suddenly started to bellowing again.

"Put up your hands, both o' ye!" he exclaimed, waving the gun
threateningly. "Ye be desprite scoundrels, I take it, an' I don't mean
to gi'e ye any chance to treat me like ye done my dawg. Fifty dollars
wouldn't buy that critter; an' like's not he won't never be any use
arter this. I'm goin' to march ye both to the town lockup, right away.
Don't ye move a hand, consarn ye!"

"Mr. Sweesey, how dare you? These boys are my friends!" and as she
uttered these words; in an indignant voice, the girl stamped her little
foot on the ground.

"Hey! what! oh! is thet you, Miss Alice? Sho! now, I never knowed ye,
Miss," the old man stammered, looking toward the girl for the first
time.

"I was coming to your house with an important paper my father asked me
to hand you, when he heard me say I meant to take a long walk. I
crossed this field to make a shortcut, as I've often done before. That
terrible dog of yours was loose, although you have been warned against
allowing it. And he would have attacked me, only that these brave boys
came to my assistance. I shall tell my father about it, you can
depend, sir."

All the bravado had vanished from the farmer by now. He seemed to
fairly cringe before the girl. Afterwards the boys learned that there
was good reason for this, since her father was Mayor Stephens, the
richest man in Hazenhurst, and the farmer a tenant who was forever
behind in his rents, and heavily in the debt of the owner of the place.

"I didn't mean to run 'em in, Miss Alice," he hastened to explain. "I
was just a-tryin' to skeer 'em, ye know. I've had heaps o' trouble
with boys from town, and in course I thought they was up to more o'
their tricks. Tige broke loose this mornin'. But p'raps he got just
what he orter hed from this brave boy. I'm orful glad he didn't bite
ye, Miss. And I hopes ye won't complain to yer governor."

"I'll think it over, Mr. Sweesey," replied the girl, somewhat softened
by his abject demeanor. "Here is the paper father wanted me to take to
you. I think I'd better be going back to town after this. And I
promise you I'll never again cross this field."

She turned her back on him, and looked toward the biplane.

"How wonderful that you should have come to my help in that way," she
said.

"Well, the fact is, Miss Alice," remarked Andy, quick to catch the name
used by the old farmer, "we were on our way to Hazenhurst, meaning to
d