The firelight was uncertain, and the visitor’s face was turned half away, but Ben was almost certain that he saw the red blood mounting to his temples. The man also seemed embarrassed by the question.
“I did go back,” he answered after a moment’s hesitation, “but the fellow had disappeared. I thought this might be his fire.”
There was a short silence, during which Ben poked aimlessly at the burning brands and the stranger looked critically around the camp. In a moment, with a complimentary remark regarding the Louise and the Bertha, the intruder arose from the ground where he had been sitting and walked carelessly toward the machines. Ben followed him, watching every movement as if his life depended upon the scrutiny.
The two machines stood quite close together, and as the stranger approached them Ben stepped a pace in advance and whirled about. The stranger started back with an exclamation of surprise.
“We don’t permit strangers to inspect our aeroplanes,” Ben said.
“Pardon me,” the other smiled, “I really didn’t mean any harm. It is quite natural that one should desire to inspect a beautiful machine.”
The stranger kept pushing on, and at last brought his thin body into contact with the boy’s sturdy one. There was no doubt in the mind of the boy now that the fellow was there for mischief. He struck out swiftly from the shoulder, but the intruder dodged the blow neatly and, taking a package from the right-hand pocket of his coat, hurled it toward the aeroplanes. Ben’s clenched fist caught the other’s arm as the throw was released, and the missile, whatever it was, went wide of the mark.
Ben saw the glitter of a shining surface in the firelight, and the next instant an explosion which seemed to shake the earth sounded in his ears. Without waiting to see the effect of the explosion, the stranger faced about and ran at full speed toward the spot where he had left his aeroplane.
Ben followed him a few paces and then, deciding that it would be unsafe to leave the machines, turned back toward the camp-fire to see Jimmie and Carl come tumbling out of the shelter tent, rubbing their sleepy eyes. What Ben feared was that a second person had landed from the stranger’s machine before it had shown above the camp-fire.
“What’s coming off here?” demanded Jimmie.