oon as possible and get away from here."

"That's it!" cried Ned. "A quick flight. We can get more gasolene here,
for lots of autos pass along the road through the village. I found that
out. Then we needn't stop until we hit the trail for the mine in
Siberia!"

"Hush!" cautioned the Russian. "You can't tell who may be sneaking
around to listen. But we ought to leave as soon as we can."

"And we will," said Tom. "I've got the magneto almost fixed!"

"Let's get a hustle on then!" urged Ned. "That fellow meant business
from his looks. The nerve of him to try to pick a quarrel that way."

"I might have told by his manner that something was wrong," commented
Tom, "but I thought he was a fresh tramp and I didn't take any pains in
answering him. But come on, Ned, get busy."

They did, with such good effect that by noon the machinery was in
running shape again, and so far there had been no evidence of the
return of the spy. Doubtless he was waiting for instructions, and
something might happen any minute.

"Now, Ned, if you'll see to having some gasolene brought out here, and
the tanks filled, I'll tinker with the dynamo and get that in running
shape," said Tom. "It only needs a little adjustment of the brushes.
Then we'll be off."

Ned started for the village where there was a gasolene depot He fancied
the villagers regarded him rather curiously, but he did not stop to ask
what it meant. Another odd fact was that the usual crowd of curious
rustics about the airship was missing. It was as though they suspected
trouble might come, and they did not want to be mixed up in it.

Never, Ned thought, had he seen a man so slow at getting ready the
supply of gasolene. He was to take it out in a wagon, but first he
mislaid the funnel, then the straining cloth, and finally he discovered
a break in the harness that needed mending.

"I believe he's doing it on purpose to delay us," thought the youth,
"but it won't do to say anything. Something is in the wind." He helped
the man all he could, and urged him in every way he knew, but the
fellow seemed to have grown suddenly stupid, and answered only in
French, though previously he had spoken some English.

But at last Ned, by dint of hard work, got him started, and rode on the
gasolene wagon with him. Once at the anchored airship, Tom and the
others filled the reserve tanks themselves, though the man tried to
help. However he did more harm than good, spilling several gallons of
the