“But didn’t you recognize him?” asked Phil.
“Ah couldn’t rightly say Ah did,” said the old negro, doubtfully. “Ah cain’t see much widout mah specs, but come to think of it, he looked somethin’ like young Marse Gurney. It was gettin’ powerful dark, though, an’ Ah ain’t sure.”
“I guess your eyes didn’t fool you, Mose,” said Phil, grimly. “There’s no doubt in my mind that it was Gurney, all right, but I suppose there’s no way to prove it.”
“Let’s hunt him up and accuse him of it,” exclaimed Tom, hotly.
“Oh, what’s the use,” said Phil. “He’d only deny it, and we haven’t any time to waste on him, anyway. It won’t take us long to replace the wires, and we know everything else is all right, because we’ve just finished overhauling them.”
His friends reluctantly agreed to leave Gurney’s punishment to some future date, and returned to the aeroplane. It was no great task to renew the damaged wires and pull them taut with turnbuckles, and soon the machine was as good as ever. After this, they started once more for a trial flight, and this time nothing occurred to hinder them. The motor worked beautifully, and the boys were delighted with its performance.
“I told you those new piston rings would make a big improvement in the motor,” said Dick. “I put the same kind in our automobile, and it made a new car out of it.”
“Yes, unless you’ve got good compression, you can’t get power,” agreed Phil. “But I guess the machine is fit for anything, now. ‘Texas or bust tomorrow.’ How about it?”
“Bet your sweet life,” exclaimed Dick, and Tom was no less enthusiastic. After a few more sweeping circles, Dick brought the aeroplane gently to earth, and the boys proceeded to fill the gasoline and oil tanks, and pack their traveling equipment aboard.
The following morning they were up at daylight, and after a hearty breakfast went out to the hangar, accompanied by their families, who had all congregated at the Strong’s to see them off. The boys wheeled the aeroplane out, and made a last inspection, to make sure that it had not by any chance been tampered with during the night. Everything was just as they had left it, however, and after saying good-bye the boys climbed to their places.