Aeroplane Boys Flight

by John Luther Langworthy

  CHAPTER XVII

  SALLIE RIDES BAREBACK

  "And now what's our next move?" demanded Andy, who generally found itvery nice to let Frank do all the planning, though capable of takinghold himself when forced to do it.

  Fortunately Frank had a great way of figuring out what he would do undercertain conditions. This gave some sort of assurance when difficultiesarose; for there was little time lost in fixing things up so as to havea programme.

  "No use trying to follow after him, to begin with," he declared.

  "Why do you say that?" his cousin wanted to know.

  "First of all, it would be a bad business, because he's on his guard,and a desperate man," Frank went on to explain. "You can see that he'sready to pull out a weapon of some sort at the first warning. And wesettled that we didn't want to fall into the hands of these two bad men.So we'll have to arrange things along a different line. And anyhowthere's no terrible hurry, because I rather guess they've got thebiplane hidden some distance away from here. It would take half an hour,perhaps much more, before they could get out. And we can reach our craftin a few minutes, if pushed."

  "Yes, that's all so, Frank; but go on, and tell me the rest."

  "I was thinking that we ought to try and let our folks know how thingsare going with us, so that if we have to cut out after these yeggaviators they'll know where we've gone. Suppose, now, you hunt Sallieup, and try to explain it all to her just as fast as you can."

  "Who, me? Oh! well, I guess I can do it, if I have to. But what will yoube doing all that time, Frank?"

  "I want to write a message to either your father, or else Judge Lawson,whichever she can get on the phone," replied the other, immediatelyhunting in his pockets for pencil and paper, which he made it a habit tocarry around with him always.

  "She--say, do you mean Sallie, Frank?"

  "No other. You must coax her to saddle up a horse, and make for thenearest neighbor where they've got a phone; get that, Andy?"

  "But do you think she will?" asked the other, dubiously.

  "I'm dead sure of it," came the confident reply. "Sallie has a touch ofromance in her make-up; and besides, shell be so mad to think of thatman deceiving her mother that she'll want to have him caught. Get alongwith you, now, Andy, and fix it all up inside of ten minutes. I'll havethe message written out by that time, so she can start, if there's sucha thing as any kind of a horse around this wreck of a farm."

  And so Andy, glad at least to have something to do, hurried toward thehouse to look for the country girl.

  Left alone, Frank continued to write as plainly as he could what hewanted those in Bloomsbury to know about matters in general. He used asfew words to cover the case as possible, but gave the leading points,even to stating his fear that the scoundrels who had robbed the bank,and were plotting to also make a descent on the pay-car of the railroadthat night, had now taken the alarm, and would be off in the stolenbiplane.

  In that event Frank wanted the police in Bloomsbury to know that he andAndy had started in pursuit; though what they could do to apprehend therogues of course he was in no position to declare.

  By the time he had this finished to his satisfaction he heard voicesnear by, and was glad to see his cousin coming, accompanied by Sallie.

  The girl looked duly excited, just as Frank had expected. There were athousand questions in her eyes, but he cut all this short.

  "We can't stop to tell you any more now, Sallie, but we promise to dropin again after it's over, and explain all that seems queer to you now.Here's the message that we want to get to Bloomsbury the worst kind, andas quick as you could get on a horse and ride to the nearest neighborwho has a phone in the house. You'll do this for us, won't you, Sallie?"

  Few people could say no to Frank once he wore that winning smile, andSallie immediately declared that she was ready to do anything hesuggested.

  "To think of that little scoundrel fooling us all, and pretending to bea college professor!" she remarked, indignation flashing from her blackeyes.

  "I hope you've got a horse," said Frank, sticking to the business inhand.

  "Oh! yes; we have one left that might do," Sallie answered.

  "Then let's get him saddled right away," Frank went on.

  "Can't," she snapped back, "ain't such a thing as a saddle around hereany more. But I'm a country girl, you know, and I can ride bareback allright. A halter's the only bridle I want, Frank. Give me the message,and I'll see that it gets to somebody in Bloomsbury."

  "And here's some money, Sallie," the other went on.

  "What! do you think--"

  "There might be something to pay, you know, and we can't afford to takechances when there's so much at stake. Thank you a thousand times forhelping us out, Sallie. Now, please get the horse. I'd like to see youstarted before we pull out, because we may have to chase after thesefellows in our aeroplane, if they take a notion to fly away."

  The girl hastened to lead the way into the stable where they did findan apology for a horse, which she immediately unhitched, and ledoutside.

