t need the overalls till next week," answered the mother.

"Then I can buy them?" asked Nat.

"And the shoes--"

"I'll have a pair sent out directly I reach town. I'll see that they
come special so there will be no mistake."

"And the shirt--you are welcome to that."

"Now then," said Nat, "here's five dollars, whatever will be over the
price of the clothes I am sure I owe you--"

"Five dollars!" exclaimed the woman with genuine surprise. "Why, bless
you boy, that would buy my Sam a full, whole winter suit."

"Get him one, then," insisted Nat. "I would be glad to help him, as he
certainly has helped me greatly. Just surprise him with a new suit for
the picnic. We'll be off as soon as I get my share of that milk, if
they have left me any, then he will know nothing of the accident. You
can give him a complete surprise," seeing the look of delight on the
poor woman's face.

"But you dasen't drink none of that cold milk," she protested. "Step
right over here to a cup of tea, it's just fresh. But I don't feel I
should take all that money."

"Oh, just to give Sam a little surprise," argued Nat, "and indeed, I
owe it to you, for I might have taken an awful cold," and he drank down
his "piping" hot tea.

"Well, Sam will be happy," admitted the mother fondly, "and if you can
afford it--"

"Of course I can. There, they have actually stopped drinking. We are
so much obliged for the invitation to take dinner, Mrs. Hardy, but we
couldn't really stay," finished Nat.

"No," said Dorothy, coming in at that moment, "it is very kind of you
to ask us, Mrs. Hardy, but my cousin says we must go on. Here is
something for the milk--"

"No more money!" declared the woman. "I've taken more now than the
Bible would say was due me."

"Oh, just this change," urged Dorothy.

"Not a penny! Not one cent!" Mrs. Hardy insisted, but as Dorothy
stepped out to join the others, who by this time were getting into the
car, she managed to find a place to hide the coins--where Mrs. Hardy
would find them later on.

"I'm to the bat," said Ned, as Nat took up his place in front.

"Not much," shouted Nat. "I haven't been put out yet, and, in overalls
and blue shirt, Nat, the good-looking and always well-dressed boy, let
loose the Fire-Bird for another fly through the country."

CHAPTER IV

A DAY OF DANGERS

"What do you suppose will happen next?" asked Dorothy, as the
automobile sped along the narrow road through a wo