Of course Andy was joking when he said this, and the farmer knew it as well as anything.  He laughed as he came around out of the stall and offered his rough hand to each of the boys.

“How are you, Andy and Frank Bird?” he said, hearty.  “Say, you did give us a little start when we first saw you.  D’ye know what I thought boys?  Why, I was just reading in the county paper about how the bank up at Jasper was robbed by two men last week.  It told how they had their faces hid back of red handkerchiefs, just like they always do out West, you know.  And first thing I sighted you two, my heart nigh about jumped up in my mought, because I thought them yeggs had dropped around to see if I’d collected my monthly milk accounts in town.  And about leavin’ your aeroplane in my field, why, there’s little that I wouldn’t do for the son of the man who saved my Billie, when everybody said he’d never get well again.”

“We thought you might let us show Felix here where the aeroplane lies, and that we could arrange with him to kind of keep an eye on it tonight.  Of course, there isn’t one chance in a thousand that anything’d happen to injure it; but then that machine represents a heap of hard work, and considerable money besides, so we don’t care to take chances with it.

“Sure he can, just as well as not, eh, Felix?  Suppose you go out right now, and I’ll finish the milking.  In the morning I want to take a look at that contraption myself.  I’ve seen you boys sailing around more’n a little, but never got close up to examine the aeroplane.  Well, I guess all the money going couldn’t tempt me to go with one of you.  Skip along, Felix, now.”

And the farm hand, a heavy-set boy, eagerly fell in behind Frank and Andy, as, after thanking Mr. Quackenboss heartily for his kindness they passed out of the barn.  Felix considered this an event in the tame routine of farm life; and would be only too glad to stay up all night, if necessary, in order to guard the precious aeroplane.

Once in the field, the boys explained to Felix what they wanted him to do, and he promised not to meddle with anything connected with the engine or the aeroplane itself.

They were passing back again toward the barns, having left their prized possession in good shape, when Andy uttered a sudden exclamation that told of both surprise and disgust.

“What’s the matter now?” asked Frank, who had been talking with Felix, and was hence not so wide awake as his chum.

“Just take a look over there, and see what’s stopped on the road,” remarked Andy.

“Seems to be a car, and I can see two heads raised above the top rail of the fence, as if the people in it had sighted our aeroplane sprawled out there in the field, and were wondering what sort of giant insect it could be,” Frank went on.