d him, who could tear a motor apart and put it
together again. What he felt he ought to do was impossible for lack of
the proper tools, Johnny's emergency kit being quite as useless for any
real emergency as such kits usually are. Merely as an experiment he
removed the needle valve and washed several specks of dirt off it with
gasoline. Without hesitation the motor started, and Bland cursed
himself quite sincerely for not having sooner thought of the simple
expedient. He must be getting feeble-minded, he said, while he
adjusted the mixture and made ready to fly.

Once more they taxied down the denuded corn field, turned and ascended
buoyantly, boring into the hot breeze that rose as the shadows
lengthened into late afternoon. They circled, climbing steadily. Then
pop--pop-pop-pop--pop, the motor began to stutter. The earth lifted to
them as if pulled up by a string. They could see more huts and tiny
figures running like disturbed ants. The field where they had spent
most of the day broadened beneath them, like a brown blanket spread to
receive them.

They came down with a jolt that bent the axle of the landing gear, sent
them bounding into the air, and all but wrecked them. They went
ducking and wobbling up to the willow fringe and swung off just in time
to escape plunging into a deep little creek. As they stopped they
heard a great crackling of brush and glimpsed many forms fleeing
wildly, but they were too engrossed in their own trouble to be greatly
impressed. One wing had barely escaped damage with the tilting of the
machine, and the near-catastrophe chilled them both with the memory of
a certain other forced landing which had not ended so harmlessly. They
climbed down soberly and inspected the landing gear.

"Well, that can be fixed," Bland stated in the tone of one who is
grateful that worse has not befallen. "I'll say it was a close shave,
though, bo."

"I'll try and straighten the axle, while you see what ails that cussed
motor. Good golly! We'll be here all night at this rate. And if we
keep on hopping over this field like a lame crow, we'll be plumb outa
gas. For a mechanic that can _make_ a motor, Bland, you sure ain't
making much of a showing!"

"Aw, f'r cat's sake, lay off the crabbing! Gimme the tools and I'll
rip your damn motor apart so quick it'll make your head swim! I'll say
I've tied into a sweet mess of trouble when I tied up with you. I
mighta knowed I'd git the worst of