a few among the applauding spectators would tenthousand times rather the race were lost than that these terriblechances were taken. Yet he had started, and there could be no help forit now, however much he would have liked to give the thing up. 

Doubtless others were admiring the pluck shown; but then these had nopersonal interest in the lives of the young adventurers. 

They had now finished the first circuit and were starting on thesecond. Under normal conditions it would have been next to nothing toFrank to guide his biplane around the head of Old Thunder Top twicemore. But with such dreadful surroundings it required all the nerve ofwhich he could boast not to turn and shoot downward after making thatinitial circuit. 

The clouds were beginning to scurry around them now, showing that thewind was arriving. Frank knew this when he once more started aroundthe peak, for he met it head on. 

This meant another peril. He had to keep his wits fully about him, lest a sudden flaw tilt the biplane over. And it was at that moment ofuncertainty that the young aviator had reason to rejoice because ofthat new device under the aeroplane whereby an automatic balance wasmaintained between the planes. 

Birdmen who have attempted to show their ability to manage an aeroplaneclose to a big city like New York claim that their greatest dangerarises from the numerous gusts of wind that come out of the deepcanyons formed by the skyscraper buildings. 

"There they go!" screeched Andy, suddenly. 

Frank received something of a start, for the other aeroplane shot pastnot more than thirty feet away from the tip of his port plane. It hadbeen a narrow escape from a calamity that might have cost all theirlives; for Percy, for some unaccountable reason, had chosen to passaround the summit of Old Thunder Top in just the opposite way from thatthey had taken. 

How foolhardy to keep this up! It was next door to madness, Frankconcluded. He was determined to have nothing more to do with it, butgive over the idea of fulfilling the conditions of the race. 

Was it too late to think of making the home town? Would the hoveringgale swoop down on them when half way, and in the twinkling of an eyewind up their mortal careers?

Frank had learned his lesson. He was grimly determined that if goodfortune allowed him to get out of this scrape alive he would neveragain allow himself to be tempted into a thing that he positively knewto be rash beyond all description. 

But it might be too late now. The storm would soon come riding alongwith a rush and a roar. Sorry, indeed, the frail aeroplane caught inits merciless grip. A handful of straw would not be scattered morequickly by the onrushing blast than the pitiful frame that went to makeup the imitation bird. 

Even the eagles had mounted higher out of reach of the storm; or elsesought some snug retreat among the rocks, where they could bid itdefiance; at any rate had utterly lost all sight of the king birds. 

But where was Bloomsbury? How would he know which way to turn, whendesirous of fleeing before the threatening storm? The clouds hadgathered in such force that it was now utterly impossible to see theearth far below. And how pitiful to think of those two littleaeroplanes isolated so far away from any shelter. 

At such a time it behooved one to do his thinking quickly. Andy wasreally of no use just then, for he had become really frightened by thedarkness gathering around them; realizing at last what folly it hadbeen in accepting that dare on the part of reckless Percy. So Frankknew that he must depend entirely upon himself, if he yet hoped toescape the consequence of their rashness. 

Another thought flashed across the active mind of Frank Bird just then. Would it be possible for them to alight on the summit of Old ThunderTop? And even granted that such a difficult feat might be safelyengineered, could they find any way of staying there while the stormraged?

He made up his mind on the spur of the moment. It was simply madnessto think of shooting downward now. The storm hung low, and most of itsviolence would be apt to pass by beneath the height marking that loftycrown. Yes, the safest thing for them in the long run would be to landon the rock, as they had done several times before, and then seek tosave their lives, no matter what became of the biplane. 

Money would purchase another aeroplane; but money could never restore alost life. So Frank reduced the speed at which he was rushing aroundthe top of the rocky mountain. 

If the wind would only hold back another minute he believed he would beable to make it. But Andy must know, for he would have to hold himselfready to jump at the proper second, so as to stop the fluttering aircraft before it went beyond the further edge. 

At least one thing was in his favor as he turned back to make thesecond circuit, as Andy believed; the air currents were from the west, and they faced them now; hence the biplane was in the proper shape toeffect a landing; birds almost invariably drop to earth facing thebreeze, and not with it. 

