Part 15 (1/2)
”So you say everything went all right!”
”Like taking a buggy ride,” answered Norman. ”Don't you want us to go oftener? If it wasn't for using up the gas, there isn't any reason why we shouldn't meet each mail stage.”
”I'm glad o' that,” answered Colonel Howell, smiling. ”I'd like to have you take a telegram over for me in the morning and wait for an answer.”
”Don't you think I can go in this time?” asked Paul at once.
The other boys gave him no heed for a moment.
”We could go to-night,” volunteered Norman, ”if you like.”
”That wouldn't do any good,” answered the colonel. ”You probably couldn't get the operator. I'll be more than satisfied if you duplicate to-day's trip--except as to the meat,” he added. ”We've enough of that for some days.”
Paul sat in suppressed excitement.
”I don't want to b.u.t.t in,” he urged in the pause that followed; ”but I want to help all I can. You don't need to be afraid--”
The boys could not resist a glance toward the bunk house door, where they well knew that Paul's embarra.s.sing box still stood intact. And both Norman and Roy flushed.
”You can go,” announced Norman instantly. ”You won't be afraid!”
”Only afraid of disappointing Roy,” answered the elated Paul.
The latter was disappointed, but he gave no sign of it and when he smiled and waved his hand, the thing was settled.
”I've been holding an option on a fine piece of oil property near Elgin, Kansas,” the colonel began in explanation, ”and I had forgotten that the limit was about to expire. Several of these telegrams are from my agent, who tells me we must have the property. The telegrams are now over three weeks old and I've just got two days in which to get word to him to buy.”
”Write your message to-night,” suggested Norman, ”for we'll get away a little earlier in the morning, since we've got to wait for an answer.”
The second flight to Athabasca Landing was of course Paul's first experience in an airs.h.i.+p. For some time he was subdued and Norman could see his tense fingers gripping the edge of the c.o.c.kpit. But when a.s.surance came to him, he made up for his preliminary apprehension and was soon taking impossible pictures of the far-away hills and trees beneath him.
Reaching the landing place on the Athabasca Hills, Paul at once said:
”I s'pose you'd feel better if you looked after the telegrams yourself.
I'll stay with the machine.”
This was the program Norman had outlined but when the suggestion came from the young Austrian himself, Norman had not the courage to humiliate his companion with such a plain indication of his fear. Without hesitation, he answered:
”What are you talking about? Nothing like that now! Besides, I want to look over the engine. You go and attend to things--I'll be here when you get back.”
A little after twelve o'clock, a boy arrived from the other side of the river, carrying Norman's dinner in a basket. The messenger was from the Alberta Hotel and he also carried a note from Paul announcing that no answer had yet been received to Colonel Howell's telegram.
As the afternoon wore slowly away, Norman became more and more apprehensive. It was nearly six o'clock when Paul came in sight, breathless and exhausted from his rapid climb up the hill. Norman could not resist a sigh of relief when he saw that the delay was not due to any new indiscretion of the young Austrian.
”I don't blame you,” panted Paul, ”and I bet you've been sweating blood.
I don't deserve anything else, but you're going to save a lot of time if you'll just forget what I used to be. I ain't going to make any promises, but I'll show all of you that I'm not what you all thought I was.”
Norman only smiled, but he gave his young friend a look of sympathy. Then he announced a little variation in the general plan.
”We're so late now that it's goin' to be dark before we get back and a little further delay won't do any harm. Just back of the new H. B.