p close to the wall, and Dick, with the speed
of the hunted deer, dashed from the house.

[Illustration: Dick Caught Up the Other Chair.]

"It may take Ab. a little while to find that I haven't got Driggs's
knife," grinned the boy.

For more than a quarter of a mile Dick Prescott ran at the best speed
that he could summon. Then, after glancing back, he slowed down to a
walk, breathing hard. It was fortunate that he knew these forests so
well, or he might have been at a loss to find the path leading in the
most direct way to Gridley.

Finally he came out on a more traveled road. After keeping along for
another half mile or so he heard a horse behind him and the sound of
wheels as well.

"I won't take any chance on that," muttered the boy. Bounding over a
stone wall he lay low until the vehicle came up. Peering between the
stones of the wall Dick made out an unmistakable farmer.

"Hey, there!" cried Dick, leaping up and bounding over the wall. "Give
me a ride, please, mister!"

"Well, I swan! Who are ye--dropping from the skies that-a-fashion?"
demanded the astounded driver, reining up.

"Grammar School boy from Gridley," Dick replied. "Going that way?"

"I guess I've seen you before," murmured the farmer, as Prescott went
closer. "Your pa runs a bookstore, don't he?"

"Yes. Are you going to Gridley?"

"Straight."

"Then please take me."

Not waiting for an answer Dick climbed up to the seat.

"How do you come so far out of the way?" asked the farmer, as he started
the horse.

"I'd tell you, but for one thing," Dick laughed.

"What's that, son?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Wouldn't believe old Prescott's boy?" demanded the farmer. "Well, I
would if the boy is half as square as his dad."

Thus encouraged Dick began to tell his story. Some past events the
farmer already knew. This inclined him very strongly to believe Dick's
strange tale.

Once in Gridley the farmer drove the Grammar School boy straight to the
police station.

"Dick Prescott?" shouted the chief. "Boy, your parents are crazy over
your disappearance. What part of the skies did you drop from? And I've
four of my men out trying to track you! Tell me what has happened."

"I will if you'll walk around to the store with me," Dick offered,
smiling. "But the first thing I'm going to start to do is to show my
father and mother that I'm safe."

The farmer good-naturedly offered to drive them both around to the
Prescott store. On t