“Ol’ Bob ought to know what’s what,” mentioned Perk taking a look for himself, “there, he’s off and see how he lifts the ol’ bus when he’s ready. I watched him make as neat a three-point landin’ yesterday as anybody could wish. A few o’ ’em seem to be born with wings—but not many, not many, I’m sorry to say. Well, let’s step over and get things started.”
Perk stopped short as though some one had given him a blow—he seemed to be holding his breath while he stared and then commenced rubbing his eyes in a peculiar fashion, just as though he imagined he must be seeing things where they could not possibly exist.
Jack realized that his chum must have had a shock of some kind, and turned upon him quickly.
“What’s the matter—what ails you, Perk?” he demanded.
“Gosh amighty! Jack, looky there will you—the hangar—Mister Gibbons; you know, where we parked our boat—it’s burned down last night!”
VI
A BLOW IN THE DARK
Jack was naturally intensely shaken by this outburst from his companion. His first act was to whirl around and look hastily in the quarter indicated where he discovered quite a bunch of men clustered around some object from which wisps of smoke seemed to still be rising on the clear morning air.
He and Perk exchanged startled looks as though the same sudden thought had gripped their hearts.
“Queer I didn’t notice a thing before, Perk, though I saw a crowd gathered—but then that’s a common occurrence out here where so many interesting things keep on happening. Sure enough, the Gibbons’ hangar has gone up—such accidents don’t come along often in any modern aviation field.”
“Accidents!” blurted out Perk steaming up—“lay off that stuff, ol’ hoss—ev’ry little movement has a meanin’ o’ its own—up to last afternoon it was our ship that snuggled in that hangar, don’t forgit that, my boy. Talk to me ’bout luck, we hit it sky-high that time. Let’s go see what’s happened, and how they talk ’bout it in the bargain.”