‘Waal, I should say so,’ cried Ephraim joyously. ‘Ye onderstand, Luce, thet’s jest whar the hard part came in. I had ter cal’clate the strain and——But d’ ye know anythin’ ’bout airy nortics?’
‘Airy who?’ repeated Lucius, puzzled. ‘Oh, I see, aeronautics.’
‘Waal, I said so. D’ ye know ’em?’
Lucius shook his head.
‘Then I han’t no time ter teach ye now. Ye kin read ’em up twixt now and the time we go up, ef ye like.’
‘I shouldn’t understand it,’ said Lucius. ‘I guess I’ll leave it to you. It means the way to handle a balloon, I suppose?’
‘Thet’s about it,’ answered Ephraim sententiously. ‘I ’magine it’s easy ’nuff. I read her up, and if ye care to come, why, I ain’t afraid ter be airy-nort.’
‘I’ll go with you fast enough,’ said Lucius. ‘It will be grand. When do you mean to start?’
‘Waal, perhaps we’d better wait till we get a notion whar old Stonewall’s goin’ ter. Then we kin foller him up; fer, don’t ye know, thar’s bound ter be some mighty stark fightin’ when old Stonewall is around.’
‘Oh!’ cried Lucius, flushing scarlet, as a sudden recollection struck him. ‘I forgot. I won’t—I mean I can’t go with you.’