saw 'em?"

"Yes, we saw them running away."

"What are their names?" and when Dick had mentioned them Dan Murdock
shook his head slowly.

"I've heard of 'em before," he said. "They used to hang around at the
tavern. I was a big fool, no two ways about it! I guess they'll keep out
of my sight after this."

"More than likely," answered Dick.

When the boys arrived at the college they found an anxious crowd looking
for them and the biplane. Songbird and Stanley and several others rushed
to the carriage to greet them.

"Were you wrecked?"

"Did you get a bad tumble?"

"Where did you come down?"

So the questions ran on and the boys had to answer as best they could.
Everybody seemed to be glad to learn that they had escaped from the fury
of the sudden hailstorm--that is, everybody but Dudd Flockley and his
new crony, Andy Yates.

"Just like the Rovers' luck," muttered Flockley, sourly. "They'd escape
where everybody else would be smashed up."

"Oh, they'll get a smash, if you give 'em time enough," answered Andy
Yates, heartlessly. He was a student who courted attention and it galled
him to see the Rovers the center of attraction.

As soon as Dick, Tom and Sam could get time to do so, they sent a
message to Hope Seminary, informing the girls that they had gotten back
to Brill in safety. This relieved much anxiety, for with the sudden
coming of the wind and hail the girls had feared that the youths might
be killed.

After such a strenuous adventure, the Rover boys were content to take it
easy for some time. They sent to the city for a man to come and repair
the _Dartaway_ and then settled down to their studies. Then, after the
biplane had been repaired, they went after the machine and brought it
back to Brill, and it was placed in the gymnasium shed, with Abner
Filbury to guard it, as before.

"Don't you want to go up, Songbird?" asked Tom, one afternoon, after
college hours.

"I--er--I don't think so," answered the student-poet, gravely.

"Rather make up verses about flying than fly, eh?"

"I--er--I think so, Tom."

"What have you made up about airships, anything really fine, Songbird?"

"Well, I've written a few little verses, Tom. Would you like to hear
them?"

"Sure!" cried the fun-loving Rover, and then Songbird commenced to
recite:

"I spread my wings on the balmy air,
And float and float I know not where.
I rise, I fall, I fall, I rise,
For I am mo