"I'm going to land on top, Andy!" he shouted, knowing that the otherwould be panic-stricken by the fact that he had shut off nearly all thepower. 

"Oh! why?" cried his cousin. 

"It's our only chance; we could never get to the ground! Be ready tojump like you did before! Watch out, now, Andy!"

"I'm ready, Frank!"

Andy tried to control his voice when he shouted this; but it wasquavering sadly, what with his fright, and belief that the very end ofall things had probably come for them. The lightning was flashingsavagely, and the boom of the thunder down below sounded like thedischarge of tons of dynamite. 

It was just in between these sounds, when a silence of a few secondshappened to brood over the wild scene, that Frank heard loud cries. They came from the top of the rock close by, just where they wereheading for at that very moment. 

"They've struck the rock, and been smashed!" shrieked Andy, whose facewas undoubtedly the color of a piece of yellow parchment, if thehorrible state of his feelings was any index. 

Frank had already guessed as much himself; but just then it becamenecessary that he give his whole and undivided attention to their ownchances for making a landing; or else, if a flaw of wind came just atthe wrong time their aeroplane might also meet with the same fate thathad overtaken that of Percy. 

"Now! jump, Andy!" he called, as the bicycle wheels struck the surfaceof the rocky plateau. 

Even the rising wind assisted in halting their progress, and both boyswere able to drop out of their seats. Most fellows would haveimmediately thrown themselves down on the rock, thinking only of savingtheir lives; for there was real danger of their being swept off theexposed plateau, should the wind become very violent, as was to beexpected at such an altitude. 

Even at such a frightful time Frank's ready wits did not desert him. He instantly seized a stout rope, and commenced fastening the engine ofthe biplane to an upturned point of rock, which seemed just made for ananchorage. Andy caught the spirit that animated his cousin, and didwhat he could to secure the biplane; not that either of them had muchhope of its being spared to them. 

They had hardly managed to do all that lay in their power when with aroar the storm broke. The next few minutes would decide whether theywere to retain their grip on life, or be hurled down to the cruel rocksbelow. 

Frank clutched his cousin by the arm, and began dragging him across thetop of the plateau, both of them bending low so as to escape the worstof the wind's fury. And from the confident manner in which he drewAndy, the latter began to pluck up fresh hope; for it seemed possiblethat Frank knew of some sort of refuge. 

CHAPTER XXIII

THE BIRD BOYS' TRIUMPH

"Crawl in here!"

As he said this Frank Bird pushed his nearly exhausted cousin into anarrow crevice of the rock. It was a retreat which he had noticed ontheir first visit to the crown of Old Thunder Top. At that time Frankhad made up his mind that if ever he were marooned on that lonelymountain crest, he would seek temporary shelter there. 

Little had he dreamed of what the future held for himself and Andy; andthat one day he would have good cause to remember with thanksgivingthat same split in the massive rock. 

A surprise awaited them, and of an agreeable nature. Andy had notcrawled five feet inside the shelter than he gave utterance to a loudcry. 

"Percy, is this you?" Frank heard him say, with positive relief in hisvoice. 

"Yes, all that's left of me, " came a reply. "We got banged awful hardon the rock, when my machine played that nasty trick on me. It was allI could do to crawl here; and Sandy had to help pull me. I reckon myleg's broke. "

"Is Sandy there, too?" demanded Frank. 

"Yes, and banged up some too; but mighty glad he didn't go kerflummickdown to them rocks when Percy foozled, " grumbled another voice. 

"Aw! let up on that, won't you?" the other snarled. "I tell you it wasall the fault of the blamed cranky engine; it went bad on me just atthat time the flaw struck us on the side. Keep a still tongue betweenyour teeth, Sandy Hollingshead. "

That was Percy all over. Even in this grave crisis he would not admithaving made an error of judgment; but was determined to lay all theblame upon the faulty construction of the aeroplane. 

But Frank was mighty glad that both boys had escaped the terrible fateto which they had seemed doomed at the time their machine smashed downon the plateau. 

