APPROACH OF THE STORM.
It was apparent enough that mean mischief they did. Their dark eyes
gleamed fiercely out of their swarthy faces. One or two wore a vivid red
or blue handkerchief knotted about sinewy necks, this means of adornment
only adding to their generally sinister look.
"I knew we wouldn't get far without running into trouble," moaned Jake
dejectedly.
Roy turned on him sharply, almost angrily.
"You get the ladies in that machine and drive off down the road a bit,"
he said; "I'll attend to this thing. Jimsy, come here."
Jake hesitated a moment and then strode off to the auto.
"Can't we stay and help?" asked Bess.
"No; we can help Roy best by doing what he; wants us to. He's got some
plan in his head," rejoined Peggy firmly, "come along, Wren; Jess, help
me with her, she's terrified to death."
This was no exaggeration. At sight of the gipsy band, the child so
recently taken from their clutches shrank and cowered against her young
protectress.
"Don't let them take me--don't!" she kept wailing.
"Never mind; don't be scared, Wren," Peggy comforted, "they won't get
you."
A flash of determined fire came into Peggy's eyes as she spoke.
"Peg! You're magnificent," exclaimed Jess, as, headed by Miss Prescott,
they hastened toward the car which Jake had already cranked.
The gipsies had paused for an instant. Evidently the sight of the
aëroplanes bewildered and amazed them. 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. But hardly had they
touched the ground when from the farmhouse a man came running in his
shirtsleeves, his lower limbs being garbed in overalls and knee-boots.
On his chin was a goatee, and as he drew closer they saw that his face
was thin and hatchet shaped and anything but agreeable.
"You git out of thar! You git out of thar!" he kept shouting as he came
along, stumbling over the stubble, for the field had been newly reaped.
"Why, what's the matter? We're not hurting anything," objected Roy;
"surely you don't mind our occupying the field for an hour or so till
the storm blows over?"
"I daon't, hey? Wa'al, I do, by heck. I own all the way daown and all
the way up frum this farm, and thet's ther law."
"If we didn't have these ladies with us we'd be only too glad to leave
your field," rejoined Jimsy, "but you can see for yourself a nasty storm
is coming up."
"What bizness hes gals riding round in them sky-buggies," stormed the
farmer; "ef any darter uv mine did it I'd lock her up on bread an'
water, by Jim Hill."
"I don't doubt it in the least," smiled Peggy sweetly.
"Humph!" grunted the cantankerous old agriculturist, not quite sure if
he was being made fun of or if his resolution was being admired; "all
I got to say is thet ef you want to stay here you gotter pay."
"That can be arranged," spoke Jimsy, with quiet sarcasm.
"An' pay wa'al, too," resumed the farmer tenaciously.
"How much do you think the lease of your field for an 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 aërial 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."