“I’m glad o’ that,” answered Colonel Howell, smiling. “I’d like to have you take a telegram over for me in the morning and wait for an answer.”
“Don’t you think I can go in this time?” asked Paul at once.
The other boys gave him no heed for a moment.
“We could go to-night,” volunteered Norman, “if you like.”
“That wouldn’t do any good,” answered the colonel. “You probably couldn’t get the operator. I’ll be more than satisfied if you duplicate to-day’s trip—except as to the meat,” he added. “We’ve enough of that for some days.”
Paul sat in suppressed excitement.
“I don’t want to butt in,” he urged in the pause that followed; “but I want to help all I can. You don’t need to be afraid—”
The boys could not resist a glance toward the bunk house door, where they well knew that Paul’s embarrassing box still stood intact. And both Norman and Roy flushed.
“You can go,” announced Norman instantly. “You won’t be afraid!”
“Only afraid of disappointing Roy,” answered the elated Paul.