Part 4 (1/2)

”If what you tell me about your airs.h.i.+p is true, you can make almost daily trips for mail. At least, it would be as easy for me to keep in touch with civilization as if I had a railroad train at my disposal,”

declared Colonel Howell springing to his feet.

”But we couldn't do that,” began Norman. ”Our fathers--”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”I've an idea and I got it the minute I saw your aeroplane to-day.”]

”What's the use of all the energy you have expended on this machine?”

demanded the man earnestly. ”Is it a dream or do you believe what you have told me? I'm not a millionaire, but I'm sure I could make your services to me worth while. At least you don't need to hesitate on that score. I think you can do all you have said this machine can do. Anyway, I'll pay you well for making the attempt, and I'll undertake to get the consent of your fathers. Of course you can't go without that. Would you be willing to go if I can arrange this?”

”You bet your life!” announced Roy instantly.

”It's a pretty serious thing,” began Norman, ”and dangerous too--”

”Oh,” broke in Colonel Howell, ”then you'd rather have some one else try out your gla.s.s cage and electric stoves.”

”But it's a long way from home,” went on Norman, growing red in the face.

”No farther for you than for me,” explained the colonel, still laughing.

”And we'll all go to Fort McMurray on the flatboats. If you can't fly back you can at least do what I have done twice--walk.”

”And Moosetooth and La b.i.+.c.he are going to run the boats?” asked Norman.

”They certainly are,” answered Colonel Howell, ”and if you're interested in those things, there'll be plenty of moose and bear and deer standin'

on the river banks waiting for a shot.”

Norman looked at Roy, who was almost a picture of disgust, and then, in self-defense, he said: ”I'd like to go if the folks consent. As for that car, it'll do everything we've said and don't you forget that.”

Colonel Howell, apparently taking this as a surrender, caught the two boys by their shoulders and exclaimed:

”It's gettin' late. Lock up your shop and let's go and see what your fathers think of my project.”

Elated and nervous, the boys turned and, as if under a hypnotic spell, began to push the car into the aerodrome. And once inside the little building, with set lips, as if working his courage up to that point, Norman broke the silence by saying: ”I was going to make my first trip to the States this winter.”

”Next summer would be a better time. Why don't you go in style?” asked Colonel Howell. ”We'll come out in the spring and we ought to have a comfortable enough home during the bad weather. You can't spend your money and when you get back home you can make your trip and go all over the States.”

Both boys looked at him as if not knowing what to say next.

”I never hired any aviators,” went on Colonel Howell, with his old smile coming back, ”and I don't know the union price of aerial operators, but I'll give you your board and keep and three hundred dollars a month apiece while you're with me. How does that strike you?”

”I don't think we'll be worth it,” were the only words that Roy could find to express his dazed feelings.

”But you don't know anything about that,” said Colonel Howell promptly.

”You might easily be worth a great deal more.”

While the colonel spoke, he could not help noticing Norman's rapid calculation on the ends of his fingers.

”In April, that would be nine months,” remarked Norman at last, ”and that's twenty-seven hundred dollars. We could go to France on that, Roy,”