"Not so much that, but we want to get our claim before the Board. Anything can happen when such distances and time are concerned...."
"And we just don't want anything to spoil Father's chances of having this valuable claim verified."
"I see." She smiled now in relief, and again her eyes showed the pride she felt in her two manly boys who were daily proving themselves more than equal to the unusual situations in which they found themselves. "Your father woke up again while you were out, and...."
"He did?" It was a duet of happy excitement.
"... and while he still didn't seem to realize what had happened, he acted even more as though he recognized me. He let me feed him some broth, then went back to sleep again very contentedly."
"Golly, that's great!" Jon reached out and patted her hand.
The three chatted together with more freedom and animation than they had known since the terrible accident first occurred. It seemed as though their worst troubles were over. For Tad Carver was so reliable, so confident in himself, so trust-inspiring—even beyond their natural love for him—that they felt everything would just have to work out right, once he was again in command.
As soon as they had finished eating, the boys hurried to the storeroom and found some metal rods.
"Cut me four lengths about fifteen inches each," Jon ordered as he went to the workbench. He cleared a space, then began getting the tools he wanted, and hooking up the induction furnace.
"You'll need eight for two full sets, won't you?"