Inside of five minutes Frank was in the saddle, and waving his hand to his chum and cousin, of whom he was more fond than if Andy had been his own brother.

“He’d be back tonight with the part we need, and we could make home in the moonlight,” said Andy, as, with the farmer he headed for the house; “only both of us have promised our folks not to travel at night-time when it can be helped.  Even if the moon is bright there’s always a risk about landing, because it’s a tricky light at the best, and even a little mistake may wreck things.  And so Frank will work in the shop tonight, and be along in the morning.”

Once in the farmhouse Andy was given a chance to wash up, and then met the housewife, as well as little Billie, the small chap whose life good Doctor Bird had saved.  Mrs. Quackenboss proved to be a very warm-hearted woman, and any one who answered to the name of Bird could have the very best that the place afforded.  There was never a night that she did not call down the blessings of heaven upon the physician who had been instrumental in preventing her darling Billie from being taken away.

The table was fairly groaning under the weight of good things to eat, for when company comes the average farmer’s wife never knows when to stop bringing out the most appetizing things to eat ever seen.

“Perhaps I’m the luckiest fellow going to be able to stay over-night with you, Mrs. Quackenboss,” laughed Andy, as he sat down to the generous spread.

“Well, you know, we never like anybody to get up from our table hungry,” she explained.

“The chances are that I won’t be able to get up at all, for if I try to taste half I see here, I’ll be foundered, as sure as anything,” Andy went on to say.

The farmer was not going to allow much time to pass talking about common every-day topics.  Those might do all very well when he had ordinary guests; but when fortune sent him one of the now famous Bird boys for company, he wanted to listen to some thrilling accounts of adventures that had come the way of the young and daring aviators, from the time they built their first aeroplane, after purchasing most of the parts, and found that they had an immediate rival in Percy Carberry.

Andy was willing to oblige, and kept those at the table, including the farm hand, Felix Boggs, thrilled with his stories.  But the farmer could not help but notice how modest the boy was, giving most of the credit to his cousin Frank, when everybody about Bloomsbury knew that Andy deserved just as much credit, if not more, than the other Bird Boy.

After supper Andy and Felix prepared to go out to where the hydroplane lay.  They meant to take blankets along, and make themselves as comfortable as possible for a night’s vigil.