CHAPTER II
NED'S MEETING WITH MAJOR BALDWIN HONEYWELL
Six weeks before Ned Napier and Alan Hope had set out on this tripNed had been the surprised recipient of a mysterious note. In thismessage, written on the stationery of the Annex Hotel, he was urgedto call on the writer the next morning at ten o'clock. With hismother's approval he had kept the engagement. The events whichfollowed will explain how Ned came to take his momentous journey tothe far southwest.
Promptly on the hour Ned presented himself at the office desk. Aclerk with a handful of letters gave him a half glance and turnedaway.
"I say," began Ned in a voice that made the clerk turn quickly, "Iwant some information."
The man stepped forward, leaned over the counter far enough to get afull view of his questioner, and answered:
"All right, sonny. What can I do for you?"
"You can tell me if Major Baldwin Honeywell is staying here."
"Friend of Major Baldwin's?" asked the clerk, his smile broadening.
"If Major Honeywell is stopping here I suppose he is paying well forhis entertainment," replied Ned after a moment's pause.
"Sure," answered the facetious clerk, "regular rates."
"Perhaps that ought to include civil attention to those he hasbusiness with. I have an appointment with him at ten o'clock. Iwish you would see at once that he knows I am here."
The clerk's smile was not quite so broad now but he was stillamused.
"What name shall I give, son?" He was about to repeat the "sonny"that had grated a little on Ned's sense of the proprieties but hestopped short--and added: "Have you a card, Mr.--?"
"I have no card and I don't call myself 'Mr.'," answered Ned, "butyou can say that Ned Napier is here and will be glad to see MajorHoneywell whenever it is convenient."
At the mention of "Ned Napier" the clerk's airiness disappeared. Acertain respect seemed to take its place. Then he leaned forwardand said a good deal more politely: "You are not the Ned Napier?"
"I never heard of any other one of that name," answered the boy."But I think we are losing time. Please say I'm here."
A moment later a page announced that Major Honeywell, in suite 8 A,desired Mr. Napier to be shown up at once. Reaching the apartmentthe page knocked and there was a quick "Come in."
Hat in hand, and with all the manliness and dignity his seventeenyears afforded, Ned stepped into the room. At a table a man hadjust risen as if from work on some papers. As the man turned tocome forward and his eyes fell upon the lad he paused as ifsurprised. Ned Napier was neither large nor small for his age. Buthis circumstances had been such, financially, that his attire wasplain and perhaps old fashioned--much of it the handiwork of hisfrugal and fond mother; and the absence of smart and up-to-dateideas in clothes and shoes made him look, perhaps, even younger thanhis years. Other lads of his acquaintance--those in his classes inhigh school--aped their elders. Ned's time and interests were toomuch given up to his boyish ambition to permit this.
Ned saw a man of about sixty years, with snow-white moustache,dressed in blue. The man had every appearance of being both asoldier and an officer. His face was tanned as if by much exposureto the sun, but the line of white at the top of his forehead, wherehis hat gave protection, suggested that the color was both recentand transitory. Major Honeywell's hair, which was yet dark and onlyslightly streaked with gray, was too long to suggest present activeservice, as Ned at once concluded. His face, too, had something ofthe student in it, and this effect was increased by a pair of largegold spectacles with double lenses. The man's contracted eyes gavethe youth the uncomfortable feeling of being microscopicallyexamined, and Ned was for a moment ill at ease. The manner of thescrutiny was that of a scholar who had before him a strange newspecimen. Ned, still with hat in hand, felt more like a dead bugthan a very live boy. Then the white-mustached man smiled, tookoff his heavy-lensed glasses, and stepped forward with his handextended.
"I am Major Honeywell," he began in a low voice, "formerly of theregular army and later detailed on ethnological work for theGovernment. You are--"
"Ned Napier," responded his youthful caller.
"You must take no offense if I am a little surprised," exclaimedMajor Honeywell; "I had supposed you would be older. Perhaps yoursurprise came first on receiving my note?"
"It did," replied Ned; "I was surprised and so was my mother. Butshe thought I ought to come, although we could not imagine what youwanted."
Major Honeywell smiled and motioned Ned to a chair with agraciousness that made the lad more comfortable. It had taken but apassing glance to reveal to the boy that he was in the presence ofno ordinary man. The articles scattered about the room, whichapparently were part of his host's traveling outfit, confirmed this.Of three leather cases or trunks in front of the mantel and withinNed's view, one was open. On the extended top of this, still partlycovered with the folds of a light Indian blanket, were several flatand dull plates or dishes of Indian design, more or less broken andchipped. From the case came a pungent aromatic smell such as Nedhad noticed in the "Early American" room of the museum. He was notquite sure what "ethno" meant, but he made a guess that it relatedto old Indian things, and this theory he confirmed to himself whenhe noticed on the table that Major Honeywell had just left anotherpiece of pottery and by its side a large reading or magnifyingglass.
"A collector," thought Ned, more puzzled than ever.
"I thank you for coming," said Major Honeywell finally. "It wasgood of you to do so. But I had supposed you were older--at least ayoung man," and he smiled again as if in some doubt.
"Perhaps," replied Ned with just a shadow of resentment in hisvoice, "if you will tell me why you sent for me I can help you inmaking up your mind as to whether you were wrong in doing so. I'mseventeen."
Major Honeywell arose, took off his glasses again and walked towhere Ned was sitting.
"I hope you'll not take offense, my boy. But my business with youis most important. It is possibly the most important thing that hasever come to me. Fate, or chance more properly, of course, seems tohave brought us together. If what I have in mind and have partlyhoped could be brought about, is brought about, you will have noreason to regret my sending for you. We must be sure of ourselves.So far we know almost nothing about each other. Since ouracquaintance may mean a great deal to us let us be sure ofourselves. Therefore, you will pardon me if I ask you if you arethe Ned Napier?"
Ned laughed good-naturedly.
"That's what the clerk down stairs asked me few moments ago--if Iwere the Ned Napier. Well, I never heard of any other Ned Napier.But boys don't carry credentials, you know, Major Honeywell. I'lltake your word for it that you are Major Baldwin Honeywell, formerlyof the United States Army, and now of the--what do you callit--ethno--?"
"Ethnological survey," laughed the Major. "Then, since we know eachother, I want to congratulate you, my young friend, on being one ofthe brightest, nerviest, and most promising young men of America.I've read about you and that's why I sent for you."
Ned could only conclude one thing and it made him blush. "You meanmy dirigible balloon experience last summer?" he asked with growingembarrassment.
"I do," replied Major Honeywell with what Ned thought was whollyunnecessary warmth and enthusiasm, "and I want to shake the hand andcongratulate the youngest, most daring and most promising balloonnavigator in the world."