“Dave,” suddenly whispered Hiram, in a shaking tone, “the Comet is gone! That may not matter, for we might get another machine, but—what about Will Mason?”
Dave thrilled at the question. He steadied himself as he best could, and touched the superintendent of the grounds, who was standing nearby, on the arm.
“There was somebody in the hangar,” he said.
“We suppose so,” replied the official, gravely. “Young Mason slept there nights and——”
“I’m all right,” interrupted an excited but clear voice, and the person under discussion came into view pulling on his sweater. “Just woke up, and they told me about this.”
“Will! Will!” spoke Dave, grasping the hand of the hangar lad fervently. Elmer was crying for joy. Hiram threw an arm about the young fellow and fairly hugged him.
“Oh, nothing matters so long as you wasn’t blown to pieces along with the machine,” almost sobbed the loyal Hiram. “How was it—how did you get out?”
“I wasn’t in,” replied Will. “When I moved the Comet out——”
“When you what?” shouted Hiram, in a frenzy of suspense.
“Why, I guess you’re thinking your machine was blown up,” said Will.