“We have here an extraordinary case.” Mr. Rand’s voice was stern. “It concerns two of our most brilliant pupils in aviation—and on the eve of their graduation. Although under a sentence of suspended judgment already, they have now risked locking the doors of graduation on themselves forever by flagrant disobedience of strict orders—”
“I protest—” Colonel Wiljohn was on his feet, gray eyes flashing. “Your words give the wrong impression. You mean two boys entered a risk to save a valuable plane if possible, to save human lives—”
“Wait, wait! And I accept your protest, Colonel.” Mr. Rand’s eyes also held a flash, a high enthusiasm, his stern mouth relaxed into a smile. “I want to state further that we, the board of officers of this institution, had already decided—against all past precedent and rules—to ignore said flagrant act of disobedience, and to graduate these two young men—with honors!”
Waves of hand-clapping and cheers broke over a couple of dazed young aviators.
“So the—” Fuz muttered.
“The ‘Benzine Board’ didn’t get us after all,” finished Hal.
That very night Colonel Wiljohn had a long talk with the boys and offered them work. He could use them well. They had both displayed an uncanny aptitude for flying, and he needed plane demonstrators. Hal’s instructors, Raynor and Major Weston, had told him enough about the boy’s unusual grasp of engine mechanics to arouse his interest. This keen, successful business man got up and walked the floor in his excitement as he and Hal delved further into the boy’s future-looking ideas for invention in harnessing piston power for landing planes gently and with a lessening of landing dangers. His factories, he said, were willing to pay well for brains, needed young fellows with vision, both in the flying and in the invention departments. Would they consider coming with him?
Would they?
Young McGinnis quite emphatically mixed his words hind-part-before in the fervor of assuring Colonel Wiljohn of his willingness to go.
For the space of a minute Hal Dane sat perfectly still, eyes wide open, but in them the look of a man in a dream. He was in a dream; this was the beginning of visions about to come true. It couldn’t be real. He’d wake up—