“A business trip!” scoffed Willie. “Take Doctor Clifton along. He’s tall enough to look over several fields.”
“Who wants to go?” went on the big lad, paying no attention to this flippancy.
“Count me in,” said Dick.
“And me, too,” chimed in Tim Lovell.
Accordingly, early on the following morning, the three rode over to Border City. The business part of Cranny’s trip consisted mainly in making a close inspection of Major Carroll’s dirigible balloon. Afterward, Cranny and his friends rode straight to the Carroll Inn, where the big lad wrote a letter to his father. It was chiefly remarkable for the lack of information it contained, and ended with the surprising statement: “A lot more facts in my next.”
“A few days at the ranch, an’ then I’ll begin work in real earnest,” he announced to his companions.
“If you don’t, Willie may get ahead of you,” grinned Tim.
And this remark made Cranny laugh.
When the three reached Lone Pine again, they found that Bob Somers had made his first unaccompanied ascent in the “Ogden II.”
“He’s almost a full-fledged aviator now,” commented Ferd. “I’m very glad, boys, for day after to-morrow we leave Lone Pine in your care.”