;
"and unless somebody's been ahead of you in the field, it ought to
make you famous as an inventor. Perhaps when you try it again
to-morrow, after mending your planes, you'll discover a few ways
in which it can be improved. Never believe anything is perfect the
first time. And now, shall we gather it up again and carry it to
the cabin?"

"You're awfully kind, Hugh!" declared the happy Bud, whose face was
rosy from his recent tremendous exertions and from the glow of
satisfied ambition. "I am convinced that I haven't been wasting
my time, even if I'm only harrowing in a field some other fellow may
have plowed before me."

They managed to get the miniature aeroplane over to the shack, though
it was no light burden, taken all in all. Bud, however, was feeling
so pleased that he could have done the work of an ox himself. There
is nothing like satisfaction to bring out unsuspected powers in a boy;
and just then Bud believed he could have carried as great a load as
any Turkish _hamel_ or porter.

Leaving the queer looking contrivance outside the door, Bud hurried in
as though something that he had suddenly thought of was bothering him.
A minute later he burst into view again, a row of wrinkles across his
forehead and words of alarm sounding from his lips.

"I can't find it anywhere," he lamented, "and I'm dead sure I left it
there on the pile of blankets. Hugh, somebody's been in the shack
while we were away, and cribbed the plan for my aeroplane stability
device!"

CHAPTER VI

A RED LETTER DAY IN THE WOODS

Both Hugh and Ralph looked serious when their comrade made this
announcement.

"That's a tough deal on you, old fellow!" said the latter, feeling
that it must mean considerable to Bud to have his idea stolen just
when it was giving promise of being a signal success.

"Sure you left them there on the pile of blankets, are you?" asked
ever practical Hugh.

"That's right, he did," Ralph volunteered. "I remember seeing some
papers there when I went out, and I was the last to leave, you know.
And you say that they've clean disappeared, have they, Bud?"

"Come on in and see if either of you have sharper eyes than I seem to
have," the other scout demanded.

Accepting the invitation, Hugh and Ralph bustled about for several
minutes, hunting all through the interior of the shack, but without
any success.

"Nothing here, that's sure," admitted the patrol leader. "It was
careless of you to leave