Mr. Witherspoon smiled and nodded his head good-naturedly when he noticed this significant fact.
“Already your coming has borne fruit, you see,” he remarked to Frank; “and if it keeps up we’re going to have the greatest lot of hustlers here at the Double X Ranch you ever heard tell of. They can do things like lightning these days. And look at the way they hang around, just devouring both of you boys with stares. I guess you’ve got them locoed for a fact,” and when Frank, who wanted to know what everything meant, stopped him right there to ask for an explanation, the obliging rancher told how there was a certain weed known as the loco, which, when cattle indulged in it, made them crazy for a time, so that they were apt to rush into streams and be drowned, or pitch pell mell over precipices in their blindness and excitement.
About four o’clock Frank announced that everything was ready for the first ascent and the feverish punchers could hardly contain themselves. It needed only a word to get them to do anything that was required; for the time being they were ready to act as slaves, if by so doing they could hasten developments.
There was a splendid level stretch upon which the first run could be made; indeed, that was one beauty of aeroplaning on the plains, where difficulties would not be met with in landing, or making an ascent.
Frank gave the signal, and willing hands assisted in starting the strange affair with its box-like wings. Charley Woo hid behind a pile of crate material as though really fearing that the spirits of the air might be offended by this bold invasion, and start to visit their vengeance on the whole lot who had assisted in the work.
But the cowboys jumped for their horses, and mounting like a flash, started to gallop after the young aviators, fully expecting that they would have the mournful office of gathering up their remains, and transporting them back to the ranch house.
Judge of their astonishment and wild delight when they saw the aeroplane leave the earth, take a turn upward when the forward plane was elevated, and start in the direction of the few fleecy, floating white clouds that hovered overhead.
How they yelled and shrieked and pranced about as though they had really and truly lost their heads. And then, gathering in a bunch they watched the wonderful evolutions which those skilful air pilots put their willing steed through, as thoroughly entranced as though they had been put under the magic power of a wizard.
Frank was not taking unnecessary chances. He wanted to know the conditions of this new country before attempting any of the more difficult maneuvers which he and Andy were accustomed to carrying out in their home circles, where they understood the wind and its peculiarities to a dot.
But the most simple trick was greeted with hoarse shouts by that cluster of eager watchers below. And when the young aviators began to bore up and up in circle until they were fully six thousand feet high, the amazed and delighted spectators almost broke their necks staring after them, afraid lest they miss a part of the spectacle if they so much as turned away for a single instant.