"Get your father's consent that you can go; that'll be all," announced Ned and then, breaking into a laugh, he relieved the perplexed Alan by explaining what had just taken place. In ten minutes Alan had secured permission to be off for the remainder of the day and the two boys hurried away for luncheon, to revel in dreams of their great opportunity.
By night Mrs. Napier had consented, though with tears, to Ned's going, and later Alan's father reluctantly did the same. As Ned was to leave the next afternoon and had to see Major Honeywell and Senor Oje in the morning it was a busy evening that the two boys spent in Ned's workshop.
At one o'clock in the morning Alan's work in Chicago was outlined and Ned's needs in the East were all listed.
"And now," exclaimed the tired but exuberant Alan, "it is all arranged but the name. What are we to call the air ship?"
"The 'Cibola,'" answered Ned without hesitation, "the dream of the Spanish invaders and our hope of success."
CHAPTER V
A DINNER PARTY ON THE PLACIDA
The long, heavy, limited train on which the young air ship boys were at last embarked on their extraordinary mission pulled slowly out of the station.
Ned made a quick survey of the Placida. Coming out of the baggage end he passed first into a drawing room. In this were two sections that opened up into four berths. Beyond the berths a passageway led to a private stateroom. When the boys reached the stateroom, Elmer was standing at the door with a happy smile on his face.