“Do you hear me?” yelled the farmer, brandishing his weapon and trying to look very fierce and dangerous.
The aeronaut, Andy noticed, was reaching in his pocket. He drew out two small bills and some silver. He made a wad of this. Poising it, he gave it a fling.
“There’s five dollars,” he spoke to the farmer.
The wad hit the farmer on the shoulder, opened, and the silver scattered at his feet. He hopped aside.
“I won’t take it; I’ll have my price, or I’ll have the law on you, and I’ll take the law in my own hands!” he shouted.
Snap!—the fowling-piece made a sound, and quick-witted Andy noticed that it was not a click.
“See here,” he whispered quickly to the aeronaut; “that man just snapped the trigger to scare us, and I don’t believe the old blunderbuss is loaded.”
“All ready,” spoke the aeronaut to Andy, as the latter reached the seat.
“Yes, sir,” reported Andy.
“When I back, give the rope a pull and hold taut till we clear the barn.”