“Do you men want to look around the city for an hour or so?”
“I don’t,” said Hank. “I seen it from above, and there’s no use wasting time.”
“All right then; we will go back to the dirigible and start for our little baby republic. I should have made that my first errand, but this saves a few hundred miles, and I want to get to England as soon as I can.”
As they rolled along toward the aviation field, Mr. Ridgeway outlined their plans.
He was anxious for a rest. After visiting the President of the new republic, he wanted Hank and Bill to drop Lawrence and himself down at the country house where Mrs. Ridgeway was staying. There they would stop until the dirigible was in order. Then one of them could report and Mr. Ridgeway would motor over to the plane and look it over. They could then divide, and take the ships back to the United States.
“You may like to stay and return with Mrs. Ridgeway and myself,” he said, turning to Lawrence.
The boy shook his head.
“I must go back, sir. I have something very important to do.”
“You won’t think so after you get acquainted with Mrs. Ridgeway,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “Everyone is crazy over her, and she likes boys.”
“I would like to stay,” said Lawrence, “but it seems as if the business just couldn’t wait a day.”