hands and were kicked around
and then left tied up like a pair of mummies from the pyramids of Egypt,
while they went and cleaned out that pay-car, and sailed away for
Canda--oh! excuse me, if you please. Anything but that. The laugh would
sure be on the Bird boys. I don't mind posing once in a while as a hero;
but it would jar me a whole lot to know that people were pointing me
out, and telling how nicely these wonderful Bird boys had been taken in
and done for by a couple of traveling yeggs. Have it your own way,
Frank, and don't pay any attention to my silly schemes.

"Your ideas are all right, Andy, but the only trouble is they are too
strong for a couple of boys to carry out. I think we'd be wise to play
safe. More games are won in the long run that way, than by being dashing
and venturesome."

"Of course you're right, and as I've had my little fling, and got it out
of my system, let's work along the sensible lines you laid out, Frank."

That was just like Andy. He might occasionally seem to yearn to break
loose, and take a wild flight, but on second sober thought he nearly
always came back to his cousin's way of thinking.

Sallie still remained in the kitchen, so that they were able to keep on
talking without any fear of being interrupted or overheard.

"I'm wondering if Percy will ever have the chance to handle his Farman
biplane again," Andy went on to remark. "He seemed to set a great store
by it to offer such a nice fat reward for its return. And it's so brand
new that he hasn't had much of a chance to try it out. Wasn't he mad,
though, when he came racing along in that car looking for Chief Waller.
He looked as red as a turkey gobbler. Just to think that while he was up
there with three of his cronies trying to injure our machine, those
yeggs were fixing it all up so that they could get his biplane, if they
missed ours. It's a rich joke on Perc."

"Oh! I hope he gets it back again safe and sound," said Frank. "Life
would be rather tame for us around home here, if we didn't have Percy to
think about. For a long time, now, he's kept us guessing, and we'd feel
a little lonely if he gave up flying."

"Guess you're right there, Frank, it would seem humdrum like if we
didn't have to think of him every little while, and what new schemes he
was planning to get the better of the Bird boys. And say, some of his
games kind of dazzle a fellow, if only there wasn't so much meanness
about 'em. When Perc gets to hat