CHAPTER II
A CURIOUS STRANGER LEARNS THE OBJECT OF THE Gitchie Manitou
The announced flight of the young aviators Monday afternoon was delayed until the hour grew so late that this feature of the program was postponed until the next day. It was the old story of over-enthusiastic amateur assistants who persisted in giving unsolicited aid when the airship was being taken from the aerodrome. A young man who thought the machine had to be carried instead of being wheeled onto the starting field sought to lift the rear truss by means of the lateral rudder. In doing this, he punctured the oiled silk plane. After a futile attempt to sew the rent, Norman was forced to ask the police to clear their enclosure. When Mr. Zept, one of the committeemen, called and learned of the situation, he advised a postponement of the flight until the next afternoon.
“My son tells me,” remarked Mr. Zept as he was about to leave the aerodrome, “that he had the pleasure of meeting you boys this morning. I’m glad of it. I hope you’ll be friends.”
“He’s a fine young man,” answered Norman. “You ought to be proud of him.”
“All parents should be proud of their children,” answered Mr. Zept with a sober face. “I’ve tried to give Paul a good education and I hope I’ve done the best for him. But I have never seen much of him and, in a way,” he added with a smile, “I hardly know him as well as I do you boys.”
“He’s certainly enthusiastic,” remarked Roy, “and—and impulsive,” he added, hesitatingly.
“He really has some peculiar ideas,” commented Mr. Zept. “But I suppose they’re natural. I had peculiar ideas myself.”
“Yes,” suggested Norman, “he makes a great deal out of things that are old stories to us. If we didn’t live here and know the West as well as we do, I suppose we would have the same romantic ideas.”