would i have shot professor morgan?” repeated dick hamilton in recalling the incidents just related to his friends in camp. “not for the world. i should no more have fired at that poor fellow than i should have slain—well, say that buck with the big antlers.”

“but you made frightful threats against him.”

“all pure bluff; i didn’t mean a word of it; you know that the first step to secure mastery of a lunatic is to make him afraid of you. i found it rather hard work in the professor’s case, but think i succeeded.”

“what would you have done if he had attacked me, as he started to do?” asked harvey.

“i knew you had your colt and that each chamber was loaded, but before you could have drawn and fired, i should have thrown away my rifle and leaped upon him. his build and looks show he is a lithe, wiry fellow, but i should have mastered him. it might have been a hard struggle and some ugly blows would have been struck and they would have been a cause of keen regret, for[267] you can’t feel enmity against an irresponsible person. but by keeping up the bluff i headed him off.”

this brief extract from the conversation of the group at the tent by the lake was closed by the following curious remark of the elder hamilton:

“if it hadn’t all turned out as it did, i never should have appreciated the wit and brightness of this handsome brother of mine. what he did afterward was as much ahead of my performance as the united states of america is ahead of every other nation in the world.”

which remark compels us to return to the scene of the meeting near the cavern where bohunkus johnson was waiting for the professor to take him on his aerial voyage to africa.

harvey was still laughing over the frenzied flight of the colored youth when he suddenly sobered at the fear that the inventor would follow with his machine and pick up bunk before he could be prevented; but the crazy aviator did not seem to have such a thought, for, as has been said, he sailed straight for his workshop.

there was no reason for the brothers remaining and they started after the lad, who was found by the canoe still bewildered and scared almost out of his wits.

[268]“whar’s—whar’s de perfesser?” he asked in a tremulous voice.

“didn’t you see him going back to his shop in his monoplane?”

“i seed de machine but i didn’t know he war in it.”

“suppose he had come here for you?” inquired dick.

“he wouldn’t hab got me.”

“how would you have escaped him?”

“i’d crawled under de canoe and stuck my nose up on toder side where he couldn’t see me, and breeved so soft he’d thought i was drownded.”

“that idea is as brilliant as most of the others you have formed.”

“gee! if i’d knowed he was crazy i’d knocked his head off and den run like blazes for hum,” said bunk, anxious to placate his friends whom he had so grievously offended. they understood his feelings and did not press him. dick motioned for the lad to take his place in the boat and the two followed, the elder picking up the paddle and heading for the tent where val hunter and fred wadsworth were awaiting them with much curiosity.

“we saw the monoplane,” said the southerner, “and wondered what was going on. so this is[269] bunk, is it?” he added, gravely extending his hand to the abashed youth, who mumbled something unintelligible. he was made welcome and the brothers withheld all criticism in his presence. dick went so far as to remark that if bunk had had any suspicion of the lunacy of the man, events would have turned out very differently. this delighted the fellow, who began to appreciate the invaluable kindness that had been done him by dick and harvey.

he was eager to show his good will toward all by doing the chores in camp. there was always more or less work of that nature, such as gathering wood for the oven or furnace or whatever it might be called, the dressing and cooking of fish, and the preparation of other articles for dinner. while the lad was busy with these duties, the four young men gathered in front of the tent, most of them smoking, and held a conversation that was destined to have important results.

“why did the professor resent so fiercely your keeping bunk from him?” asked wadsworth, “he couldn’t have placed much value on so slow-witted a lad.”

“it was one of the idiosyncrasies of a disordered brain. had he been perfectly sane he would have cared little about him,” replied dick.

[270]“i have been thinking,” remarked hunter, “that something ought to be done to prevent that poor genius from committing suicide.”

“i think the same,” added harvey.

“you feel sure he intends to try to cross the atlantic?”

“he is certain to make the venture unless prevented.”

“how can you hold a madman in check?” asked dick; “i almost regret that i didn’t send a bullet through the tank of his machine.”

“it wouldn’t have taken him long to repair the fracture,” said hunter.

“it would have delayed him several days, and in the meantime we could lay the case before the authorities and ask them to interfere.”

“i doubt it,” replied hunter thoughtfully; “i can’t see on what ground the law could prevent him from going on with his experiments. suppose he proved—what i believe is true—that the chemical combination which he has made will buoy his aeroplane two days or more and that he can travel a hundred miles an hour, what right would any one have to interfere with him? no; there must be other plans tried, or we shall have to leave him to his fate.”

[271]“what do you mean by other plans?” asked harvey.

