dnight and then awakening Roy who would take up the vigil till dawn.
This arrangement having been made they secured a light lantern from
an adjacent hardware store and, entering the deserted livery stable,
prepared to carry out their plans. With the canvas covers of the
aeroplanes Roy managed to fix up quite a comfortable bed on a pile
of hay left in a sort of loft over the abandoned stable.

As for Jimsy, he made himself as comfortable as possible in the chassis
of the _Golden Butterfly_, the seats of which were padded as luxuriously
as those of a touring car. He had a book dealing with aeronautic
subjects with him, and, drawing the lantern close to the aeroplane,
he buried himself in the volume.

In the meantime Roy had rolled himself up in his canvas coverings and
was sound asleep. For a long time Jimsy read on. At first frequent
footsteps passed the door of the stable, but as it grew later these
ceased. Folks went to bed early in Meadville. Long before midnight
there was not a sound on the streets.

Jimsy read doggedly on. But he was painfully conscious of an almost
irresistible desire to lie back and doze off, if only for a few seconds.
The exciting events of the day had tired him out, nor was the book he
was reading one calculated to keep his wits stirring. It was a technical
work of abstruse character.

Jimsy's head began to nod. With a sharp effort he aroused himself only
to catch himself dozing off once more.

"See here, Jim Bancroft, this won't do," he sharply admonished himself,
"you're on duty, understand? On duty! Wake up and keep your eyes open."

But try as he would tired Nature finally asserted herself. Jimsy's head
fell forward, his eyes closed for good and he snored in right good
earnest. He was sound asleep.

It was about half an hour after he dozed off that a window in the rear
of the stable framed a face. A crafty, eager face it was, as the yellow
light of the lantern revealed its outlines. Dan Cassell, for it was he,
gazed sharply about him. He swiftly took in the posture of the sleeping
boy and a smile spread over his countenance.

Dropping from the ladder he had raised outside, he joined two figures
waiting for him in the shadow of the livery barn.

"It's too easy," he chuckled, "only one kid there and he's sound asleep.
Got everything ready?"

"Dey all bane ready, Maister Cassell," rejoined the slow, drawling voice
of the Norwegian Tam.

"Now don't botch the job," warned the elder C