Lem fished in his pocket and found some chewing gum which he offered to Chauncey. They strolled away in the direction of the hangars and Lee hurried over to Major Anderson's quarters, where he found the two boys sitting on the wide, screened veranda.
"Just waiting for you, Lee," said Bill, looking at his watch. "We must be getting along. Do you know what I am doing these days?" he asked Frank, who was moodily staring at Lee. "I am packing up for school."
"Why didn't you begin last Christmas?" asked Frank, coming out of his dream.
"There is always such a lot of things to attend to at the last second and I am getting all my traps in shape."
"Mother is packing for me," said Frank. "I wish we didn't have to go. I will be all out of practice with the planes by the time we have a chance to fly again. I wonder where Jardin is going to school?"
"Have you heard from him lately?" asked Bill.
"Not a word since he went away. Mother thought it was funny he didn't write her a note to thank her for entertaining him. His father wrote her instead."
"Did Jardin know where we are going?" asked Bill.
"We didn't know ourselves when he left, and I can't write and tell him, because for all I know he may be in Europe by this time."
"I am just as well pleased," said Bill. "You know I never did have any use for him, and I think we will get along a good deal better with the other fellows and with the teachers if he is not there as a friend of ours."