The Girl Aviators Motor Butterfly | Page 9

hour or so is worth?" asked Roy.
The farmer considered an instant, and then, with an avaricious look in his pin-point blue eyes, he looked up.
"'Bout ten dollars," he said, at length.
"We don't want to buy it, we just want to rent it for a very short time," struck in Bess, with her most innocent expression.
"Wa'al, it's ten or git off!" snapped the farmer.
"I'll pay you a fair price for it," spoke up Roy, "and not a cent more."
"Then I'll drive you off with a shot-gun, by chowder."
"Oh, no, you won't."
"Won't, hey? What'll stop me?"
"The law."
"Ther law? Thet's a good one."
"I think it is, a very good one," struck in Jimsy, who now saw what Roy was driving at.
"Humph! wa'al, if yer a'goin' te talk law I'll jes' tell yer quick thet this is my land and thet you're all a-trespassing."
"You are not very well up on a?rial law, it seems," replied Roy, in an absolutely unruffled tone.
"Don't know nuthin' 'bout this air-ile law," grumbled the fellow, but somewhat impressed by Roy's calm, deliberate exterior.
"Well, then, for your information I'll tell you that under the laws of the country recently enacted aviators are entitled to land in any safe landing place in times of emergency. If they do any damage they must pay for it. If not the owner of the land is not entitled to anything for the temporary use of his place."
"Five dollars or nothing," spoke Jimsy, "and if you try to put us off you'll get into serious trouble."
"Wa'al, yer a-robbin' me," muttered the man, much impressed by Roy's oratory, "gimme ther five."
It was quickly forthcoming. The old fellow took it without a word and shuffled off. As he did so there was a vivid flash of lightning and the growl of a big crash of thunder. While it was still resounding the auto came puffing up. Jake had put up the storm top and made it as snug and comfortable as a house.
"Come on, boys and girls," urged Roy, "let's get the engines covered up and then beat it for the car. The rain will hit in in torrents in a few minutes."
Indeed they were still making fast the waterproof covers constructed to throw over the motors in just such emergencies when the big drops began to fall.
There was a helter-skelter race for the car. In they all crowded, and none too soon. The air was almost as dark as at dusk, and there was a heavy sulphurous feeling in the atmosphere. But within the curtains of the car all was fun and merriment. The case of the old farmer was discussed at length, and Jimsy convulsed them all by his clever imitation of the way the bargain was driven.
He was in the midst of his description when a fearfully vivid flash lit up the interior of the car as brightly as day. As it did so The Wren uttered a sharp cry.
"What is it, dear? Afraid of the lightning?" asked Miss Prescott, while a thunder volley boomed and reverberated.
"No, no," shivered the child, drawing closer to her, "but when I see a flash like that I sometimes remember."
"Remember what?" asked Miss Prescott tenderly.
"Oh, I don't know," wailed the child, "people and places. They come for a moment and then disappear again as quickly as they came."
CHAPTER V.
PEGGY'S THOUGHTFULNESS SAVES THE FARM.
Flash after flash, roar after roar, the lightning and thunder crashed and blazed as the full fury of the storm struck in. Miss Prescott, who was in deadly fear of lightning, covered her eyes with a thick veil and sank back in the cushions of the tonneau.
But the rest of the party regarded the furious storm with interest. The rain was coming down in sheets, but not one drop penetrated the water-proof top of the big touring car.
"It's grand, isn't it?" asked Peggy, after a particularly brilliant flash.
"Um--ah, I don't just know," rejoined Jess, "it's rather too grand if anything. I----" Bang!
There was a sharp report, like that of a large cannon. The air was filled with an eye-blistering blaze of blue fire. Stunned for an instant, and half blinded, not one of the young folks in the touring car uttered a word.
The storm, too, appeared to be "holding its breath" after that terrific bombardment.
"That struck close by," declared Roy, the first to recover his speech.
"Oh! oh!" moaned Miss Prescott, "then the next will hit us!"
"Don't be a goose, Aunt Sally," comforted Peggy; "don't you know that lightning never strikes twice in the same place?"
Miss Prescott made no answer. In fact she had no opportunity to do so.
From close at hand shouts were coming. Loud, frightened shouts.
"Fire! fire!"
"Gracious! something's on fire at that farmhouse!" cried Peggy.
"That's what!" came in excited tones from Roy as he peered out through the rain.
"Look at them running about," chimed in