The Jupiter flashed over the outskirts of Atkinson and Ralph cut the throttle. They dropped down to an easy landing and rolled up on the ramp in front of the hangar.
Tim, now a trifle stiff from the strenuous events and the night in the valley of the Cedar, climbed slowly from the cockpit. Ford followed.
Ralph scrambled out from the rear cockpit and joined them. He was grinning broadly.
“Guess I managed to get in for a little of the fun in the valley,” he chuckled. “When I dropped down on that amphib the first time I thought those boys were going to have heart failure.”
“What kind of a gun did you have?” asked Tim.
Ralph reached into the cockpit and brought out an ancient double barreled shotgun.
“Here’s the pet. Believe me I’ve got a sore shoulder. This old blunderbuss bucks like a Missouri mule.”
“Do you make a practice of carrying an arsenal around with you?” asked Ford.
“Hardly. When I heard the drone of the amphibian down the river I figured something was up for I knew you fellows must be on your way back. I borrowed this relic from the storekeeper at Auburn and got into the air as soon as I could.”
“You were just in time,” said Tim. “The amphibian was down on the surface of the river and all set to taxi along and give us a nice, cheerful little party.”