“Then Mr. Mackworth will send the skin and head to your home,” went on Phil with pride. “I hope you’ll take ’em. I’ll be glad if you will.”
The Captain eyed the prizes enviously, but he shook his head decisively.
“Take the head, Ludington,” suggested Mr. Mackworth. “I really don’t believe Phil cares a great deal for it. His mother might like the skin. He can keep that and I’ll have it cured and sent to her.”
Captain Ludington held out until evening and then made Phil happy by accepting his present. Mr. Mackworth, having accepted Sam Skinner’s positive assertion that the other goat was the biggest he had ever seen or heard of, announced that he meant to mount it and send it to Frank’s father with a label bearing the inscription: “Neena, the White Goat.”
As a week had now passed Mr. Mackworth announced that, after one more day for arranging the packs, camp would be broken and the expedition headed up Goat Creek toward Goat Pass and Mt. Osborne. The use of the airship in that region was problematical. He suggested that a supply of gasoline be carried with the pack train, and that the boys remain at Smith’s ranch for two days. Then they were to follow up the trail of the advance party. This party would camp, if possible, where a landing might be made and would display a white flag if such a place was found. If no such signal was displayed the Loon was to return to Smith’s ranch, and then proceed to Michel and await the return of the mountain party. As this had been the plan in general all along, Frank and Phil had no occasion to feel disappointed. Their one consolation was “Grizzly” Hosmer’s belief that he could find a landing ground for the airship even in the higher mountains.
Mr. Mackworth having secured his big goat trophy and Captain Ludington having his through Phil’s generosity—to say nothing of the moose horns and quite respectable goat head he had captured himself—Lord Pelton facetiously complained that he supposed he would have to content himself with the recollection of a specially fine trout he had taken. That evening, after the boys had turned in, Frank aroused Phil to submit a suggestion. A moment later both boys were on the edges of their cots in earnest conference. It seemed to brighten each considerably for, at the close, they turned in and slept like stuffed puppies.
The next morning, breakfast over, the two boys enticed Lord Pelton away for a talk. At its close the young Englishman startled his companion and his host by announcing that he meant to stick to Frank, Phil and the airship.
“Come to think of it,” he explained, “I’m getting fond of sky riding. I’m goin’ to take a chance on rejoining you in the mountains. That is, if you don’t mind.”
It was a surprising caprice and Mr. Mackworth seemed puzzled. But, after all, the young Englishman was not much older than Frank and Phil and his host politely assented.