Rob did not say anything, but if looks could speak Hiram might easily see that he had the sincere sympathy of the scout leader; though he knew that much before.
“While I’ve been hovering around here,” continued Hiram, “making myself useful whenever a flier was going up by running with the machine to give it a good start, I’ve kept my eyes and ears wide open, let me tell you.”
“So as to learn all you could about the Golden Gate Company, of course?” remarked Andy.
“Yes,” Hiram told him, frankly enough, “and soak in any sort of knowledge that might be useful to a feller that’s got the aviation bee abuzzin’ in his bonnet. And I’ve learned a heap, let me tell you, boys. Why, it’s paid me already for my long and arduous trip across country. I c’n start on as many as three schemes I’ve been hatchin’ in my fertile brain this long time. I was up agin’ a blank wall, you see; but now I’ve got ideas worth a hull lot to me.”
“That sounds all right, Hiram,” Rob told him; “only I hope you go slow about this business. Don’t overdo it, or we may have to take you home in a strait-jacket yet.”
“Nixey, not for me,” jeered the other; “my head’s as clear as a bell. Fact is, I never felt half as bright as I do now. The clouds have been scattered, and seems like the sun was shinin’ all the time. Once I get this stabilizer business well off my hands, and have some coin to go to work with, you’ll see the dust fly.”
“And he belongs to the Eagles, too!” said Tubby, in wrapt admiration. “Seems as if you just can’t suppress ’em, no way you try. There never was a patrol of scouts organized that had as many bright minds on the roster roll as ours contains.”
Andy immediately took off his campaign hat and made Tubby a low bow.
“That’s nice of you, Tubby, to say such sweet things of your chums,” he remarked, just as if it sprang straight from his heart. “And we want you to know that with the other seven the name of Tubby Hopkins will go ringing down the ages in Boy Scout history as one who always made his mark. And I can testify to that from my own personal knowledge.”
From the way in which Hiram and Rob tittered when Andy said this it could be inferred that they knew very well to what those last few words referred. The fact of the matter was that once upon a time Andy had had the misfortune to be under a tree when Tubby was knocking down nuts; and the fat scout, losing his grip on a limb, came down with tremendous force directly on Andy, who was flattened out on the ground like a pancake.