Besides this, the farmer had loaned Andy his double-barrel Marlin
shotgun, an old model when compared with the up-to-date hammerless and
the repeaters, but no doubt a good, serviceable weapon.

Of course they had no idea of trying to pepper the marauders, though it
would seem as though they richly deserved to be punctured with a few
small bird shot, because of the meanness of their contemplated action.

To give them a good fright would satisfy Andy, and he had made the eager
farm hand promise to fire up in the air also because he was afraid lest
Felix allow his indignation to have full swing, when he saw what the
four boys meant to do.

They were skulking very close to where the aeroplane lay now, and the
critical moment had undoubtedly arrived when the surprise must be
launched.

"Ready, Felix!" he whispered, in the softest of tones.

"Yep!" grunted the farm hand, at his elbow.

"One, two, three! Blaze away!"

With the last word Felix let go with his old musket, into which he must
have rammed a tremendous charge, for it made a report like unto the
crash of thunder, and came very near sending the owner flat on his back.

Immediately on the heels of this boom Andy pulled one of the triggers
of his double-barrel, so that the report seemed almost merged in with
that of the other weapon.