“All right. Tell me.”
Bob, who turned his head to hide his crimson face, and who went to greet Sandy Jim, with Al, as an excuse to avoid an explanation that might upset their plans, was surprised at the look on Sandy Jim’s face.
The man was staring at Mr. Tredway as though he saw a ghost.
“I—I—thought that man was——”
“Hello, Sandy!” Al greeted, taking the amazement as natural, since everyone around the plant supposed the owner to have gone under the mud in the Silver Flash, “ready for work early.”
“Ye—yeah! How’d he get here?” He jerked a thumb toward Mr. Tredway.
“In a taxi.”
Bob took over the explanation, giving Sandy enough of the former happenings to enable the rigger to recover from his surprise.
“I’m right glad,” the man stated, finally. “Now—Al, you get some of your crowd together and fuel up this new crate—soon as a pilot shows up we want it tested. I may have to make some changes in the wire tension and balance—get busy, me lads!”
Al eagerly agreed, seeing that their carefully planned “coup” had fallen through. Barney, listening to Mr. Wright, to Mr. Tredway, to the latter’s partner and the Chief of Police, trying, all together, to give him a “third degree,” began to laugh.