TOM SWIFT made up his mind quickly. He generally did so in an emergency, and this was one of those times. While he still held the powerful glasses focused on that clump of trees amid the green of which he had spotted that glimpse of blue, he called to Ned: “Put her about five points to the south!” “The south?” cried Ned. “What’s the idea!” “I want to throw those fellows—if they’re down there, as I think they are—off the track,” explained Tom. “It’s just a trick which may work and may not. They’ll either see us or hear our motor down where they are. And if they see us sheer off to the south they may take us for a mail plane. At any rate, they may not suspect that we’re after them.” “I guess that’s good reasoning,” murmured Ned. Accordingly, he shifted the steering wheel until the _Blackbird_ did as many of her namesakes do when winter approaches—she headed for the south. “How far on this course?” asked Ned as his chum continued to gaze down through the glasses. “Just far enough to take us out of their sight. Then we’ll go down.” “Go down?” cried Ned, in some surprise. “Yes. We’ll make a landing and then come back by auto. I’ve got it all planned out. If we try to make a landing near those fellows they’ll spot us and light out, taking my chest with them. But if we go down in some spot a few miles off and then come back by auto, we can get pretty close to them before they suspect anything.” “More good dope,” decided Ned, after thinking it over. “Do you think they’re the fellows you want, Tom?” “It’s hard to say. That’s a blue aeroplane down there, I’m sure. But whether it’s the same one the robbers used isn’t so sure. However, I’m taking no chances.” It did not take long for the _Blackbird_ to put enough distance between her and the place where the blue aeroplane had been sighted to make it safe to descend. Now that he could no longer hold the glasses focused on the clump of trees, Tom put them aside and took charge of his craft. “Do you think you can get back to this same place in an auto?” Ned questioned, as they looked about for a good field in which to land. “I think so,” was the answer. “I picked out a few prominent objects by which to plot a return course.” This was all that could be done under the circumstances, and a few minutes later, noting a broad and level field below them, Tom began to guide the _Blackbird_ downward. “I hope we meet as good a chap as our farmer friend, Kimball, was,” remarked Ned, as they lightly struck the grass-covered earth and taxied across it. “I hope so,” echoed Tom. “But we’ll buy our way if we have to. It’s important to get back as soon as we can to where those fellows are.” This landing of the _Blackbird_ attracted more attention than on the occasion when the travelers landed in Mr. Kimball’s field. No sooner was the machine at rest, and while Tom, Ned and Koku were alighting, than a crowd of men, women, boys and girls began to flock toward it.