orry, boys, don't worry!" cried Songbird soothingly. "Let the
troubles of the future take care of themselves", and then he murmured
softly:

"Though the skies be dark and dreary
And hope be almost dead,
And hearts are all so weary----"

"Each one can go to bed!"

finished Tom. "A fine bit of poetry truly, Songbird, old sport."

"Who said anything about going to bed?" snorted the would-be poet. "I
had a finer line than that, Tom. It was--er--it was--a--er--a----Oh,
dear, you've quite driven it out of my head!"

"Never mind, it will come back day after yesterday, or before and
sooner," went on the fun-loving Rover blandly. "Now let us put away our
things and get ready for supper. I'm as hungry as a wolf in a famine."

"That's right," chimed in Sam. "Aeroplaning can give one a wonderful
appetite."

"It's the air," said Stanley.

That evening, after a good meal, the Rover boys had to tell of their
various experiences with the biplane. Not a student of Brill had ever
gone up in a flying machine although several had gone up in balloons at
county fairs and elsewhere. The Rovers had to promise to take up half a
dozen of their chums. So far during the fall, talk of football had
filled the air, but now all became flying and flying machines. Several
of the richer students promised themselves machines in the near future.

"That's the talk!" cried Tom, enthusiastically. "Then we can have some
races!"

"Maybe we can even get up an intercollegiate aeroplaning contest,"
remarked Sam.

"I'm afraid it's a little too early for that yet," answered Dick. "But
such contests may come one of these days."

The Rover boys were tired out from their day of labor and excitement and
ten o'clock found them in their rooms ready to go to bed. Tom and Sam
had started to take off their shoes when there came a faint tap on the
door and Bob Grimes appeared.

"Hello, Bob!" cried Tom. "What can I do for you?"

"Hush! not so loud!" whispered the other student, with a glance over his
shoulder down the corridor. "Listen, both of you," he went on
hurriedly. "Don't ask me any questions, but if you don't want your
biplane ruined be sure and guard it closely!" And having spoken thus,
Bob Grimes hurried down the corridor and out of sight.

CHAPTER XIV

THE BIRTHDAY FEAST

The two Rover brothers looked at each other in amazement, and for a
moment neither spoke.

"What do you suppose he meant