"We're all lucky, fellows, " he said cheerily; "and since we've got tobunk together for some time, let's make the best of a bad bargain. Here, Andy, take this bit of candle, after I've lighted it, and holdover while I look to see if I can do anything to help Percy. We oughtto be able to tell whether his leg is broken or not, and perhapsrelieve his suffering some. "

This they did, and after a close examination both declared that beyonda severe wrench and some bruises there was nothing the matter. Anyordinary lad would have felt grateful for this intelligence. Percyonly growled the more, declaring that if his leg was not broken it feltworse than such a condition would bring. 

"What can we do, Frank?" asked Andy, apprehensively, as he listened tothe roar of the storm without. "Must we stay up here all night?"

"I'm afraid that will be the result of our foolishness, " remarked theother, gravely. "And we ought to be thankful that our punishment isn'tany worse. "

The summer storm began to die out after an hour; but by then theafternoon had drawn near an end; so that it was folly to even think ofmaking any effort looking toward their escape from the rocky crest ofOld Thunder Top. 

Frank crawled out of the friendly crevice, and after a short timereturned, to bring good news. 

"So far as I can see the biplane isn't badly damaged, " he said to Andy. 

"Hey! you ain't going to desert us up here, I hope?" cried Percy, insudden alarm; which remark proved how much he was depending on Frankafter all to get them out of the bad scrape. 

"Not at all, " came the reply. "Nobody can go down till morning. Butif the machine can be coaxed to work decently then, I can carry thewhole bunch, one at a time, to the ground. "

This prospect of being brought home by a victorious rival wasapparently not very pleasant to Percy's proud soul. He grumbled for abit, and then said:

"Huh! guess you'll have to drop me in our front yard then, 'cause Iwon't be able to crawl home. I don't want to be seen in this shape, Frank Bird, remember that!"

"Sure, take you wherever you say, Percy. But we'll cross that bridgewhen we come to it. Perhaps we may have to get down by means of a ropeafter all, " the good-natured young aviator replied. 

As night came on the clouds rolled away from the summit of themountain, and Frank could see the light of the town far below. He knewonly too well that many anxious hearts would be suffering because ofthe dreadful uncertainty that hung over the fate of the quartette ofventuresome aeroplane boys. 

"I'm going to find some way to let them know we're all safe, " he said, finally. 

"But how?" demanded Andy. "If it was daylight we could stand out in arow, and they'd see us through the glasses. Or we could use the wigwagcode, which some of the Boy Scouts would translate. But in the dark--"

"That's just what occurred to me, " said Frank, quickly. "Listen, Andy. Strange to say, our little searchlight on the biplane escaped beingbroken when we landed so roughly. I mean to use that to signal with. "

At that his cousin gave vent to an exclamation of delight. 

"Great! It sure takes you to think up these things, Frank!" he cried. 

Accordingly Frank secured the acetyline lamp and having lighted thesame, stood out where his actions could surely be seen by some of theanxious watchers in Bloomsbury. Then he started to wave the lightslowly but methodically, so as to induce some sort of reply. 

After about ten minutes he called out to Andy and the others:

"One of the Scouts is starting to answer with a lantern. And now totry and make him understand that the whole four of us are up here safe, and will stay until morning. "

Even the groaning Percy managed to crawl to the mouth of the crevice towatch operations. Frank persisted until he knew that his message hadbeen understood, for the answer had come "O. K. "

"Now we can take things more comfortably, because we know they won't beworrying about us, " he said. 

But that was a night never to be forgotten. Nobody obtained muchsleep, for what with the novelty of their situation, the hard rockunderneath, and the almost constant complaints of Percy, who was reallyin great pain, they watched the stars in their wonderful processiontoward the west until finally dawn began to appear. 

As soon as it was fairly light Frank got busy. He examined his biplanein the most thorough manner; for it would never do to have a slip, oncehe quitted the safety of the plateau. Rather than take chances hewould have waited until help had arrived at the bottom of the cliff, with a rope which could be hauled up by means of a cord; or carried upthe chipped footholds by an agile lad like Larry. 

But he found that his machine could be readily put in apple-piecondition. The sun was up before things were ready. Percy declined tobe the first to accompany him, for some reason or other, so Andy went. 

The trip to Bloomsbury was made without a single hitch; and great wasthe rejoicing when they landed on the commons. But remembering hispromise Frank did not linger. He succeeded in transporting Sandy thenext trip; and that worthy made haste to lose himself in the crowdwithout even thanking his rescuer. 

