is tied a
small fallen tree, that made an excellent drag.

When the level roadway was gained once more they made good time to
Carwood, and there called on the blacksmith to repair the broken brake
rod. While waiting they ran into Tom Bender, and the boy was very
anxious to know all about the lost aeroplane.

"Say, but you fellows have a cinch!" he said, in admiration. "You get
what you please. Wish I was in your shoes!"

"You'd not want to be in our shoes when that brake rod broke," answered
Sam bluntly. "Eh, Tom?"

"Not much!" replied his brother.

At last they were on the way again. They had telephoned to Peter Marley,
so that the farmer would know the cause of the delay. Sam did the
driving and now the machine went along well, and almost before they knew
it they were at Rayville and asking the way to the Marley farm. This was
on a back road, but the way was good and they reached the farm without
trouble, excepting that they had to slow down to let a herd of cows pass
them.

"Got here at last, have ye!" cried Peter Marley, as he came out to
greet them. "You kin put that 'mobile under the wagon shed if ye want
to," he added.

"Can't we use it to go after the biplane?" questioned Dick.

"No, there hain't no fit road. If ye say so, we can go on hosses--if ye
want to pay fer ridin'," added the farmer shrewdly. He was a good man,
but close, and never allowed a chance to make an honest cent slip by.

"All right, we'll ride," said Dick. "The horses may come in handy for
hauling the biplane,--and besides, we can't carry these ropes and hooks
if we walk."

So it was arranged; and a little later the party of four set off on
horseback, the farmer and Tom carrying the ropes and hooks, and Sam
keeping beside Dick, who looked a trifle pale in spite of his efforts to
appear all right. The knock-down blow from the flying machine had been
harder than the eldest Rover boy was willing to admit.

Rocker's Woods proved to be a large patch of scrub timber, all the large
trees having been cut down to feed the old saw-mill, which still stood
on the bank of a good-sized stream. The saw-mill had not been used for
nine years and the timber was gradually coming up once more.

"This is exactly the way thet airship tuk," said Peter Marley, as he
led the way. "An' as she wasn't runnin' very fast I guess she must
a-come down not very fur off."

"I hope so," answered Dick. "And I hope, too, she came down gently."

"Huh! How could sh