CHAPTER XV
REPAIRING THE PLANE
There was no time to be lost. Dr. Rivers and Mr. Giles carried Carl tothe latter's home, where he lay in a semi-conscious condition the restof the night, talking incoherently about going to college, saving hismoney, being robbed of it, and calling now and again for the old squawwho had given him his charm and had told him the story of his father'sdeath. At intervals he would break out with fierce denunciations againstthe mysterious redskin.
Meanwhile, satisfied that their brave friends had been taken care of,Fred and Dunk ran back to the shop, which was now enveloped in smoke,flames shooting out of the upper story. As they reached the opening,near which the plane stood, several threatening creaks warned them ofthe danger of entering.
"That roof's going to fall," exclaimed one of the soldiers.
"Hey, are you crazy!" shouted another. "Don't go in there!" But beforethey could be detained the two boys darted into the smoke. They werejust in time to escape the restraining hand of the captain and Mr.Phipps, who were running a few yards behind. There was a moment ofterrible suspense, then a crash, and the plane pitched forward into theparade grounds.
The captain and the ranchman, in a tremor of apprehension, started intothe smoke, but a soldier's voice arrested them.
"They're under the machine," he shouted.
Quickly tipping the plane back into position, the men found the boys,who had been pinioned under it. Their clothing was torn, and coveredwith mud, but the boys, fortunately, were unhurt.
"Is it safe?" gasped Fred, jumping to his feet.
"Is it all right?" was Fly's first question.
But there was no time to inspect the machine carefully for damage. Itmust be hauled into the hangar as soon as possible. The draft-fed flameswere shooting hungry, livid red tongues skyward, and the almostdeafening noise of falling bricks and timber too well foretold the fateof the building.
"Here, everybody lend a hand," said Herb, perspiring from the intenseheat of the fire.
"Pick the machine up on your shoulders," Mr. Phipps ordered several ofthe idlers.
"And get away from this building quick, before the side wall falls,"commanded the captain. This note of warning served to send all theonlookers scurrying to a safe distance.
Soon the precious aeroplane was safe in the new shed.
"Suppose there's two weeks' repairs on it," lamented Fly.
"Never saw such luck," complained Herb, but added quickly, "We ought tobe glad, though, that nobody got hurt."
They turned from their task of lodging the machine, just in time to seethe walls and roof of the shop cave in completely. A choking mass ofthick smoke rolled out of the debris. The blaze was soon extinguished,but the building was a complete ruin.
"Now, how do you suppose that fire started?" asked Dunk, when, an hourlater, and long past midnight, the tired boys started for their homes.All was quiet at the Fort now; everybody had gone to seek their longdeferred rest, except Dr. Rivers, who had taken the fire fighters backto Silver City.
Before the rising sun had gilded the mountain tops, Dunk and Fly, tiredbut too restless to sleep, were again at the feebly smoking ruins.
They were soon joined by Herb Phipps, his father and Tender Gray, whohad remained at the Fort overnight.
"Too bad about Carl," reflected Fly.
"He was saving that money so long too," continued Gray.
"Wish't I'd thought of it," said Dunk; "I'd risked my neck to get it."
"Just shows what Carl is," added Herb. "He went in after that plane andnever thought about his own stuff."
"I'll make him let me put up for it," put in Mr. Phipps. "The boydeserves it for his bravery."
"How is he this morning, Dunk?" asked Gray.
"He's all right now. I left him eating his breakfast in bed. He wantedto get up, but father says he might as well take it easy for a half aday or so until he gets stronger."
"Hello, fellows," greeted Jerry heartily. "What do you think of theheroes?" The aviator, paler, but smiling as ever, accompanied youngCrawford, and they both jokingly demanded the reward of the brave.
"You deserve it too, and no kiddin'," observed Herb seriously.
"Well, let's take a look at the plane," said Hawke. "Wonder how muchdamage there is."
"Right upper wing pretty badly jammed on the left side," he said, afterhe had given the plane an inspection. "These wires will have to berestrung. Oh, I guess we can fix her up in a couple of days."
"That's lucky," said Fly. "Thought we'd have to take her all apart."
"Lucky thing Ike didn't bring that engine over to the shop," commentedDunk. "We never would have gotten that out."
