sent up here to look us up. He was kind enough to compliment Frank on
the way he made that corkscrew climb; and also on his volplane drop;
said we had both of them down pretty fine; and he did hint at our having
a chance to go in with his company; but of course we couldn't think of
that. We're too young to dream of being professional fliers yet; and
besides, we've got to go to school again pretty soon. So we turned the
offer down. But Mr. Marsh was mighty kind, and we liked him a heap."

"Heard how he was watching you fly, when that little chap belonging to
Cragan, the fisherman, got overboard, out in the lake; and this same
gent, he saw Frank dive right off his aeroplane like a bullfrog, and
save little Tommy. That jest took him by storm, he told Mr. Quackenboss,
and he meant to get you boys for his company if money could do it, but
it all ended in smoke, didn't it."

It was almost half past nine before Andy decided that the time had come
for them to shut up shop, and do no more talking.

"I'm going to take the first watch myself, Felix, and I promise to wake
you up when I get to gaping, whether it's midnight or two in the
morning," he said, as he settled himself more comfortably on his
blanket, and pulled it up over his shoulders, because the night air was
already quite chilly, and would undoubtedly be much more so ere long.

"But chances air, Andy, they're a-goin' to come inside an hour or so;
and you must promise to give me a kick, if so be I'm sleepin', then. You
will, won't you?"

"Sure," replied the Bird boy. "After you being so kind as to keep me
company, I'd never think of making a move, and you asleep. So just
settle down, and don't get excited if you feel me pushing my toe into
your ribs later on."

Felix was tired from his day's work. He had probably been constantly
busy since four the morning before. It was therefore a fight between
weary muscles and brain, and the desire to stay awake, in order to see
all that went on.

This lasted for perhaps ten minutes.

Then Andy knew that Nature had won out, for he could catch the regular
breathing of the stout farmhand, and from this judged that Felix must be
sound asleep.

From where Andy sat he had a fine view of the field on all sides of the
broken hydroplane, and especially in that quarter toward the fence,
beyond which the road leading to Bloomsbury lay.

He kept up a constant watch, never relaxing his vigilance for a single
second, for Andy knew t