Rocker's Woods proved to be a large patch of scrub timber, all the large trees having been cut down to feed the old saw-mill, which still stood on the bank of a good-sized stream. The saw-mill had not been used for nine years and the timber was gradually coming up once more.
"This is exactly the way thet airship tuk," said Peter Marley, as he led the way. "An' as she wasn't runnin' very fast I guess she must a-come down not very fur off."
"I hope so," answered Dick. "And I hope, too, she came down gently."
"Huh! How could she come down any other way? Ain't much to 'em, is there, 'ceptin' sticks an' cloth."
"The engine weighs several hundred pounds."
"Gee shoo! Several hundred pounds! Say, if thet's so, it's great how they kin stay up!" burst out the farmer in admiration. "Ain't no bird as weighs as much as thet!"
As they advanced through the woods, all of the party looked to the right and the left for some sign of the missing biplane.
"Here's a tree top down!" cried Tom, when they were close to the river on which the old saw mill was located. "This looks as if it might have been done by the machine."
"Gracious, I wonder if the airship went into the river!" burst out Sam.
"That might be a good thing, if it did," answered Dick. "It might save it from being wrecked, and we might be able to tow it ashore."
In a moment more they came to a halt at the edge of the river, which was broad and smooth at this point. In the middle the stream was ten to twelve feet deep, and the bottom was of sand and smooth rocks.
"I don't see anything that looks like a flying machine," said Sam after a long look around.
"Maybe after all it went over into the woods on the other side," returned Dick.
"That must be it," said Peter Marley. "I'm afraid we'll have to go up the stream a bit to get across. We can't ford here."
"About quarter o' a mile tudder side o' the old mill."
"Say, look over there!" cried Tom at this moment. "What does that look like to you, Sam?"
He pointed with his hand, and all in the party gazed in the direction indicated, a point close to the opposite shore, where some brushwood overhung the river.
"Why that looks to me like one of the planes of the flying machine!" cried the youngest Rover.