“i’ll be hanged if i know; can’t you think of something?”

harvey made an evasive answer; for in truth, he was turning over a scheme in his mind which he was afraid to make known. dick, taking advantage of his commanding position as an older brother, would likely put a veto upon it. besides, harvey was not yet certain he would try it even with their assent.

“dick,” he said, “you mustn’t forget one thing.”

“what is that?”

“the threat made by the professor; he warned you that he was not through with you.”

“another vaporing of a disordered brain,” replied dick airily.

“none the less it must not be forgotten,” added hunter; “i know of the case of a lunatic in mississippi who was offended by an old friend, and who nursed his revenge for more than three years and then assassinated his unsuspecting comrade of former days.”

“what can the professor do to hurt us?”

harvey recalled the incident of the professor[272] blowing up the kidnappers’ cabin in eastern pennsylvania.

“he manufactures and carries at times torpedoes of the most destructive nature. suppose he circles above us and drops a half dozen on our heads or this tent.”

“in that case,” said dick, “we should be justified in using our rifles and i calculate we could do it before he got in his work.”

“he may wait till we are all asleep inside.”

“which makes me regret the more that i didn’t put his machine out of commission when i had the chance.”

“i don’t see that that would have done much good,” said harvey, “for he could steal up to the tent in the dark on foot.”

“or might wait until the aeroplane was repaired and he had gotten a new supply of fuel,” suggested wadsworth.

“the only hope, as it strikes me,” observed hunter, “is that in his anxiety to be off on his trip he won’t delay to even up things with you folks. but, as i told you, my knowledge of lunatics points the other way.”

“it looks as if we shall have a call from our distinguished friend,” said wadsworth, who, however did not seem to be much disturbed over the prospect.

[273]“what do you advise?” asked dick.

“there are two or three things we might do. suppose we hang round here this afternoon, taking turns in playing chess, and not forgetting to keep a lookout for squalls. if the gentleman comes booming down this way, we can draw ourselves up in line and receive him with a proper military salute. we have colts and a winchester repeater, and if we all let fly together one or two of the bullets ought to find the bull’s eye, and we can blaze away before he is near enough to drop any of his pills of dynamite.”

although none noticed the fact, harvey hamilton took no further part in the conversation. he was pondering over the scheme that came into his mind some time before.

“he is too cunning to offer such an opening; i gave him so good a scare with my little gun that he doesn’t want to run against it.”

“what do you think he will do?” asked wadsworth.

“i haven’t much fear of him; he was so cowed that he is likely to give me a wide berth.”

“there’s where you make a mistake,” said hunter; “we are not through with him yet; if we do not receive a call from him between now and to-morrow morning, i shall miss my guess.”

[274]at this point in the conversation harvey hamilton rose to his feet and yawned.

“if you don’t mind, i’ll leave you for awhile.”

“where are you going?” asked his brother.

“i shall walk to the home of aunt hep and call upon her and miss harbor.”

“hadn’t you better tarry till after our dinner?”

“i shall be in time to get a meal there that’s worth eating,” replied harvey with a smile; “you needn’t wait for me.”

“i don’t think we shall after that,” replied his brother; “if you aren’t more courteous you won’t get any supper.”

“aunt hep will be charmed to have me stay there,” remarked harvey, who sauntered off, with never a thought on the part of the three that he was hiding his real purpose in thus leaving them for an indefinite time.

so afraid was harvey that his errand would be suspected that he loitered until well beyond sight of his friends, when he hurried his pace. he arrived before the women had dinner ready and it need hardly be said they were glad to see him. in their brief acquaintance, and especially because of their memorable ride in the biplane, he had won his way to their regard.

“i’m going home to-morrow,” said ann harbor.

[275]“why not wait a bit longer?” asked harvey.

“that’s what i’ve been trying to coax her to do,” said her relative, “but when she takes it into her head to leave there’s no holding her.”

“i told paw i should not be gone long and he’ll be real mad if i don’t git back pretty soon.”

“how would you like to have me take you in my airship?”

the girl’s eyes sparkled.

“oh that would be splendid; will you do it?”

“i think i may safely promise that i can give you the ride possibly to-morrow, and if not then by the next day at the latest.”

“i’ll wait,” she said, aquiver with delight; “i was pretty well scared when we had our ride, but you managed everything so well that i ain’t frightened the least bit.”

“why should you be? maybe aunt hep will go with us.”

“la sakes; i’ve been thanking the lord ever since that my neck wasn’t broke and i’ll never tempt providence that way again. you will spend the rest of the day with us?”

“no,” replied dick; “i can’t even wait for dinner, though if i get back in time i shall be glad to have a meal with you.”