plied his cousin, immediately. "It may be
all right for us to risk our lives in the way we do, but I don't
believe we have any business to take chances with that of another,
except under certain conditions. If we had to take up some one to gave
them from peril that would be all right. Now, here we are at the
commons, Andy."

"Wow! look at the people rushing out of the houses," cried Andy, "would
you? I guess this is the biggest thing that's happened at Hazenhurst
for a whole year of Sundays. Hope they give us plenty of elbow-room to
land. If they push in too far, somebody is going to get hurt."

Frank called out in time, and the crowd swayed back, so that presently
the wonderful biplane dropped as lightly as a feather on the beautiful
green commons, and close to the foot of the liberty pole.

"Please keep back before you do any damage!" Frank exclaimed.

Fortunately there were some sensible fellows present, who realized the
need of care; and when these athletic young chaps had formed a ring
around the aeroplane Frank breathed more freely again.

He went about making his little changes leisurely, while Andy did most
of the talking, and answering the multitude of questions that were
fired at them.

When the good people of Hazenhurst learned that these two modest young
chaps were the Bird boys, of whom they had heard and read so much, they
were loud in expressions of pleasure at welcoming them to the town.
And when later on Andy told them of the contemplated race, they
declared that everybody in Hazenhurst would surely be on hand to see
the two contestants turn around the liberty pole.

Of course Miss Alice arrived, even ahead of schedule time; which would
indicate that she had indeed hurried. And presently the boys were
introduced to her father, and had to receive his hearty thanks after he
learned how greatly the Stephens family were indebted to them.

But Frank noticed with secret pleasure that the girl entered no
complaint against the old farmer. From which he understood she had
come to the wise conclusion that a lot of good had sprung out of the
chance meeting, that might never have happened only for Tige's breaking
loose that morning.

And later on, when the biplane arose gracefully from Hazenhurst green,
a mighty roar of cheers attested to the fact that the Bird boys had
succeeded in making a very favorable impression, not only on Miss Alice
and her father, but the rank and file of the townspeople