“And we’ve got to have a fourth man,” added Bob. “Are we going to select him or will the Herald want to send one of their own men?”
“Those things’ll work out,” exclaimed Ned. “But they’ll have to be worked out and we haven’t any time to waste. I think we ought to invite the Herald man out to see the machine. He’ll certainly want to meet some of the business men we know.”
“Let’s bring Major Honeywell to luncheon with us. He expects to go over to Newark with us to-day. Then we’ll get a big car and motor out early in the afternoon. With that off our minds we can get down to business,” suggested Alan.
“Say,” exclaimed Bob, “I don’t see any need to bother about picking up that bundle of matrices. That’s easy.” To the looks of inquiry he responded, “You know the postal crane that young Roy Osborne planned for use on ocean steamers? Well, the model is finished. He figures on installing it on liners so that passing ocean aeroplanes can swoop alongside, toss off the latest London or New York papers with the mail bag, and pick up the ship’s mail as the express trains do on land.”
“That’ll be all right when the time comes,” laughed Alan, “but I don’t know any liner that needs to spend money now on such an equipment. It’s a little previous isn’t it?”
“Just in time,” exclaimed Bob. “We need it now. At two o’clock when these sheets are ready, they can be tossed into a fast motor, whirled to the Battery, thrown on the Herald motor boat, rushed out into the sound and delivered to our ocean tug in fifteen or twenty minutes, maybe less.”
“And then?” asked Ned.
“And then?” repeated Bob contemptuously. “Why, there is Osborne’s postal crane rigged up on the tug and waitin’ for our ‘pick up arm.’”
“Simplest thing in the world,” Ned chuckled. “Great! Check off that problem.”
“And meanwhile the Flyer loses twenty minutes soaring around over the bay,” suggested Alan. “You ought to allow for that in the contract.”