Part 9 (2/2)

”He didn't say.”

”If he's a jailbird I'll hate to see him in these parts,” went on the farmer soberly.

”Well, it won't hurt you to keep an eye on him, Mr. Marley,” answered d.i.c.k, and then, struck with a sudden idea, he continued: ”And if you see or hear anything wrong about him, will you do us the favor to let us know at once, over the telephone, or otherwise? I'll pay you for the calls.”

”Sure I'll let you know--if I hear anything.”

”I might as well tell you that he is down on us and down on some of our friends, and he and a young fellow with him named Tad Sobber may try to play us foul in some way. So, if you hear of anything strange, let us know by all means.”

”You can depend on it, I will,” replied Peter Marley.

”And now to see if that really was the biplane!” cried Tom, when the party was once more on horseback. ”Let us try to forget old Crabtree and Sobber. One trouble at a time is enough. If that was the flying machine, I hope she isn't damaged much,” he added, wistfully, for he had hoped to get a good deal of sport out of sailing the _Dartaway_.

”Well, if that was the biplane, she must have landed in the river, and that would break the shock some,” said Sam, hopefully.

”Yes, especially if she came down on a slant,” added d.i.c.k. ”Maybe she struck the water and scaled along like a clamsh.e.l.l.”

Along the river they proceeded for quite a distance and then came to the spot that the farmer said was the ford.

”Not so very shallow either,” was d.i.c.k's comment. ”Mr. Marley, are you sure of the footing?”

”Yes, I've been across any number of times,” was the answer. ”I'll lead the way. Be careful, fer the rocks is slippery an' if a hoss goes down he might give ye a nasty tumble.”

And then Peter Marley urged his steed into the river and one by one the Rover boys followed him.

CHAPTER VII

THE RUNAWAY HORSES

In the middle of the river the ford was so deep that the water almost touched the feet of the riders. But fortunately the current was sluggish, so the horses managed to keep their footing. They were allowed to take their own time, so it took several minutes to gain the opposite sh.o.r.e.

”Well, I'm glad we are out of that,” was Tom's comment, as they reached a trail on the other bank.

”We'll have to endure it again, to get back,” said Sam. ”And what about the biplane?”

”Just wait till we find the machine first,” answered d.i.c.k, with a faint smile. ”You know the old saying, 'Don't count your chickens----'”

”Before they are fried,” finished Tom, with a grin. ”You see, somebody might lift them from the henroost before you had a chance to cook them,”

he went on soberly.

”By gum! thet ain't no joke nuther!” burst in Peter Marley. ”Many a chicken I've lost through tramps an' wuthless n.i.g.g.e.rs.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”THERE SHE IS!” BURST FROM TOM'S LIPS.--_Page_ 63. _Rover Boys in the Air._]

They had to go around several walls of rocks and through a tangle of brushwood, and then came to a small clearing where was located the remains of a wood-cutter's hut. Not far beyond was the locality where they had seen the object that looked like one of the biplane's wings.

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