“How are we going to do it?” asked Bob.
“Well, my notion is to start a discussion of it say to-night after supper. I understand most of the cowboys don’t believe in airships. Few, if any of them, have ever seen one, for they haven’t been away from the ranch in a good while. They may have read about long flights, but they don’t believe much of what they read. So they’ll be all the more surprised when they see us flying over their heads. I think the best time to do it will be right after dinner some day, when they’re sitting in the shade smoking and telling yarns. We can come along just then.”
“Good!” agreed Ned and Bob.
To prepare the minds of the cowboys for the surprise, or, rather, to ascertain their feelings on the matter, Jerry started the ball rolling that night by reading from a paper something about a woman having made a particularly long flight.
“Don’t you believe it!” declared Hinkee Dee. “No human bein’ can fly through the air, and never will.”
This suited the boys, as the assistant foreman was the chief one they wanted to impress. So Jerry kept the talk going by adding:
“You don’t know what you’re talking about! Of course, anybody can fly if they have the nerve.”
“I suppose you think you have!” sneered Hinkee Dee.
“Yes, I have—we all have,” was Jerry’s quiet answer.
“Let me out of here!” laughed the man. “I—I feel sorter sick. You make me tired!”