hit the sky," yelled another.

"Bring me back a star," howled the facetious old man.

"Me a bit of the moon," called another.

Jeb said nothing to this raillery. Instead, he looked uneasily about him
and held his rifle, which he had insisted on bringing with him, between
his knees.

"All right?" asked Roy, looking back at him.

"As right as I ever will be," rejoined Jeb, with a rather sickly grin.

"You must hold tight," warned Peggy.

"I'm doing that," said Jeb.

And then with the same sickly grin:

"Say, miss, does it really fly?"

"Of course it does. As that old man said, how could it have got here if
it didn't."

"I guess I'd better go home and git my coat," said Jeb, trying to climb
out.

His demeanor had completely changed since he had climbed into the
chassis. Something in its well-cushioned seats and the sight of the
powerful engine and propeller seemed to have changed his mind about
the capabilities of the _Golden Butterfly_.

But it was too late. With a roar the engine started. Instantly the
little plateau was deserted. The mountaineers were all behind trees.

Jeb rushed for the side of the car.

"Sit down!" screeched Peggy, really fearing he would fall over.

But if Jeb's intention had been to climb out it was foiled.

[Illustration: "Take me back to earth er I'll shoot," said a voice in
his ear.]

"Wow!" he yelled, and again, "Wow-ow-ow! Lemme out."

"Too late now," shouted Roy.

The aeroplane shot upward, carrying as a passenger a man temporarily
crazy from fright.

Suddenly Roy felt the muzzle of a rifle press against the back of his
neck.

"Take me back to earth er I'll shoot," said a voice in his ear.

Roy obeyed, and so ended Jeb's first aeroplane ride. It may be added
that it was also his last.

CHAPTER XXIV.

MR. PARKER'S STORY.

"It was a gang of moonshiners that you stumbled across," said Mr.
Parker, when they told him of their adventure; "you were fortunate to
escape as you did."

"I guess we have that aeroplane ride we gave to Jeb to thank for that,"
laughed Roy.

"It wasn't so laughable, though, when he pressed that rifle to your
neck," declared Peggy.

"No, indeed. That was a mighty uncomfortable feeling, I can tell you."

"It reminds me of an experience I had with moonshiners once," said Mr.
Parker. "Would you care to hear about it?"

Of course they would. They were sitting on the porch in the twilight
after dinner. It was a happy group and th