as the distant, but fast approaching, cloud curtain began to
be ripped and slashed by vivid scimitars of lightning, Roy espied,
beneath them, a field, at one end of which stood a prosperous-looking
farmhouse, surrounded by buildings and hay stacks.

It was an ideal spot in which to land, and as the road was near by they
would have no difficulty in attracting the attention of Miss Prescott
when she went by. In graceful volplanes the aeroplanes lit in the field
like an alighting flight of carrier pigeons. But hardly had they
touched the ground when from the farmhouse a man came running in his
shirtsleeves, his lower limbs being garbed in overalls and knee-boots.
On his chin was a goatee, and as he drew closer they saw that his face
was thin and hatchet shaped and anything but agreeable.

"You git out of thar! You git out of thar!" he kept shouting as he came
along, stumbling over the stubble, for the field had been newly reaped.

"Why, what's the matter? We're not hurting anything," objected Roy;
"surely you don't mind our occupying the field for an hour or so till
the storm blows over?"

"I daon't, hey? Wa'al, I do, by heck. I own all the way daown and all
the way up frum this farm, and thet's ther law."

"If we didn't have these ladies with us we'd be only too glad to leave
your field," rejoined Jimsy, "but you can see for yourself a nasty storm
is coming up."

"What bizness hes gals riding round in them sky-buggies," stormed the
farmer; "ef any darter uv mine did it I'd lock her up on bread an'
water, by Jim Hill."

"I don't doubt it in the least," smiled Peggy sweetly.

"Humph!" grunted the cantankerous old agriculturist, not quite sure if
he was being made fun of or if his resolution was being admired; "all
I got to say is thet ef you want to stay here you gotter pay."

"That can be arranged," spoke Jimsy, with quiet sarcasm.

"An' pay wa'al, too," resumed the farmer tenaciously.

"How much do you think the lease of your field for an hour or so is
worth?" asked Roy.

The farmer considered an instant, and then, with an avaricious look in
his pin-point blue eyes, he looked up.

"'Bout ten dollars," he said, at length.

"We don't want to buy it, we just want to rent it for a very short
time," struck in Bess, with her most innocent expression.

"Wa'al, it's ten or git off!" snapped the farmer.

"I'll pay you a fair price for it," spoke up Roy, "and not a cent more."

"Then I'll drive you off with a sh