“In an airship!”
“Yes, why not?” he replied.
“Who ever heard of Indians having airships!” said Bad in tones of disgust.
“This Indian was a real inventor,” explained Dr. Byrd. “But he kept the secrets of all his inventions to himself, so that when he died all his work died with him. When he saw the fearful accident that had befallen his brother, he glided down to offer assistance. The giant was dead, although standing erect; but Smash had disappeared, all but one foot. That was sticking out from under the hollow peak of the giant’s head, which had fallen over the boy and caged him in.
“Rash alighted and attempted to turn the peak over; but although he was very strong, he was unable to do this. So he flew away, and a few days later he returned with several other Indians. With the aid of some tree trunks for levers they elevated one side of the peak-prison and pulled out the body of the prisoner.
“The brain of the giant proved to have been a most remarkable substance. It had a strong odor of spices and chemicals and had converted Smash’s body into a mummy. The flesh was becoming hard as stone and it was evident that no decay could follow.
“Although Rash was a reckless and daring fellow, he had not the great fault that had brought Smash to a sad end. He appreciated the danger of such a nature and desired to warn all others against a like fate. So he wrapped the body in cloths, as some of the Indian tribes have done, and saturated the cloths with diluted giant’s brain to preserve them. Then he put the body on his airship and arose to the giant’s forehead, and landed with his burden on a beetling eyebrow. There he hewed out a shallow niche, into which, he set the mummified Smash and cemented him fast; and on the giant’s forehead he remains to-day as a warning not only to boys who are continually threatening to clean some one up, but also to giants who may be so foolish as to put great power into the hands of boastful youths.”
Everybody except Frank applauded this story. After the hand-clapping and shouts of glee had subsided, Bad remarked disdainfully:
“That story’s all bunk. The mummy on the mountain’s as big as a elephant. How could it have been a boy?”
“Oh, those Indians were giants themselves, though they weren’t anything like as big as Flathead,” exclaimed Dr. Byrd.