Willie, now unable to visit the machine shop, fell quickly back into his old listless ways.
After lunch, the boys, with the exception of Dave, explored a subterranean passageway which led from the house to the stable, and found a great deal of fun and interest in the proceeding.
The days began to pass with a somewhat monotonous regularity. Early one morning, when the “Ogden II” was ready for a flight, Willie Sloan sauntered slowly into view. For some time, the boys had observed him carrying around a small, red-covered book; but even Cranny’s efforts to discover what it was had met with failure.
Tommy, walking over toward the biplane to take his seat beside Bob, saw the small volume drop from Willie’s pocket, and instantly made a grab toward it.
“Here—let that alone, Dr. Thomas Clifton!” snapped Willie, in high dudgeon.
The crimson flush, which, ever since Tom had grown so tall, came to his face on the slightest pretext, was once more in evidence.
“Well, what are you getting so wild about?” he demanded.
“Wild? I’ll get more’n wild. Don’t you dare touch that book, smarty!”
“Ha, ha! Where’s that arbitration board?” roared Cranny.
But Tom already had the book.