“Times are different!” agreed Peter with a shake of his tousled white head. “And you made it without an accident, which is more than my other two visitors did.”
“Were they hurt?” asked Terry.
“Not much! They landed their plane somewhere down the slope and broke the propeller. Joe Arnold has a sprained ankle and a bruised shoulder,” replied Peter. “He isn’t feeling very good.”
Terry looked at the old man anxiously. “You haven’t signed any papers, have you, Mr. Langley?” She looked at her watch. “It’s just one minute before twelve. I still have time to take up that option. Here’s your check!”
Peter shouted with laughter. “What a girl!” he exclaimed. “No, I haven’t signed any of his papers!”
“And what’s more you won't sign any of them!” Mary Langley cried. “I don’t like the looks of those two men!”
“No more do I!” agreed Peter.
As they reached the ledge of rock where their cabin stood, Peter was confronted by Bud Hyslop. “Don’t have anything to do with that girl!” he stormed. “She’s been in more crooked deals than you can count. You’ll be making a great mistake.”
Peter gave a quiet laugh that was more provoking than if he had stormed at the men and accused them of fraud. He turned to Terry. “Come right in, Miss Terry,” he said with a deep old-fashioned bow, “I’ll just sign that paper and close the deal!”
Joe Arnold bit his lips in rage. His face was deathly white. Terry had never seen the man so angry before. Joe had staked everything on this trip to get the flying field, and he had lost. Even his plane was a wreck and he was miles from a railroad.