the roof of the barn the man began shouting
angrily.

CHAPTER IX.

THE BOYS FACE TROUBLE.

"Phew! looks as if we are in for trouble," exclaimed Tom, as he saw
the warlike expression on the farmer's face.

"It does that," agreed Jack. "Hop out, will you, Tom, and get that
grapple clear? Confound it, I don't see how it came loose."

"Wore through the lashing," said Tom, who had been examining the place
where the big hooked steel anchor was usually tied.

"We ought to have seen to it before we started out," said Jack. "We
haven't had it loose since that time we anchored above the Brazilian
forest."

The farmer's angry voice hailed them from below.

"Hey there! Don't yew move a foot till we've had a reck'nin'."

"I am awfully sorry," said Jack. "It was an accident you see. We----"

"Don't care what it was. Thet thar was a new roof. Don't you move a
step till Si here gits ther constabule."

"We'll pay you for the roof," said Jack apologetically. "After all it
isn't much damaged."

Indeed it appeared as if the damage was not so great as they had at
first imagined. After tearing off some shingles the grapple had caught
in a beam and was prevented from doing further harm.

"Yes, yew'll pay, and yew'll go ter jail tew," declared the farmer.
"Consarn it all, what's the country comin' tew? Las' week tew pesky
dod-ratted balloonists hit Hi Holler on ther head with a bag of sand,
and now yew come along in thet thar contraption and try to bust up my
dryin' roof. I'll have ther law on yer."

Matters began to look serious. Jack had no doubt but what the farmer
would accept a money payment for the damaged roof. But it appeared
that the old fellow was bent on more stringent vengeance.

In the meantime Tom had been busy in the stern of the craft and had
succeeded in getting the grapnel loose from the beam into which its
sharp points had dug. It was not till that moment that the farmer
observed him.

He leveled his shotgun at the balloon of the Wondership.

"Don't yew dare ter move er I'll bust a hole right plumb through that
ther airbag of yourn," he said.

"Can't you be reasonable?" asked Jack. "Here's my name." He wrote his
name and address on a slip of paper and threw it down.

But the irate farmer paid no attention to the missive. He kept his gun
steadily trained on the Wondership.

"Move an' I'll bust yer!" he said grimly.

A buggy drove out of the yard. It raced through the gate and then
struck th