CHAPTER VI
WINNING AN AEROPLANE
"Well, I see that the boys have got you into this sheep stealingmystery," began Mr. Phipps, when the glasses had been taken away."Another bunch of my sheep killed or ruined last night. It beats theworld what's happening to 'em."
"Fly said they found one of them lying down the road," said Herb.
"I looked him all over," spoke up Carlito, "and it looked to me likesomething with big claws had been at him, but he was in such shape thatyou couldn't tell for sure. Then there were a lot of magpies feeding onhim when I rode up and the claw marks might have been those of some birdthat had alighted on him after he was dead."
"Well, this thing has got to be stopped someway, somehow." Mr. Phippsspoke with an emphasis that meant business. "Herb and I have beentalking it over all morning. He says yuh had an idea, Mr. Hawke, wemight chase the thing, whatever it is, with an aeroplane."
"I suggested that to the boys on the assumption that it was a bird,"replied Mr. Hawke, noticing, with a twinkle in his eye, that the boyswere moving their chairs closer and listening with tense interest.
"We're sure it's a bird," chimed in the enthusiastic Fly. "We were hitby it ourselves coming from Silver City--and that rancher was picked upby it. What else could it be? You never see tracks."
"It must be something that flies, anyway," argued Dunk. "Everythingshows that."
"But how could you get around flying after it at night," objected Mr.Phipps. "It never seems to come around in daytime."
"Oh, Mr. Hawke can fix that," exclaimed Herb confidently.
"With an equipment of acetylene lamps," assented Mr. Hawke. "They wouldgive all the light we would need."
"But you would probably have to shoot at him," protested Mr. Phipps. "Idon't see how that could be done."
"Carl's the best shot there ever was," assured Jerry. "He can shootanything. Even in the dark."
Mr. Phipps and the aviator smiled broadly at this.
"I should think if it were a bird," said the latter, leaning back in hischair, "the thing would be to chase it to its haunt and trap it."
"That's not a bad idea," agreed Mr. Phipps. "With an aeroplane you couldfollow it at its own speed."
"Of course, Mr. Phipps, an aeroplane would not be an inexpensiveproposition, and I do not say it would positively do the work, but theboys are very much interested in aviation and I suggested that theymight help me build a biplane here which we could use in clearing upthis trouble."
"You mean, let us help in building it?" Herb leaned forward in his chairwhile Tender Gray's eyes grew large with excitement.
"That was my thought."
"Dad, that'd be great," exclaimed Herb, his dark cheeks flooding withdeep-hued red. "Let's do it! You said I could have an aeroplanesometime, anyway."
"I didn't expect to be taken so seriously," laughed Mr. Phippsgood-naturedly, though there was no finality in his tone.
During this conversation the boys had been suppressing their anxietywith difficulty. Their eager, impulsive faces changed with every newargument put forth, according to its effect on their project. OnlyCarlito, the Indian, sat impassive and solemn. But he was paying strictattention to all that was said.
"Hawke ain't talking hard enough," protested Fred in an undertone toJerry. But Jerry gave him a kick and his lips formed the admonition"keep still."
"How much would the thing cost?" asked Mr. Phipps. Dunk gave Fly a punchwith his elbow and Fred hitched his chair closer.
"About a fourth the cost of a factory-built machine," answered Hawke."You see, I can buy the material at first cost. With the help of theboys it can be built at the fort and I have an engine of my own which Ican furnish. Altogether, eight hundred dollars would see us through."
"Eight hundred dollars, eh?" Mr. Phipps seemed to be turning the matterover in his mind.
"But you've lost a thousand dollars' worth of sheep already," urgedHerb, feeling that this was the time to press his strongest arguments."If it keeps on we won't have any sheep left. Besides, you know that theponies got frightened a little while ago and broke down part of thecorral. What if they'd all get out and run away? They're worth twothousand dollars themselves. And gee whiz, Dad, think of what I'd learnin helping to build an aeroplane. Just what I want."
Tender Gray gave Herb's arm a squeeze while the other boys regarded himwith grateful eyes.
"How long would it take to get this material?" asked Mr. Phipps, seemingto disregard his son's remarks.
"About a week. I can get most of the stuff from Kansas City. Thenorthern spruce comes from Denver. I'd have to order the bamboo from aNew York house. My engine is at Fort Omaha."
"I suppose you would teach the boys how to run the machine," queried therancher, who appeared to have reached his decision and merely wishedfurther assurance.
"Oh, certainly, that is part of the plan," responded the aviator.
"Well then, go ahead and get things together as soon as you can. But Iguess a government aviator knows his business." Extending his cigar caseto Mr. Hawke, the southerner prepared for a leisurely smoke, as if,having settled the question, he would worry no more about it. Mr. Hawkesettled back into the depths of his large wicker chair and lighted hiscigar.
The boys, however, did not take the matter so calmly. They broke intoexcited yells of delight. Herb and Tender Gray did something like anIndian war dance on the front steps. Fred was pummelling Jerry with awill, and Dunk and Fly stood talking with bright eager faces, makinggestures with their hands and arms. The Indian, though he smiled withsatisfaction, sat quietly and looked on.
"Gee, Dad, you're a brick," exclaimed Herb, slapping his fatheraffectionately on the back.
"I like the enthusiasm of these boys," Hawke told Mr. Phipps, when Herbhad joined his companions. "In all my experience I never came across amore promising bunch. There isn't a dullard in the lot."
"To tell you the truth," answered the rancher, after a long drag at hisHavana, and regarding with kindly eyes the group at the end of theveranda, "the idea of showing them how to build the machine appeals tome about as much as the bird--or man--hunt, although that is animportant factor of course. And I hope you may be able to land thethief, whoever or whatever it is."
