The Flying Boys in the Sky

When Harvey Hamilton thought the fellow was merely bluffing by his calls for help, he made a mistake. From out of the wood came running a man larger and older than any one of the three, and he was followed by a second, third and fourth, – all full grown, massive, muscular and each with fire in his eye. They had heard the cry of their comrade in extremity and made haste to come to his help.

Their arrival caused a change of program. Much as I like Bohunkus Johnson (and I trust that you, too, share the feeling), I am obliged to confess that like many of his race he had a tinge of yellow in his composition. So long as he held the upper hand, or so long as the fight was in doubt, he displayed courage, but the arrival of reinforcements threw him into a panic. He whisked off the prostrate figure, leaped to his feet and dashed at his highest speed into the woods. He ran like a person whose life was in danger, and the young man who had suffered at his hands sped after him, breathing threatenings and slaughter.

The new arrivals, who had been referred to as Bill, Sam, Dick and Tom, were evidently young farmers, none more than twenty-five years old. They had sturdy frames and could have given a good account of themselves in a physical struggle. They must have been mystified by what they saw, for the one who had dashed off in pursuit of Bohunkus had not paused to make explanation.

One fact was a vast relief to Harvey Hamilton: none of them carried a weapon, though it may be thought the quartet did not need anything of the kind in order to work their will with the slim active youth. The latter, with a quickness of resource which would have done credit to one older than himself, picked up the discarded shotgun at his feet, covering the lock as he did so with one hand in order to hide the harm it had suffered. So long as the others believed it sound and loaded, he could command the situation.

“Say, you,” said the tallest of the quartette in a loud voice, “what’s the meaning of this row? We don’t exactly git the hang of things.”

Facing the group and with his back toward the biplane, Harvey answered:

“Your friend had a misunderstanding with my friend, and it doesn’t seem to be settled yet, though it looks as if yours had the advantage.”

“What was the quarrel about?”

“Your friend – ”

“That’s Herb,” interrupted the other speaker.

“Herb fired his gun at us without any cause.”

“Yes; we heerd it; if he didn’t have any cause, what was the reason he took a shot at you?”

“Pure cussedness is all I can think of.”

“Didn’t he hit either of you?”

“He grazed my face; we came down to ask an explanation, and my colored companion was giving him a good pummeling, when you came up and scared him away.”

“I take it, stranger, that that contraption over there is one of them infarnal flying machines.”

“It is a flying machine, but there’s nothing infernal about it.”

“Folks hain’t no bus’ness to cavort round the country in them.”

“I don’t see why they haven’t; we are not injuring you or any one else.”

“Boys,” said the speaker, turning to his companions who were standing near and listening to the conversation; “the best thing we can do is to rip the blamed thing to slathers. What do you say?”

“Them’s our sentiments,” replied one while the three nodded.

“Come on then; it won’t take us long to make kindling wood of it.”

He took a step forward, and then stopped. Harvey had leveled the gun.

“The first one that lays a hand on my aeroplane must be prepared to have daylight let through him.”

It was a staggering threat, but in the trying moment, Harvey Hamilton could not help reflecting that the weapon was not only injured, but unloaded. He would be in a sorry situation should they learn the truth.

The strained situation could not last, and he slowly backed toward the machine, holding the weapon in front, ready to be raised again to a level should it become necessary.

“Four of you are rather too much for me,” he said with a grim smile.

“Hooh! One of us could lay you out as easy as rolling off a log.”

“I am willing to take you one at a time, but I know that as soon as I get the best of him the rest of you will pitch in and do me up.”

It was “Bill” who was talking for the four. He grinned and with a snort replied:

“I’d ax nothing better than one crack at you, but there ain’t no show with that loaded gun in your hands; nobody but a coward would use that.”

“Then you may consider me a coward, for I am on to your tricks.”

By this time Harvey had reached his machine, but the problem remained as to how he could seat himself and start the motor without inviting an attack that must overwhelm him and wreck his property. He stood for a minute undecided, while his enemies, less than a dozen paces away, were on the alert for a chance to seize any advantage that offered.

Suddenly the young aviator stepped into his seat, but, standing upright, faced about and confronted them still with gun in hand. They showed an ugly disposition at the prospect of his eluding them, but seemingly there was no way to prevent it.

“If you would like a closer view,” Harvey said, “I have no objection, but you must come one at a time. You may do so first.”

He indicated Bill, who hesitated:

“No shenanigan!”

“Nothing of the kind, I promise you.”

After a moment’s pause, he gingerly approached, but showed he was not wholly free from misgiving.

“What do you think of that big wheel?” asked Harvey.

“Hooh! seems to be made of black walnut,” replied the other, laying a hand on one of the propeller blades.

“So it is; have you enough muscle to turn it round?”

“That’s dead easy,” replied Bill, grasping one of the arms and whirling it about with double the force that was necessary.

CHAPTER XII

PEACEFUL OVERTURES FAIL

The revolution of the propeller of course started the engine, with such a terrific outburst of noise that Bill instinctively drew back a pace or two. In an instant the blades were spinning round with tremendous velocity, and the aeroplane began moving over the ground with fast increasing speed.

The sight roused Bill, who dashed forward to intercept it. He had almost reached the machine when it bounded upward and glided beyond his grasp. The delighted Harvey tossed the gun toward him, and in a rage at his slip Bill snatched the weapon from the ground and shouted:

“Stop or I’ll shoot!”

His action and movement of the lips told the young aviator the substance of the threat, and with a tantalizing gesture he called back:

“Shoot and be hanged!”