the bank. "We'll go straight up through the woods. There's a house not
quarter of a mile back. Prob'ly they'll all be up and around. You see,
the men were going to start early this morning, so's to--so's to--"
Jerry floundered, his pale face suddenly flushing scarlet, and Peggy
understood.

"Oh, Jerry!" Her voice dropped to a shocked whisper. "Oh, Jerry, they
thought we were drowned." Then she uttered a little pained cry. "And at
home, too? Do they know?"

"Joe's going to telegraph first thing this morning."

"He mustn't," Peggy cried fiercely. "I can't bear it. I won't bear it to
have mother hurt so." Unconsciously her arm tightened about Dorothy,
till the child roused with a little cry.

Jerry looked at the sun. "I guess we'll be in time to stop him," he
reassured her. "Don't you fret." And then, as the boat bumped against
the bank, "Here, I'll take the baby."

Jerry's conjecture proved correct. There was a light in the kitchen of
the farmhouse, where the farmer's wife was preparing breakfast for the
men hurrying through their morning tasks to be ready for the sombre
duties awaiting them. At the sight of Jerry, with Dorothy in his arms,
Peggy dragging wearily behind, the men guessed the truth, and the trio
was welcomed with such shouts that Dorothy woke up in earnest. As for
Peggy, she could hardly keep back the tears at the rejoicing of these
total strangers over the safety of Dorothy and herself.

Jerry had thought this problem out in the toilsome climb from the river.
"Say, I want the fastest horse you've got. They're going to telegraph
this morning to her folks and I've got to stop 'em."

The farmer nodded comprehendingly. "I've got a three-year-old that's a
pretty speedy proposition. Ain't really broken, though. Think you can
manage him, son?"

"'Course I can." In his new-born zeal for atonement, Jerry felt himself
equal to the management of an airship. The three-year-old was
accordingly interrupted in her breakfast, expressing her dissatisfaction
by laying her ears close to her head. And as she was hurriedly saddled,
Jerry added, "You'll get 'em home as soon as you can, won't you? I guess
by their looks they're pretty near beat out."

"We sure will." The farmer cleared his throat, for his deep voice had
suddenly grown husky. "Driving the two of 'em home alive and well is a
good deal pleasanter job than I'd bargained for this morning. Now look
out for this here vixen," he continued, dropping suddenly f