thing that wasn't expected ever since the business started. I guess
they're just as likely as not to keep on doing it, too."

"We ought to know in a little while, anyhow, Pete. I'm going to circle
around here, strike a road that runs parallel to the railroad as it runs
east of the Junction, and see what's doing."

Jack hurried along then for a time, and none of those in the car had
anything to say, since, when Jack was pushing her, the noise was too
great to make conversation pleasant or easy in any sense of the words.

They were in the road now that ran along parallel with the railroad
that, running east from Fessenden Junction and away from the State
capital, which lay southwest of that important point, approached
gradually a junction with the main line of the railroad from Hardport at
Freeport.

Jack was keeping his eyes open. He hardly knew what he expected to see,
but he had an idea that there would be something to repay their trip.

And, about fifteen miles from Fessenden Junction, the soundness of his
judgment was proved once more.

"Look up there!" cried Pete, suddenly. The eyes of three Scouts were
turned upward in a moment, and there, perhaps two miles away, and three
hundred feet above them, they saw a biplane hovering.

"Gee!" cried Jack. "That's the first we've seen in the air--a Blue
biplane! None of our machines would be in this direction."

Swiftly he looked along the fence until he saw an opening.

"Here, jump out and let those bars down!" he cried, stopping the car.

The others obeyed at once, and in a moment he ran the car gently into
the field and stopped beside a hayrick.

"Sorry to disturb the farmer's hayrick," said he, then, jumping out in
his turn, "but this is important!"

And a moment later the three Scouts, following his example, were as busy
as bees, covering the grey automobile with new hay, that hid it
effectually from any spying eyes that might be looking down on them from
above.

"Now we'll make ourselves look small," said Jack.

He looked around the field.

"I shouldn't wonder if they picked this out for a landing spot, if they
decide to land at all," said he. "We want to see them if they do
anything like that, and hear them, too, if we can. We may want to find
out something from them."

Swiftly, then, they burrowed into the hay. They could look out and see
anything that went on about them, but unless an enemy came very close,
they themselves were entirely safe from d