"Pretty good luck all around," responded Hawke, optimistically. "Socheer up, and let's get busy right away this afternoon repairing the_Thunder Bird_. If we're goin' to chase thieves we've got to get at itsoon."
In the afternoon, Carl, whose active spirit chafed under the restraintput upon him by Dr. Rivers, broke bonds and escaped from the sickroom.The boys were industriously working on the plane when he appeared, alittle haggard and hollow-eyed, at the hangar.
"Hello there, old scout," exclaimed Herb heartily. "Glad you're out."
"Was she much smashed up?" asked the Indian, smiling rather forcedly.
"Not much, we can mend her up in a couple of days," responded Hawke.
"Too bad we went under before we got her clear out," continued Carl,"but I'm glad it isn't damaged worse than it is."
"Guess I'll take a walk over to the cliffs," added the Indian,reflectively. "There's enough of you working on this."
"The cliffs?" echoed Fred interrogatively.
"Yes, I'm going to see if I can scare up that confounded Indian,"responded Carl, shutting his lips rather tightly, a light in his eyeswhich the boys had never seen there before.
"The strange Indian?" repeated Jerry uncomprehending.
"Sure thing. He's the fellow that's done all this," said Carl. "And he'sgoing to meet me on the warpath for it too."
"Better not get mixed up with him, Carl," advised Hawke, seeing that theboy was rather excited and fearing that his savage nature might assertitself. "Wait till he turns up here and we'll all get after him."
Carl did not reply, but, turning, walked away in the direction of themountain trail.
"Maybe it was the old scout," reflected Dunk. "You know what Carl saidthe very afternoon of the fire."
"And we bumped into him snooping back of the barracks right after thefire started," continued Fly.
"He's after the Thunder Bird, too," went on Gray. "Say, I'll bet he didit, all right."
"Dad went in to see Carl this morning," said Herb; "wanted him to lethim make up the money he had lost, but Carl wouldn't hear to it. Maybehe'll come 'round in a day or two, when he has time to think it over."
"Say, fellows, did you see in the paper that Chance, the big New Yorkaviator is going to fly over this way in a week or so?" asked Hawke,changing the conversation.
"No--haven't looked at a paper to-day," responded Fly. None of the otherboys had heard the news.
"My, that'll be great," exclaimed Jerry. "What's he coming this wayfor?"
"We're on the route. You know, he's in the contest for the $10,000longest distance record," answered Hawke.
"Is he the guy that won the highest altitude prize," asked Dunk.
"That's the one. He's gone into teaching lately in New York City, andcharges $500 for four hours."
"Whew! I'll take a minute and one-eighth," laughed Gray.
"Do you know him?" asked Fred.
"Yes, met him once in New York. Fine chap. Nerves like cast iron,"answered Hawke.
"Gee, can't you write and ask him to stop here," asked Fly.
"He's going to make a stop at Albuquerque, according to the newspaperaccount, so I don't suppose he'll drop off here."
"Wouldn't it be sport to meet him with our plane!" exclaimed Fly.
"Maybe we can," said Hawke. "We might run him a race for
a mile or so."
"Jiminy, that'd be great," cried Jerry, almost dropping his hammer.
"Hope I can fly by then," commented Fred.
"Me too," eagerly exclaimed Fly. "Wonder if I'll ever be tryin' for arecord," he added wistfully.
"Can't tell," laughed Hawke.
That evening when Carl returned he reported that he had been unable tofind the Indian, and that he had not been seen around the cliffdwellings for several days.
"Tommy says the last time he saw him he told him he was going up intothe mountains to look for the Thunder Bird," said Carl. "That's the beein his bonnet, all right."
"So long as he don't come 'round here making bonfires out of our_Thunder Bird_, we'll leave him alone," commented Jerry.
Though Carl visited the cliffs every day after that, the Indian eitherreligiously avoided him or had previously disappeared.
Three days later the aeroplane was again in first-class condition, andMonday, the first week in August, was set for the try-out day.
The news was noised abroad, and people for miles around were planning tobe present at the event. Great excitement prevailed at the Fort, wherethe boys and their handiwork became the center of interest.