Last of all Percy was carried to his home. Frank could not land in theCarberry yard on account of the trees; but he did close by; and as theinjured boy's mother, as well as a score of others, were eagerlywaiting, there would be little difficulty in getting Percy indoors. 

"I suppose I ought to thank you, Frank, for this, " said the injured boywith a half surly look on his face, which, however, may have beencaused by his pain. 

"Don't mention it, Percy, " smiled Frank. "I'm sure you would have donethe same for me. Hope you get out soon again; and sorry you lost yourbiplane. Better luck next time, " and with that he turned away. 

Having broken away from the crowds on the commons, the two Bird boys, accompanied by their friends, Larry, Elephant and Stuttering Nat, onceagain sought the privacy of their dear old workshop. Here they weresprawled, taking it as easy as possible, and resting their achingmuscles, as they went over the stirring events of the accident againand again, when into the shop strode Mr. Marsh and his friend, Mr. Longley. 

The former gentleman at once approached Frank, who, understanding thatthe seal of mystery that had so long cloaked his actions was about tobe removed, stood up. 

"Shake hands, Frank, won't you?" said the other, with a look of warmadmiration on his face that quite captured the young aviator. "Longleyhere has copies of the papers he promised your cousin, containing anaccount of your little episode with the escaped convict. But Frank, I've got another mission here. And I hope you'll be of a mind toaccept the offer I want to make you on behalf of the well known firmmaking the very brand of aeroplane you pin your faith to. Will youlisten?"

"Certainly, sir, " Frank answered, accepting the hand that wasoutstretched; "as to accepting any offer, that is another matterentirely. But please go on. "

Andy, Larry and the other two listened eagerly; for they believed thatthe Bird boys were about to be given as great a compliment as anyaviator could hope for. 

"I represent the company that makes the best aeroplane in the country. I am empowered to be constantly on the watch for just such daring yetcautious aviators as you two have proven yourselves. That was why Icame here to Bloomsbury, because we knew something of what you had beendoing. And I want to say right here that personally I firmly believethose glowing reports have been in no way exaggerated; for you bothhave the making of admirable aviators in you, after you have been inthe company of the chief of them all for a few weeks. And I hope youwon't decide too hastily, and turn an offer down without dueconsideration. Are you open to an engagement for a year to come withmy company, and prove to the public what they claim for their make ofmachine?"

Frank shook his head, though with a pleased smile; for who would nothave felt a thrill of pride at such a remarkable evidence of confidencein his abilities. This gentleman knew every famous flier of the day;and that he should rate the Bird boys as among those who were "called"was a compliment worth having. 

"I'm afraid we'll have to disappoint you, Mr. Marsh, " he said. "In thefirst place our fathers would not want us to become public birdmen; andin the second we expect to attend school for several years yet beforebranching out. No, please forget it. I believe in the merits of theaeroplane I've been using. The new features are wonderful; and as longas I continue to fly I expect to stick by that make. But neither of usare professionals. And that will have to end it. "

Which it of course did. Mr. Marsh, much against his will, wascompelled to leave Bloomsbury without having signed the Bird boys forhis enterprising company; but at least he had the satisfaction ofknowing that no rival concern could succeed any better than he had. 

Just as Frank had said, Percy's injuries were not serious enough tokeep him shut up more than a few days. Many times did Frank and Andyhave to narrate the entire story of that hazardous feat connected withthe race. They never made themselves out heroes; but most people, knowing their modesty, could read between the lines, and understoodthat Percy Carberry and Sandy owed much to the Bird boys. 

Of course such a backset could not long deter Percy from flying. Hisrich and indulgent mother would supply the cash for another biplane indue season. But it was to be hoped that his experiences might teachhim more caution. 

Frank himself was resolved never again to be tempted into risking hislife unnecessarily simply because a reckless rival threatened to dubhim a coward. 

As the Bird boys were thoroughly imbued with the aviator spirit itmight easily be set down as positive that as time went on they wouldcontinue to study the science of flying, and take advantage of everyopportunity that presented itself for indulging in their favorite sport. 

And we shall certainly hope to meet them again in the near future, whenpossibly other of their stirring adventures call for a new volumeconcerning the Bird boys.