“Well,” said Frank, quickly, “so they have in one sense, for we gave up the field to them. But looks to me as though Puss and Sandy somehow don’t want to return to the aviation field. They’re veering off as if they meant to go home.”
“Humph! guess that’s the best thing they could do anyhow, after what happened!” grunted Andy.
“Meaning that sand bag they let drop?” remarked his cousin. “If I were you, Andy, I wouldn’t say anything about that, unless asked. Perhaps it was an accident, and they didn’t mean to do us any harm.”
“Accident! You know just as well as I do, Frank Bird, that it was meant, every time,” exploded the impulsive Andy. “It’s just the kind of dirty trick Puss and his cowardly shadow are always playing on those they don’t like.”
“Well, could you swear to it?” asked Frank.
“On general principles, yes I could,” answered the other, shaking his head in an obstinate fashion.
“Then you saw Sandy unfasten the cord, or cut it loose?” Frank went on.
“No—no, I can hardly go as far as that. He seemed to be handling the bag, and I just guessed what he had in mind,” Andy admitted.
“Well, since we couldn’t prove our assertion it would be better to keep mum on the subject. They’ll hatch up a story, and swear they were just going to cast the bag over-board, thinking they might hit up a faster pace, and didn’t see us below. You ought to know Puss Carberry by this time; did you ever see him wanting a good excuse for anything he did? And he can put on such an innocent face, too. Let it drop, Andy. We won, and can afford to be generous, you know.”
Andy could never stand out against this convincing tone of Frank’s.