"Think you're smart, don't you," snapped Stubbs. "Why should I want to be killed? I ask you now, why should I want to be killed?"
"Well, really, I don't know," replied Chester, "unless it is because you are so awfully sick."
"Sick!" shouted Stubbs. "Sick! Who said anything about being sick?"
"Why, I understood you to say—"
"Well, you understood wrong. Sick? No, I'm not sick, but we'll all be worse than sick if Hal can't coax a little speed out of this machine. Say!" this to Hal, "what are you waiting for, anyhow?"
"Now you just hold your horses, Stubbs," replied Hal. "I'm running this party at this moment and I'm going to run it my own way. Colonel Anderson, if you hear any more out of our war-corresponding friend, kindly sit on him, will you?"
"With pleasure," replied the colonel briefly.
"Oh, you will, will you?" cried Stubbs. "Well, you won't. I—I'll—"
He subsided after muttering to himself for some moments.
The others now gave their undivided attention to the other craft, which by this time had drawn close to them.