well as anything. He laughed as he came around out of the stall and
offered his rough hand to each of the boys.

"How are you, Andy and Frank Bird?" he said, hearty. "Say, you did give
us a little start when we first saw you. D'ye know what I thought boys?
Why, I was just reading in the county paper about how the bank up at
Jasper was robbed by two men last week. It told how they had their faces
hid back of red handkerchiefs, just like they always do out West, you
know. And first thing I sighted you two, my heart nigh about jumped up
in my mought, because I thought them yeggs had dropped around to see if
I'd collected my monthly milk accounts in town. And about leavin' your
aeroplane in my field, why, there's little that I wouldn't do for the
son of the man who saved my Billie, when everybody said he'd never get
well again."

"We thought you might let us show Felix here where the aeroplane lies,
and that we could arrange with him to kind of keep an eye on it tonight.
Of course, there isn't one chance in a thousand that anything'd happen
to injure it; but then that machine represents a heap of hard work, and
considerable money besides, so we don't care to take chances with it.

"Sure he can, just as well as not, eh, Felix? Suppose you go out right
now, and I'll finish the milking. In the morning I want to take a look
at that contraption myself. I've seen you boys sailing around more'n a
little, but never got close up to examine the aeroplane. Well, I guess
all the money going couldn't tempt me to go with one of you. Skip along,
Felix, now."

And the farm hand, a heavy-set boy, eagerly fell in behind Frank and
Andy, as, after thanking Mr. Quackenboss heartily for his kindness they