Was it a threat or a promise?
“Well, he’ll have a fine time catching the Rambler,” said Case. “He’s got to go some if he does. And he’ll need an aeroplane in order to do it.”
“He may have an aeroplane secreted in his pocket,” Jule said.
However, two days passed and they heard nothing of either the river thieves or the stranger. When El Paso was reached Buck and Rube prepared for departure.
“You boys started out with accommodations for four,” said Buck, “and you’ve kept collecting about every person you came across until you’ve doubled the crew.”
“I can’t see what we should have done without you three men,” Case answered. “In the first place, we never could have got through without Rube’s roll! He was perfectly willing that it should be used, and we accommodated him.”
“Then what should we have done without Thede? There’s a man that knows how to set a leg or bind up an artery! We certainly couldn’t have left him out. I think, when you come to size the whole thing up, we carried just enough people to do what had to be done. How does that strike you, Alex?”
“Right you are,” answered the boy addressed. “We haven’t been a bit crowded, and we’ve had plenty to eat. I wish Rube and Buck were going on with us.”
“I’d eat you out of house and home,” laughed Rube. “I presume you boys noticed that I have quite an appetite.”
“Just about the size of mine!” said Alex.