assell, who was the third
member of the party; "remember it means a lot of trouble for us if
we're caught."

"No danger of that, dad. Come on, I'll go first and you and Tam follow."

"Is the window open?"

"No, but it slides back. It's an easy drop to the floor from it."

"All right, go ahead. I'll be glad when the job's over. I'm almost
inclined to drop out of it."

"And let those kids get away with what they did? Not much, dad. We'll
give them a lesson they won't forget in a hurry. Come on."

He began climbing the ladder. Behind him came his worthy parent, and
Tam formed the last member of the now silent procession. The Norwegian
carried a bulky package of some kind, the contents of which it would
have been impossible to guess save that it gave out a metallic sound
as Tam moved with it.

Dan Cassell reached the window, slid it noiselessly back in its grooves
and then, crawling through, dropped lightly to the floor within. He was
followed by his father and Tam.

But Jimsy slept on. Slept heavily and dreamlessly, while deadly peril
crept upon him.

CHAPTER X.

PEGGY'S INTUITION.

The movements of the invaders of the stable, which now housed the
"winged steeds" of the young aviators, were mysterious in the extreme.
The Norwegian carried a tin can containing some sort of liquid which
he was ordered to pour about the floor in the neighborhood of the
aeroplanes. This done, Dan Cassell collected several scraps of litter
and made quite a pile of it.

"All ready now, I guess," he said, with what was meant as an attempt
at a grin. But his lips were pale, and his forced jollity was a dismal
failure. As for his father, he made no attempt to conceal his agitation.

"Dan, they may be burned alive," he faltered; "better call it all off."

"Not when we've gone as far as this with it," was the rejoinder; "give
me a match."

"Dan!"

"It's all right, dad. They'll wake in time."

"But if not?"

"Then they'll have to take their medicine."

With fingers that trembled as if their owner was palsied, Jim Cassell
handed his son some matches. The latter took one, bent low over the pile
he had collected and struck the lucifer.

A yellow sputter of flame followed, and the next instant he was holding
it to the pile of litter which had been previously soaked by the
contents of the Norwegian's can.

But before he could accomplish his purpose and set fire to the pile of
odds and ends saturated to double inflammabi