“But come along and we’ll get it going.”

“Must be another plane around here.”

“Reckon there is and it may be as well if they do not see us,” the older boy responded. “Great guns, these butterflies are life savers all right.”

“Then some. It’s like a nightmare.”

“Put your hand over your mouth so you don’t swallow a carload.” Bob followed directions, and the Buddies bent forward prepared to start, but by that time the approaching plane was making a thunderous noise for it was above the clearing, then its motor was silenced.

“They are coming down, Jim. Think we’d better stay here?” Bob suggested. “We can hide out further in the forest.”

“Reckon our best bet is to get to the machine,” Jim answered, but then the plane came down so close to them that they could see its huge bulk only a few feet away. To get by it without being seen would mean some maneuvering and good luck aplenty. The boys scowled, but Austin motioned to proceed, so they stepped forth, bending low and praying that the newcomers would not look about them immediately.

“These blasted bugs,” one of them swore roundly.

“They gummed the works,” added another. There were half a dozen passengers in the plane who climbed out of the cockpit on the further side, then one of them called:

“We’re right where we want to be.”

“Good work,” came a more cheerful response.

“Good pilot you mean,” spoke up one.

“Pilot nothing, up in that buggy blanket you didn’t know your prop from your tail; whether you were going or coming, upside down or right. Rotten piece of piloting gunning into a flock like that.”

“I did not go gunning into them. The things came along so thick I couldn’t get out of them. They got all over the plane and plastered everything, look at it, even my goggles are covered with them. I got you down without a smashup, didn’t I? You can thank me that you’re not hash—”

“Well, I’m not thanking you,” the other retorted, then added with an oath, “and if you had busted the plane, I’d a pumped you 

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