thing like a guilty conscience to bring about a
self-betrayal; and somehow Percy seemed to know what the Bird boy was
thinking about just then.

At any rate, he was an adept at the pilot wheel of a car, though
inclined to be a reckless driver; just as he was also a daring air
voyager, taking desperate chances that promised to bring him to grief
one of these days.

Backing the car swiftly around, he sped away. Sandy Hollingshead, who
had not once moved from his seat, or uttered a single word all the time,
turned his head to look back; and Andy thought he too scowled darkly, as
though stirred by unpleasant thoughts; but in another minute they had
vanished around the bend far along the pike, and the Chief alone was
seen, whipping up his nag, in the endeavor to get back as speedily as
possible to Headquarters.

"Well, of all things, don't this just take the cake?" remarked Andy,
when he and his cousin once more found themselves alone beside the
motionless aeroplane, that nestled like a great bird on the grass close
to the road.

"It certainly looks as though we might be in for a little more
excitement," replied Frank; "but what seemed to make you chuckle so
much, Andy? You must have noticed something that escaped my attention,
because I was busy thinking of other things. Suppose you open up, and
tell me?"

"I was tickled half to death to see how Percy tried to walk, as if
nothing was the matter with him, when all the time he couldn't keep from
limping; because, don't you see, one or several of those bird-shot Felix
scattered around last night, must have stung him about the legs. That's
why he scowled so at me, Frank!"

CHAPTER VII

THE AIR SCOUTS

Frank laughed a little, himself, when he heard his cousin say this.

"I give you credit for getting one on me there, Andy," he declared.

"Then you believe I hit the right nail on the head, do you, Frank?"

"Well," remarked the other, "come to think of it, Percy did have a
little limp; and I guess he tried to hide it the best he could, for I
remember seeing him wince several times. But how about Sandy, who never
tried to get out of the car once, and didn't even open his lips to say a
single word?"

"I bet you he got a double dose, and is pretty sore this morning." Andy
went on. "You seemed to think it was kind of hard lines for Felix to
give 'em a load when they were pretty far off, and just climbing over
that fence; but it tickles me every time I think of