t somebody to
look after the machine until we can fix it up and take it away. Of
course we'll pay for what's done," he added.

"Oh, I heard tell of that flying machine!" exclaimed the farm hand. "You
sailed over this farm a couple of hours ago."

He was much interested and wanted to know all about the trip, and about
the machine. He said Mr. Dawson was away, but that the _Dartaway_ could
be wheeled up into one of the big barns and left there until repaired.
Then he agreed to get out a two-seated carriage and drive the boys over
to Brill. Inside of half an hour the biplane was safely housed, and the
whole party was on the way to the college.

Dick had warned Sam and Tom to remain silent concerning Koswell and
Larkspur, and it was not until they were almost to Brill that he
mentioned the fact that they had seen the pair running away from the
cottage.

"Seen 'em, did you?" cried Dan Murdock. "Say, them fellers are
swindlers, they are! They came in to git out of the hail and then they
started to play cards, just to while away the time, so they said. They
asked me to play, and as I couldn't work just then, I consented, and
then they got me to put up some money,--just to make it interestin',
they said. They let me win a little at first, and then they got me to
put up more and more, and then they cheated me and wiped me out!"

"And how much did they get from you?" asked Dick.

"They got nearly all my savings--eighty dollars!" answered Dan Murdock,
grimly.

CHAPTER XVIII

TOM AND HIS FUN

"Got eighty dollars from you!" murmured Dick. "That's too bad!"

"It would be bad enough if I lost it fairly," answered the farm hand.
"But I am sure they swindled me."

"Well, you ought not to gamble," put in Sam, who had listened to the
talk with interest.

"I suppose that's true," mumbled Dan Murdock. "But they said I might win
a pile. Oh, I was a big fool--I know it now, even if I didn't know it
then. I wish I had stopped 'em from leaving."

"Why didn't you?"

"They went so sudden like--after they had my money. One of 'em took out
his watch and said they'd miss the train, and away they started before
you could say Jack Robinson! But there ain't no train this time o' day."

"It was a trick to get away," said Tom.

"Sure--I know that, now! Oh, if only I had my hands on 'em. Say, they
don't belong at Brill, do they?" went on the farm hand eagerly.

"No, although they used to go there," answered Dick.

"Then you