“That must be Doubleday,” spoke Hiram.
“I think it is,” said the woman. “I have been there only once or twice with my husband. That little cluster of lights, I think, is the town tavern.”
It was in the center of a vacant square back of this rambling old frontier building, that Dave brought the Comet to a halt. He left Hiram and Elmer with the machine. The woman took leave of them with grateful tears in her eyes.
“I hope my husband has not started back for home,” she said, anxiously—“I hope he wasn’t caught in the fire.”
When they got around to the front of the inn, Dave inquired for her of the landlord as to her husband. Abel Lyme, she said, his name was. The tavern keeper said he was stopping there, but was probably just then at the general store. His wife was so anxious, she could not wait for his return. The young airman wished to secure some supplies to make up for what they had been obliged to throw out of the Comet. Both went over to the store.
It took Dave half an hour to get through with his business, ordering the goods he bought sent at once up to the tavern. It took him half an hour longer to get rid of the husband of the woman they had rescued. The grateful fellow, poor as he was, paid hardly any attention to the loss of his home. He was so thankful that the lives of his wife and child were saved, so overcome with admiration of the daring exploit of Dave and his comrades, that he overwhelmed the young aviator with offers of reward clear down to his last dollar. On his return to the inn Dave found his faithful assistants guarding the biplane and waiting for orders.
“What’s the programme?” inquired Hiram briskly, but stretching himself as if a good nap would not be unwelcome.
“It’s a fine night for traveling,” remarked the pilot of the Comet; “but it has been rather a hard day for us. Every hour counts, of course, but I think we may do all the better work for a little rest. Three or four hours sleep will make us fresh for a non-stop moonlight run about midnight.”
“That haymow over there strikes my fancy,” announced Elmer.
“All right,” replied our hero. “Take your turn. You, too, Hiram. I’ll stay on guard duty till you spell me. I expect some supplies from the general store here.”