The Aeroplane Boys Flight | Page 4

on.
"Look closer, Frank," the other boy went on to say, while his disgust
deepened; "and you'll discover that the two fellows in that car happen
to be Percy Carberry and his shadow, Sandy Hollingshead. Did you

ever hear of such tough luck? Of all the boys in Bloomsbury they are
the last we'd want to know that we'd left our new hydroplane out,
unguarded, all night, in an open field. Guess I won't go home tonight,
Frank. I'd rather camp out here with Felix. You let my folks know, and
turn up in the morning with a new piece for that plane. That's settled
and you can't change it."
CHAPTER II
ON GUARD
"Perhaps I'd better stay with you, Andy," the other Bird boy remarked.
"No need of it," replied Andy, resolutely. "Besides, you know one of us
ought to get busy in the shop, making that new piece we really need so
that our job won't have to be done over again. You go, Frank. Perhaps
Mr. Quackenboss would let you have a horse; or if you cared to, you
give Percy a hail, and he'd take you back to town, I reckon. Goodness
knows he owes you a heap, after the way you saved his life the time he
was wrecked up on Old Thundertop."
What Andy referred to was a very exciting event which had occurred
not so very long before, and which was fully treated in the volume
preceding this.
Frank shook his head in the negative.
"I never want to ask any favor of Percy Carberry," he said, resolutely.
"And if Mr. Quackenboss can't let me have a horse to ride, why, the
walking is good, and I can make it in less than an hour. So don't
mention that again please, Andy."
"It's too late now, anyhow," remarked the other, drily, "because there
they go, spinning down the road like wildfire. Percy never does
anything except in a whirl. He's as bold as they make them, and the
only wonder to me is that he hasn't met with a terrible accident before
now. But somehow he seems to escape, even when he smashes his flier
to kindling wood. His luck beats the Dutch; he believes in it himself,

you know."
"But some day it's going to fail, and then he'll never what happened to
him," declared Frank. "Of all the professions in the world, that of a
flying machine man is the one where a cool head and quick judgment
are the things most needed. And the fellow who takes great chances,
depending on his good luck, is bound to meet up with trouble. But if
you are bound to stay, Andy, I'd better be off."
Upon entering the barn they found that the farmer had finished his task,
and was pitching some new sweet hay to the cows.
Frank suggested hiring a horse from him, but Mr. Quackenboss scoffed
at the idea.
"You're as welcome to the use of my saddle hoss as the sunlight is after
a spell of rain," he said, heartily. "Here, Felix, get Bob out; and you'll
find my new saddle hanging on that peg back of the harness room door.
And as for Andy, who's going to stay over with us, we'll find a chair for
him at the supper table, and only hope hell tell us some of the many
things you two have gone through with, both around this region, and
away down in South America, that time you found the lost Professor."
Inside of five minutes Frank was in the saddle, and waving his hand to
his chum and cousin, of whom he was more fond than if Andy had
been his own brother.
"He'd be back tonight with the part we need, and we could make home
in the moonlight," said Andy, as, with the farmer he headed for the
house; "only both of us have promised our folks not to travel at
night-time when it can be helped. Even if the moon is bright there's
always a risk about landing, because it's a tricky light at the best, and
even a little mistake may wreck things. And so Frank will work in the
shop tonight, and be along in the morning."
Once in the farmhouse Andy was given a chance to wash up, and then
met the housewife, as well as little Billie, the small chap whose life
good Doctor Bird had saved. Mrs. Quackenboss proved to be a very

warm-hearted woman, and any one who answered to the name of Bird
could have the very best that the place afforded. There was never a
night that she did not call down the blessings of heaven upon the
physician who had been instrumental in preventing her darling Billie
from being taken away.
The table was