Margaret Burnham

“ Jimsy shouted something, but his words were drowned in the roar of the motor as Roy clambered into the Golden Butterfly and Peggy started the engine.
The aeroplane dashed forward over the smooth turf and then seemed to take the air as lightly and easily as a bit of gossamer. Straight up it soared, high above the tree tops, and was speedily reduced to a fast diminishing speck in the northwest in which direction lay Doctor Mays’ home. Looking downward from the speeding flyer the boy and girl aviators could see, spread out below them like a checkerboard, the fertile Long Island landscape. ”

“ Roy and Jimsy were at home repairing the damage wrought to the Golden Butterfly, which, it turned out, was very slight.
She was driving along a pretty stretch of road when she came across a veritable fairyland of delicate pink wild roses intertwined with honeysuckle and woodbine.
“Oh,” cried Peggy, who simply worshipped flowers, “how beautiful; I must take some of these home. They’ll make all our garden things look mean and shabby.”
Stopping the car she alighted and was soon deep in her occupation of gathering the fragrant posies. ”

“ So saying, Jukes Dade shuffled off toward Fanning’s hangar, still chortling evilly to himself.
Jimsy returned to the shed without any good news. In fact, the doleful expression on his usually merry face would have told them that long before he opened his mouth. In the midst of the general gloom a merry face was suddenly obtruded through the swinging doors.
“Hullo! hullo! young folks, what’s the trouble? You look as if you were going to attend a funeral.” ”

“ Peggy shook her head in response to Jess’s question.
“No, dear, not one word,” she said; “isn’t it queer? However, I guess we shall, before long. Oh, I do hope that that poor old hermit turns out to be Mr. Jim Bell’s brother.”
“So do I, too,” agreed Jimsy. “It would be jolly for you and Roy to think that you and your aeroplane had been the means of righting such a succession of mishaps.”
“Indeed it would,” agreed Peggy, warmly; “but now come into the house and have some ice cream. It’s one sign of our new prosperity that we are never without it now.” ”

“ When he returned with the water the poor old fellow took a long draught from a cup Peggy held to his lips and the girl then deftly washed and bandaged his wound. This done the venerable old man seemed to rally, and sitting up in his chair thanked his young friends warmly. Roy, in the meantime, had been looking about the hut and saw that it was furnished in plain, but tidy style. Over the great open fireplace, at one end, hung a big picture. Evidently the canvas was many years old. It was the portrait of a fine, self-reliant looking young man in early manhood. ”

“ Jess and Jimsy emerged from the hangar at the same time, in company with a boyish figure in aviator’s clothing, leather trousers cut very baggily, fur-lined leather coat and big helmet of leather, well padded, completely obscuring the 215features. After a few words in a low tone with its companions, this figure clambered lightly into the aeroplane, leaned forward, adjusted some levers, and the next instant, amidst a shout from several hastily gathered onlookers, the Golden Butterfly skyrocketed upward, her engine roaring like an angry giant hornet. ”

“ Somewhat to his astonishment, for the thought of death itself had been in his mind as he hurtled downward, Roy found that he was unhurt. But his present position was by no means one to invite congratulations. At the bottom of an old well in the midst of lonely fields he might stay a long time before rescue would arrive.
And in the meantime,—but Roy bravely put such thoughts resolutely out of his head, and began to feel about him to see if it was not possible to find some rough places in the sides of the excavation by which he might clamber to the surface. ”

“ To their chagrin, however, they saw 116that, overloaded as the aeroplane was, the train was gaining on them in leaps and bounds. Its windows were black with heads now as passengers, regardless of the danger of encountering some trackside obstacle, leaned out and gazed up at the Golden Butterfly roaring along like some great Thunder Lizard of the dark ages.
“Don’t they stop anywhere between here and the junction?” gasped Jimsy.
Roy shook his head.
“It’s a through train from Montauk,” he said; “they make all the speed they can.”
“Two minutes,” cried Jess, suddenly; “we won’t do it.” ”

“ WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ISLAND.
“Look,” cried Peggy suddenly, “isn’t that a small island below there? Maybe we can make that?”
“I’ll try to,” was the answer, as Roy gripped the steering wheel more firmly.
At the same instant the motor, with a gasp and a sputter, gave out altogether. But Roy knew how to volplane; that is, to reach the earth by swinging the aeroplane in circles so that her stability was maintained even with the power cut off. ”

“ Roy laughed.
“It’s not all offered in a lump sum,” he rejoined. “Listen; there is a first prize of five thousand dollars for the boy under eighteen who makes the longest sustained flight in a plane of his own construction—with the exception of the engine, that is; and here’s another of two thousand five hundred dollars to the glider making the best and longest sustained flight, and another of one thousand five hundred to the boy flying the most carefully constructed machine and the one bearing the most ingenious devices for perfecting the art of flying and—and—oh listen, Peggy!” ”

“ Not one is gone,” 274was the amazing reply, and Hester, drawing a handkerchief from her bosom, unfolded it and displayed to Peggy’s amazed eyes a glittering collection of gems. In the midst of the flashing gems gleamed the big ruby which Peggy had once seen Hester so carefully conceal.
“Hester, you have a duty before you,” said Peggy slowly; “get in my car and come with me to my home and then tell me all about this mystery which has puzzled us so long.” ”