"Say, boys," he added, in a louder tone, "you'd better all stay fordinner to-night, and we'll have a little moonlight party on the verandahere--how about it, Mr. Hawke?"
"Sure--you'll stay, won't you, Hawke?" queried Jerry, while all theothers nodded their ready assent to the rancher's proposal. Hawke waseasily induced to fall in with the scheme.
"And by the way," continued Mr. Phipps, "why don't you take Hawke for ascouting expedition up in the mountains to-morrow, while you're waitingfor your uniforms and the material?"
"We'd just been talking about that," assented Fly. "We thought mebbewe'd find the place where the bird lives."
Mr. Phipps and the aviator smiled at this naive response.
"Carlito can take you," said the southerner, "and Herb wants to try outa new gun he has. Suit you, Mr. Hawke?"
"I'm here on a vacation," responded the aviator. "And anything like thatsounds good to me."
After a while the boys grew more calm, and the party on the verandasettled down to the quiet of the waning afternoon. Mr. Hawke and thesoutherner found topics of conversation in politics, aeronautics andaffairs of the day. The boys separated into groups of two, some readingor glancing over the illustrated magazines, others talking in lowvoices, flipping penknives or whittling. At last the sun sank in a bedof red, gold and purple behind the tallest mountain peak, lighting upits snowy whiteness with vivid crimson and yellow, and deluging the skywith beautifully mingled colors, which gradually trailed off at eachside into faint lavender.
"This is the country for sunsets," said Mr. Phipps, as they sat watchingthe beautiful scene. "No king ever wore a more glorious crown thannature places on that old mountain's brow every evening, shining withcolors as brilliant as the finest gems ever mined."
When
the last soft light had dwindled, twilight quietly settled over thescene, and the stars, like faint sparks of the sun's final salute,gradually came out clearer against the growing darkness.
It seemed like an interruption when Hop Sing announced dinner, but hisvoice broke the spell, and the boys resumed their noisy chatter as theyfiled into the house.
"This is Thunder Bird roast lamb," announced Mr. Phipps, as he whettedthe carving knife. "The poor animal escaped the ravages of the destroyeronly to be seized by the cruel headsman and quartered for my pleasure."
The party had seated itself, with some commotion, around the great roundtable. The spacious dining room was softly lighted with shaded lamps.The snowy table cloth, shining glasses and silver, and a huge bunch ofwhite carnations made the tempting viands look even more appetizing.There was no formality about the service. Mr. Phipps knew the capacityof growing boys, and saw that they were helped to liberal quantities ofeverything. Hop Sing was kept busy hopping from one side of the table tothe other. The young fellows were entirely at their ease, and did nothesitate to ask for whatever they wanted, and as much as they desired.
"Hop Sing is some fine cook," said Fly, as the Chinaman good-naturedlypassed him his third helping of mashed potatoes.
The celestial grinned. "Melican show me," he said, pointing to therancher.
"Whoopee, what'll Hop say when he sees our aeroplane!" exclaimed Jerry,and all the boys joined in the laugh that followed.
"He'll want to go to a Chinese heaven in a chop suey bowl sure," saidHerb. "He scrapes in front of his idol whenever he sees an automobile,which isn't often in these parts."
The subject being thus introduced, considerable talk about the newaeroplane ensued, and when, happy and satisfied, they all returned tothe veranda, they found Sing putting up the last Japanese lantern.
"Give us some coon songs, Dad," asked Herb, and instantly there was aclamor from all directions.
"No--I don't do that any more," objected Mr. Phipps, but his misgivingswere overruled when Herb appeared with a banjo and guitar.
"Come on, let's give 'em 'Drag the Chariot,'" coaxed his son, strummingon the guitar.
The boys, with Hawke, had gathered around the rancher and Herbexpectantly.
"What's this yuh got me into, yuh young scalawag," exclaimed Mr. Phipps,with mock anger, but he took the banjo and struck up a lively tune.
One song was followed by another, until the whole bunch of boys, unableto sit still under the enchanting strains, had risen to their feet andwere performing jigs of one style or another. It was soon noticed thatFred had some skill in this direction, and he was urged to jig "Turkeyin the Straw," and numerous other dances, until he sank down panting forbreath.
In the midst of their festivities there was a series of sharp barks inthe direction of the corral, and then a regular din of neighs from thehorses, violent barking from the dogs, and an occasional bleat.
Mr. Phipps threw his banjo aside and quickly ran down the steps in thedirection of the corral. The others followed him. They found the horsesgreatly excited, running pell-mell around the enclosure, almost pushingeach other over, and some of them trying to climb up on the fence. Thedogs were baying, and running about in a confused fashion. Three sheephad apparently strayed from the herd and were standing by the side ofthe corral.
"It's that confounded thing again," exclaimed Mr. Phipps, calling to thehorses to quiet them, while Herb went inside and endeavored to calmthem. After a time the dogs, remembering their offices, got after thesheep and drove them back to the fold.
"Doesn't look as though there's any damage done, but you'd better getMike to go down and look over the sheep."
As Herb went off on this errand, the others returned to the house.
"Bothering the horses too," said Hawke, when they had seated themselves."That looks bad."
"Must have been chasin' those three sheep," Mr. Phipps conjectured.
"I looked around, but couldn't see a sign of anything," said Carl.
When Herb came back, he said he had gone down to the sheepfold but, asfar as he could see, there was no further damage there.
After a little further conversation, Carlito and Herb went after theponies and led them up to the veranda. Somewhat subdued in spirit, and alittle disturbed, the party started off through the moonlight for theFort, after bidding a cordial good night to the hospitable rancher, hisson and Tender Gray.
"Hurry along with that aeroplane, boys," Mr. Phipps called after them,and the boys cheered and waved their sombreros in reply.