The Rover Boys in the Air

THE ROVER BOYS IN THE AIR ### THE BOYS AND THE BIPLANE "Fo' de land sakes, Massa Dick, wot am dat contraption yo' boys dun put togedder back ob de bahn yesterday?" "Why, Aleck, don't you know what that is?" returned Dick Rover, with a smile at the colored man. "That's a biplane." "A biplane, eh?" re

He hurried to his brother's side, at the same time calling for others to come to his assistance. To my old readers the lads already mentioned will need no introduction. For the benefit of others let me state that the Rover boys were three in number, Dick being the oldest, fun-loving Tom coming next,

"By gum, if them boys ain't gone an' flew without waitin' fer that man to show 'em! Who's doin' it? I don't see nobuddy." And the hired man blinked in amazement at the sight before him. "Is Sam in there?" "Nobody is in the machine," answered Tom, who was kneeling beside his brother.

"But I don't see how she could—with nobody to steer. How long would an auto keep to the road without somebody steering?" "Do you know what I think we ought to do? Go back home and telephone to the villages and towns in the direction the biplane took. Somebody must have seen the craft,—if she kept in

"I'll try!" was Tom's reply. "But it's some hill." "If only we don't meet anything," put in Sam. "Blow the horn, Dick!" The oldest Rover boy did as requested, leaning over from the back seat to do so, and thus leaving Tom free to manipulate the steering wheel. Dick also set the hand brake a notch ti

"Old Crabtree must be around Cedarville or in Ithaca. He would have no call to come to a place like this." "Did you say Josiah Crabtree?" questioned Peter Marley, curiously. All had come to a halt on their horses. "Yes," returned Tom quickly.

"We'll have to get some piano wire for those broken poles." "Aren't you going to try to take it home?" asked Tom, in surprise. "What's the use? This is a good field to fly from. We can mend the Dartaway here and then, if Captain Colby is willing, he can sail her from here to our farm." A big wagon s

"He's making the turn!" cried Sam. "Just look at him coming around!" "Here he comes back!" exclaimed Tom. "Hurrah! Who says Dick can't fly?

Go pack!" shrieked Hans Mueller. He was crouching down, looking with staring eyes through the lowered wind shield of the touring car. Suddenly Sam acted. While the biplane was still a hundred feet away he threw his lever into the reverse and allowed the gears to connect with the engine.

"Do I look like I was dead?" And he glared savagely at Ricks. "I ain't dead, not by a jugful!" "Humph! Well, if you ain't dead, mebbe you'll explain about that cat, an' dog," went on old Ricks. "Wot about 'em?" "You told folks I poisoned the cat and starved the dog to death." "I did not." "You did—i

"How are you, Mr. Sanderson!" came from the three, and then all continued in a chorus: "Did the biplane get here?" "Something got here—two boxes an' several big bundles," answered the farmer. "I had everything carted over to my place." "Two boxes and four bundles," said Dick. "Right you are.

"But we could see it, yes!" he added hastily. "Oh, we thought we'd give the fellows a little surprise," answered Dick modestly. "We purchased the biplane some time ago. It's easy to run after you get the knack of it." "But carrying three!" went on Stanley.

"I think I can piece this together," said Dick. "I saw Bob Grimes talking to Dudd Flockley this afternoon, and again after supper. Most likely Bob got on the trail of something Dudd thinks of doing. He doesn't want to appear as a tattle-tale and at the same time he doesn't want to see our machine ru

"I don't know—but I guess not." "We'll go along anyhow," came from Max, and took after Sam, while several others did the same. In the meantime Dick and Tom had gained the lower hallway of the dormitory. The door was fastened, but the key was in the lock and they soon had the portal open and they lea

It was useless to attempt to steer, so Dick held the craft as she was, so far as the wheel was concerned. Then came a sudden, sickening drop and a tilt, ing to one side. Sam let out a wild yell, but what he said was drowned out in the roaring of the wind and the noise of the engine. Then, of a sudde

"But they said I might win a pile. Oh, I was a big fool—I know it now, even if I didn't know it then. I wish I had stopped 'em from leaving." "Why didn't you?" "They went so sudden like—after they had my money. One of 'em took out his watch and said they'd miss the train, and away they started befor

Weally, this is—er—very embarrassing!" he pleaded, wildly. "Stand up and make a speech, when you get to the campus, Willie boy!" sang out Tom. "Give 'em something grand on high finance, or railroad building, or cooking beans, or something like that." "Why, Tom, weally, don't you know, I know nothing

The boys had no classes to attend after lunch and so got away by two o'clock. "I trust we can see the girls," said Dick, as they started up the engine of the flying machine. "Oh, they'll be at liberty after hours," answered Tom. "They always are." Previous to leaving, the boys had filled the oil fee

"Do you think Koswell and Larkspur are in this game?" "Perhaps they are!" cried Dick. "It would be just like them to join forces with Crabtree and Sobber. They are down and out, and need money, and all of them would expect to get a big stake out of this." "Then you think they carried the girls off f

Tom, bring that five-gallon gasoline can with you. Sam, you mind the machine," went on Dick, loudly. "All right," answered the brothers, and Tom got the can in question, and he and Dick started for the store. "Humph!

"We were just a minute too late!" "Can't you go after them?" "Not on horseback, Sam." "And, if the horses were all right, look there!" cried Tom, and pointed to the fallen bridge. "Down! What did it, the auto?" "Yes." "Fo' de lan' sake!" burst out the negro farm hand. "De bridge hab gone bust down!