The Girl Aviators Motor Butterfly | Page 8

Expecting to come on a camp
of young folks they had suddenly encountered a group of machines
which, to them, must have savored of the supernatural. But as the auto
drove off they were due for an even greater surprise.
Following a swift whisper from Roy both boys had jumped into the Red
Dragon. In an instant came the sharp barking of the engine. The flying
machine dashed forward almost simultaneously. Straight at the angry
nomads Roy headed it. It was as if a war chariot of old was charging
into a group of defiant barbarians.
For a few moments the gipsies stood their ground. But as the machine
rose from the ground, skimmed it, as it were, Roy thrust on full power.
The machine darted over the spot where the gipsies had stood but an
instant before; but they had gone. Scattering with wild cries of fear,
they could be seen running for their lives toward the wood.
"I don't think they'll trouble us again in a hurry," declared Roy grimly,
as he brought the Red Dragon round in a circle and headed back for the
rest.
From the machine came a cheer, Miss Prescott's voice ringing out as
loudly as any.
"The idea just came to me in a second," explained Roy modestly, in
answer to the ladies' congratulations and praise, "it worked, though,
didn't it?"
"Like a charm," they all agreed.
"Hadn't we better be getting on?" asked Jimsy, a minute later.
"Yes; there's no knowing if those fellows won't try a flank attack,
although I think they've had a big enough scare thrown into them to last
them quite a while with economy," laughed Roy.

"Who is going to take care of Wren?" asked Bess.
"She'll ride right in the car with me," declared Miss Prescott positively,
"you don't think I'm going to risk her in one of those things of yours, do
you?"
They all laughed. As a matter of fact, there was not one of the party that
was not more at home in the air than on a road. Then, too, Roy's
balancing device had about removed the last peril of air traveling. It
was agreed to stop at Meadville, which the map showed was about
thirty miles to the southeast, and purchase a dress and other necessities
for their new ward. As to what was to be done with her after that
nobody had any very definite plans. And so the journey was resumed,
with congratulations flying over the way in which they came out of
what, for a time, looked like a really serious scrape.
The weather had held fair till a short time after the start was made from
the scene of the encounter with the gipsies. It was Peggy who first
observed a change in the sky.
From the southwest billowy masses of slate-colored clouds came
rolling on, obscuring the sunlit landscape beneath with an effect of
lights turned down on a stage. Turning to Jess, who occupied the seat
behind her, she remarked:
"We're going to have some bad kind of a storm, girlie."
Jess nodded.
"Wonder how far we are from Meadville?" she asked.
"Quite a way yet. I'm afraid that we can't make it before the storm
breaks."
"Look, there's Roy coming back, and Jimsy, too. I guess they want to
talk about it."
This turned out to be the case. As Roy came swinging by he held a

small megaphone to his mouth with one hand, while the other gripped
the steering wheel tightly.
"We're in for a storm, girls, and a hummer, too, from the look of it."
"Better drop down," counseled Jimsy.
Jess nodded, and, as at this moment Bess, who had seen the boy's
maneuver, came by, the news was communicated to her.
The next thing to do was to look about for a suitable place to land. The
country over which they were passing was heavily wooded, and
seemingly sparsely populated. Beneath them wound a road, along
which, but at some distance behind, the touring car could be seen
coming in a cloud of yellow dust.
The wind began to grow puffy, and it required all the skill of the young
aviators to keep their flock of motor-driven birds on even wings.
Before long, just as the distant, but fast approaching, cloud curtain
began to be ripped and slashed by vivid scimitars of lightning, Roy
espied, beneath them, a field, at one end of which stood a
prosperous-looking farmhouse, surrounded by buildings and hay
stacks.
It was an ideal spot in which to land, and as the road was near by they
would have no difficulty in attracting the attention of Miss Prescott
when she went by. In graceful volplanes the aëroplanes lit in the field
like an alighting flight of carrier pigeons.