“I want to see how the thing works,” went on the old man, moving away from Jerry, who was approaching. “I like machinery considerable,” and he began to pull on the lever that operated the elevation rudder.
“Drop that and get out of here, or we’ll put you out!” cried Jerry, now thoroughly aroused, and the old man hastened from the tent.
“What do you suppose brought him around?” asked Ned, as he paused in the work of tightening the bolts on the framework.
“Oh, he’s a general butter-in,” said Bob. “He’s always around where he isn’t wanted.”
“Well, I guess I scared him off,” remarked Jerry with a laugh.
But that same afternoon Joffy was back again. This time he crawled under the tent, and before the boys were aware of his presence he had knocked a heavy wrench down from a bench and broken one of the bamboo braces of the air planes.
“Here, you! You’re worse than the kids!” cried Jerry. “What are you doing here, anyhow?”
“I—I didn’t mean to break it,” said the old man. “I wanted to see how heavy that wrench was.”
“Well, you saw, all right,” went on Jerry. “Now clear out.”