“ A motor boat meant gasolene and companionship.
With a soft cry of joy Peggy was dashing forward toward the hut, from which they could now hear proceeding the hum of human voices, when Roy suddenly checked her. From the doorway there had suddenly issued the figure of Morgan, the Bancrofts’ butler. He gazed about him with a look of half alarmed suspicion on his flabby face. The young aviators instinctively crouched 147back behind a screen of green brush. They felt a suddenly aroused premonition that everything was not as it should be. ”

“ After his first feeling of alarm had worn off the physician found that riding in an aeroplane after the preliminary run with its bumps and jouncings is over, is very like drifting gently over the fleeciest of clouds in a gossamer car, if such a thing can be imagined. In other words, the Golden Butterfly seemed not to be moving 81fast, but to be floating in the crystal clear atmosphere. But a glance over the edge of the high-sided chassis soon showed the physician that she was tearing along at a great rate at a height of about five hundred feet. ”

“ A face suddenly projected over the well curb—a 219face which Roy recognized with astonishment as that of old Peter Bell, the hermit.
“Mr. Bell, it’s Roy Prescott,” he shouted; “can you get a rope and get me out?”
“Good heavens!” cried the hermit; “it’s the boy whose sister was so kind to me. However did you—but never mind that now. Can you hold on for a time?”
“Yes, but my strength is almost gone.”
“Well, summon up all your courage. There is a farm house not far off. I’ll go there and get a rope and be back as quick as I can.” ”

“ The swiftly scudding aeroplane had stopped its skittering over the grass and had come to an abrupt stop at a distance of about five hundred yards.
Already the boys were running across the turf toward it at top speed. The girls could see Mr. Homer clambering out of the chassis as the machine came to a standstill.
“Ha! Ha! just as I thought,” chuckled Fan Harding, viciously, “that thing is a dead failure.”
Poor Peggy, tears in her eyes at this seeming disaster, was stung fairly out of herself. ”

“ It was Miss Prescott’s relation of the true state of affairs to Roy and Peggy that sunny afternoon that had brought forth Roy’s exclamation recorded at the beginning of this chapter.
“But, auntie,” burst out Peggy, blankly, “does the man mean to say that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, on which we can realize anything?”
Miss Prescott shook her head slowly.
“There is nothing we can do,” she rejoined, sadly. “We shall have to leave dear old Shadyside and the land will be cut up and sold to strangers. Land which the first Prescott settled on and which has been in the family ever since. ”

“ The shouts of approval at the up to date manner in which the young folks had “made their train,” mingled with the puffing of the locomotive as it sped off.
Among the spectators of the sensational feat 118had been a broad-shouldered, bronzed man in a big sombrero hat, who sat in the same parlor car which Jimsy and Jess had entered. He looked like a Westerner. As the train gathered headway he suddenly, after an interval of deep thought, struck one big brawny hand upon his knee and exclaimed to himself:
“It’s the very thing—the very thing. ”

“ On the day before the race, which meant so much to them, Peggy and Roy decided to take a practice spin across country in their ’plane. The capable looking machine excited much favorable comment when it was wheeled out of its shed. Several of the other competitors gathered about it while the engine was being tuned up. Among them was a surly looking chap with a dark, roughly-shaven chin and a pair of shifty eyes. He stood beside Fanning Harding, who was also in the crowd about the Golden Butterfly. ”

“ One evening, a week later, Peggy and her brother were tightening up some braces on the Golden Butterfly after an afternoon’s flight along the coast, when the sharp “honk! honk!” of an automobile from the road attracted their attention. Running to the door, Peggy saw Jimsy and his sister in the “Gee Whizz,” as their red auto had been christened. ”

“ I can ride in it now!” gasped Jess, while Peggy clasped her hands and snuggled up close to her chum.
“Well, no, hardly just yet,” laughed Roy, “but after Homer has tested her thoroughly out I guess you girls can take a spin.”
“You know I’m going to learn to handle one,” declared Peggy, as Roy made off once more. “I know a good deal about the theoretical part of it already.”
“Well, theory wouldn’t do you much good in a mile-long tumble,” quoth Jess, sagely.
“Nonsense,” rejoined Peggy. “Mr. Homer says one is as safe in an aeroplane, if one is careful, as in an auto.” ”

“ Peggy’s first action, however, was to hasten to the ’phone in the lighthouse and call up their aunt. Miss Prescott, who had been badly worried over their prolonged absence, was much relieved to learn that they were safe and sound.
Mrs. Beasley, a motherly woman of middle age, took charge of Peggy while Jeff Stokes entertained Roy. Jeff said that he liked the life at the light, lonesome as it grew sometimes. When he felt blue he used to relieve the monotony by talking, by means of invisible waves, with other operators. ”

“ He had no liking for Fanning, but the other was so effusive that he felt it was incumbent on him to meet the other lad half way, as the saying is.
“I’d like to have a look at your craft sometime,” he said.
“Not much you won’t,” rejoined Fanning, quickly, “you’ll see her on the day she wins the big prize and not before.”
“You seem to have it won already,” rejoined Roy, rather contemptuously.
“Oh, yes,” was the confident reply, “I’m going to simply fly rings round you and the rest, so you’d better take up my offer now, for after the race your Golden Butterfly stock won’t be worth a penny.” ”