“More? There isn’t so much money in the world.”
The boys laughed heartily; even Tom Woods enjoyed the humor of it. The agent remarked casually, “Why, Bobolink, twenty-five thousand dollars isn’t such an awful lot of money.”
“It’s plenty. Too much,” was the retort.
Again the boys laughed. The government agent said off-hand, “So you boys would like to have a plane like that, eh?”
The boys stopped laughing and all of them sat up and strained their ears. “What was that you said?” asked Jack.
Tom Woods smiled, “I merely asked whether you boys would like to own a plane like that?”
Some of the boys grinned at the very thought of possessing such a machine. William said, “We certainly would. It’s a beauty.”
“Well,” muttered the agent, “maybe I can fix that.”
Several of the boys cried out simultaneously, “How? How can you do it?”
“I don’t know myself,” replied the agent nonchalantly and rubbing his chin. “I didn’t say I could or that I would. I simply said maybe.”