"Bless
my watch chain! I must get rid of that Nihilist literature I have about
me, or they'll take me for one," and he tore up the tracts, and
scattered them in the air.
Meanwhile the Falcon continued to descend.
"Maybe I can make quick repairs, and get away before they realize who we
are," said Tom, as he got ready for the landing.
They came down in a big field, and, almost before the bicycle wheels had
ceased revolving, under the application of the brakes, several men came
running toward them.
"Here they come!" cried Mr. Damon.
"They are only farmers," said the exile. He had donned his dark glasses
again, and looked like anything but a Russian.
"Lively, Ned!" cried Tom. "Let's see if we can't make repairs and get
off again."
The two lads frantically began work, and they soon had the magneto in
running order. They could have gone up as an aeroplane, leaving the
repairs to the gas bag to be made later but, just as they were ready to
start, there came galloping out a troop of Cossack soldiers. Their
commander called something to them.
"What is he saying?" cried Tom to Mr. Petrofsky.
"He is telling them to surround us so that we can not get a running
start, such as we need to go up. Evidently he understands aeroplanes."
"Well, I'm going to have a try," declared the young inventor.
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