  "Hope she doesn't happen to run across that man on the way, because hemight wonder what was taking her off like that, and do something to turnher back. What if he found your message on her, Frank?" and Andy, as hesaid this, turned an anxious gaze upon his cousin.

  But Frank shook his head.

  "I saw him dodge out of the lane and take to the woods," he remarked,"as though he knew of a short-cut across lots to the place where hisfriend and the biplane were hidden. No danger of his seeing Sallie, sodon't mention it to her. Wait, I'll give you my hand to help you up,Sallie!"

  But the country girl had led the horse alongside the drinking trough,and was on his back in a jiffy, long before Frank could come across.

  "Goodbye, and good luck, boys!" she called back, as she gave the horse aswitch with the end of the halter, and was off at a lumbering pace.

  They stood there a minute or so watching the girl flying down the lane.She turned around once, and waved her hand at them, while her long hairblew behind in a cloud. Frank would not soon forget the sight of SallieHoskins going to carry the news to a point where it could be telephonedin to town--news that would cause a tremendous wave of excitement topass over the whole of Bloomsbury.

  "Hurrah! that's done, and well done too, Frank, I say!" exclaimed Andy,turning on his cousin with a face that plainly said, "What's next on ourprogramme?"

  "Before we pull out I guess we owe it to the good woman to tell hersomething of the truth, for I don't believe she knows a single thingabout it from Sallie or the professor. So come along to the kitchen withme, Andy. Then we'll chase off to where we left our aeroplane, and standready for anything that may happen."

  The two of them quickly reached the kitchen door. Inside they found Mrs.Hoskins, tired looking and red of face, still busily engaged with hercanning operations; for peaches were ripe, and tomatoes needingimmediate attention if she hoped to lay away her customary stock for thecoming winter.

  She came to the door where it was cooler, a look of rising curiosity onher patient face. And Frank started in to tell what he thoughtnecessary. She was at first much worried to learn that she had beeninnocently harboring a criminal under her humble roof; but Frank soonallayed her fears on that account.

  He also told her how Sallie had consented to ride over to a neighbor tosend a telephone message for him, so that the good woman might not beworried over her absence.

  And now, having done what he considered his duty, Frank began to thinkit might be the part of wisdom for himself and his cousin to considertheir own affairs, and make for the spot where their hydro-aeroplanelay in the field.

  "Oh! I do hope they are caught," said the farmer's wife. "Just to thinkof that easy talking little man being a desperate criminal! I shall beafraid to stay all alone in the house after this."

  "Listen, Frank; somebody's shouting out there. What if both of thoseyeggs are coming back to get us?"

  Andy had clutched the sleeve of his cousin's
coat when saying this; butFrank did not need to be told that something like excitement was bearingdown upon them.

  "Oh! it's Jerry, my husband!" exclaimed Mrs. Hoskins just then, "and heseems to be dreadfully excited, too. Listen to him calling to me! Iwonder what could have happened. What if he's gone and cut himselfbadly, always digging and making holes in the ground, since that sillyold fortune teller said he would find a mine on the farm. And here hecomes too!"

  Just then a figure came staggering around the corner of the house. Itwas the old farmer, plainly tremendously excited, and although weak andalmost out of breath from running, trying to tell her something.

  "It's there, Jennie--found it, wife--ain't had all my work for nothin'I tell you! A vein of hard coal, think, enough to make us all rich! D'yehear that, Jennie, girl, rich! Gimme a drink of water, for I'm nigh deadfrom runnin' to tell you the great news. Who's these boys, wife? Where'sSallie at?"

  Frank would have liked very much to remain and hear the particulars ofthe farmer's good luck in locating a vein of coal on his property; buttime would not permit. He only hoped Hoskins was not mistaken, fortraces of coal had been known to exist around that neighborhood for sometime, though up to now none had been found in paying quantities formining purposes.

  "Come on, Andy, we'll have to be skipping out. Please tell your husbandall you know about what's happened, Mrs. Hoskins. Hope you have struckit rich, sir."

  With that Frank hurried off, Andy trailing behind. The farmer staredafter them as though hardly knowing what to make of it all; but theycould hear the good woman begin to explain, and had no doubt she wouldbe able to satisfy his reasonable curiosity.

  For the time being the Bird boys must forget all about what lay in thepast, because it was the future that should interest them wholly. Theyhad reached a point in the hunt where perhaps a sudden change of planswould be necessary; particularly if those they followed had taken thealarm, and were ready to shake the dust of this section of the countryfrom their shoes.

  Away from the farmhouse hurried the two young aviators, making as near abee line for the field where they had left their aeroplane as they couldpossibly manage, and all the while searching the sky for signs of theother flying machine.