n on duty every night
around that workshop, because of Percy. He ain't to be trusted, and
would just as soon put a match to the place as eat his dinner--if he
thought he could do it on the sly."

Mr. Marsh caught the eye of his companion, and instantly a quick signal
seemed to pass between them, unnoticed by either of the two boys, who
were keeping their attention glued on the fluttering aeroplane a
quarter of a mile away, and which had again mounted to quite a little
height by means of boring upward in circles.

"There they go again!" exclaimed Elephant, excitedly, as the flying
machine once more tilted its planes, and started down toward the water
like a huge bird intending to alight.

"Oh! look at it, would you?" cried Larry, almost as much worked up as
his smaller companion. "This time there's going to be something doing!
I bet you Frank wants to just snatch a floating piece of wood off the
water as he skims along, just like them Wild West riders do on
horseback, when they throw their hats down. Why! Something must
a-busted--they dropped splash on the lake; and look at the old biplane
sitting right there like a great big gull! Ain't that too bad, though;
I'm sorry for Frank and Andy!"

But Mr. Marsh, bending his head close to the ear of the man who sat in
the front of the touring car, laughed softly, and remarked with an air
of triumph:

"What did I tell you, Longley? Now say it was a false scent, will you?
It isn't often I make a mistake, and already I believe we've struck
great luck in coming up here."

CHAPTER II

A RESCUER FROM THE SKIES

"What if the bally thing takes a notion to duck under, Larry?" asked
Elephant, staggered himself at the possibility of such a catastrophe
happening.

"Wow! they'd stand a chance of being drowned, then, I take it!"
answered the taller lad, shaking his head as if worried.

"Say, p'raps we ought to be chasing after a boat, and putting out there
right now," the small boy exclaimed.

"O K say I. Let's make a dash for Cragan's dock, and borrow his
skiff!" suggested Larry, ready to toss fishing poles, and even the fine
catch in the dusty weeds bordering the road, so that they might be
unimpeded in their flight.

"Hold on, boys!" observed the gentleman in the tonneau of the touring
car, as he reached out and caught Larry by the sleeve of his shirt.
"No need of bothering yourselves in the least, I assure you."

"But perhaps the biplane might sink, sir," de