d the young inventor.
"Never mind, I'll volplane to earth and we can make repairs. That
magneto has gone out of business again."

"Don't land here!" cried Ivan Petrofsky.

"Why not?"

"Because we are approaching a large town--Owbinsk I think it is-the
police there will be there to get us. Keep on to the forest again!"

"I can't!" cried Tom. "We've got to go down, police or no police."

Running to the pilot house, he guided the craft so that it would safely
volplane to earth. They could all see that now they were approaching a
fairly large town, and would probably land on its outskirts. Through
the glass Ned could make out people staring up at the strange sight.

"They'll be ready to receive us," he announced grimly.

"I hope they have no dynamite bombs for us," murmured Mr. Damon. "Bless
my watch chain! I must get rid of that Nihilist literature I have about
me, or they'll take me for one," and he tore up the tracts, and
scattered them in the air.

Meanwhile the Falcon continued to descend.

"Maybe I can make quick repairs, and get away before they realize who
we are," said Tom, as he got ready for the landing.

They came down in a big field, and, almost before the bicycle wheels
had ceased revolving, under the application of the brakes, several men
came running toward them.

"Here they come!" cried Mr. Damon.

"They are only farmers," said the exile. He had donned his dark glasses
again, and looked like anything but a Russian.

"Lively, Ned!" cried Tom. "Let's see if we can't make repairs and get
off again."

The two lads frantically began work, and they soon had the magneto in
running order. They could have gone up as an aeroplane, leaving the
repairs to the gas bag to be made later but, just as they were ready to
start, there came galloping out a troop of Cossack soldiers. Their
commander called something to them.

"What is he saying?" cried Tom to Mr. Petrofsky.

"He is telling them to surround us so that we can not get a running
start, such as we need to go up. Evidently he understands aeroplanes."

"Well, I'm going to have a try," declared the young inventor.

He jumped to the pilot house, yelling to Ned to start the motor, but it
was too late. They were hemmed in by a cordon of cavalry, and it would
have been madness to have rushed the Falcon into them, for she would
have been wrecked, even if Tom could have succeeded in sending her
through the lines.

"I guess it's all up with us," groane