a big enough scare thrown into them to last
them quite a while with economy," laughed Roy.

"Who is going to take care of Wren?" asked Bess.

"She'll ride right in the car with me," declared Miss Prescott
positively, "you don't think I'm going to risk her in one of those
things of yours, do you?"

They all laughed. As a matter of fact, there was not one of the party
that was not more at home in the air than on a road. Then, too, Roy's
balancing device had about removed the last peril of air traveling. It
was agreed to stop at Meadville, which the map showed was about thirty
miles to the southeast, and purchase a dress and other necessities for
their new ward. As to what was to be done with her after that nobody
had any very definite plans. And so the journey was resumed, with
congratulations flying over the way in which they came out of what,
for a time, looked like a really serious scrape.

The weather had held fair till a short time after the start was made
from the scene of the encounter with the gipsies. It was Peggy who first
observed a change in the sky.

From the southwest billowy masses of slate-colored clouds came rolling
on, obscuring the sunlit landscape beneath with an effect of lights
turned down on a stage. Turning to Jess, who occupied the seat behind
her, she remarked:

"We're going to have some bad kind of a storm, girlie."

Jess nodded.

"Wonder how far we are from Meadville?" she asked.

"Quite a way yet. I'm afraid that we can't make it before the storm
breaks."

"Look, there's Roy coming back, and Jimsy, too. I guess they want to
talk about it."

This turned out to be the case. As Roy came swinging by he held a small
megaphone to his mouth with one hand, while the other gripped the
steering wheel tightly.

"We're in for a storm, girls, and a hummer, too, from the look of it."

"Better drop down," counseled Jimsy.

Jess nodded, and, as at this moment Bess, who had seen the boy's
maneuver, came by, the news was communicated to her.

The next thing to do was to look about for a suitable place to land. The
country over which they were passing was heavily wooded, and seemingly
sparsely populated. Beneath them wound a road, along which, but at some
distance behind, the touring car could be seen coming in a cloud of
yellow dust.

The wind began to grow puffy, and it required all the skill of the young
aviators to keep their flock of motor-driven birds on even wings. Before
long, just