Andy just saved himself by following directions, for one of the eagles barely missed him. Sandy was sitting up, and rubbing the back of his head, where it had come in contact with the hard rock. He appeared half dazed, and evidently there was little use demanding any explanation as to how the precious tool chanced to be in his possession. Truth to tell, Andy never did find out, and had to jump at conclusions.
The great birds continued to wheel and dart at the intruders, so that all of the boys were soon engaged in defending themselves.
“They think we mean to rob their nest of the two eaglets you can see there,” was Frank’s explanation. “Perhaps if we go over to the other side of the plateau they may haul off, and let us embark again. I wouldn’t like to hurt them, boys.”
“And I’d kill the whole outfit, if I had my way,” grumbled Sandy, whose clothes were torn and marked with blood, where the sharp talons of the furious bird had clawed along his person.
“Oh! well, we’ll leave you here to clean ’em out, if you say so,” remarked Puss, who was himself anxious to get down from that dizzy height as soon as possible, and feeling ugly toward all creation, as fellows who make a bad mess of things usually are.
“Not much you don’t,” said Sandy quickly. “I’m going when you get good and ready, bet your life on it. Wouldn’t ketch me staying up here alone. Wow! even if I had a rope long enough to reach down, I’d be afraid to chance it. Come along, Puss, we ain’t got no call to stay here any longer. Let’s vamose.”
The biplane was the first to start off, and Frank was a little nervous as to whether the thing could be successfully navigated in so short a space. But nothing went wrong, and presently those who manned the other aeroplane also took their places and made the trial.
The flag had been left fluttering in the breeze, Andy having fixed the short pole in a crevice of the rocks, where he could wedge it fast. With the aid of any fairly decent glasses it could be seen from town; and would doubtless serve to stimulate many boys in the endeavor to accomplish some similar feat of daring.
The eagles were still soaring in great circles, now rising, and again swooping down on their broad pinions. Frank even feared that they might take a notion to strike the strange bird that had dared invade their eyrie home; but evidently the eagles had come to the wise conclusion that they need fear nothing from the visit of the two aeroplanes, for they followed them but a short distance, to return, and perching on a crag give utterance to what might be called a victorious scream.
“Say, what d’ye think of that?” demanded Andy, laughing as the sound floated to them while speeding along. “They reckon they’ve licked us, good and plenty.”