one of mr. mackworth’s peculiarities was a preference for hotels. when he could avoid it he never stopped in private homes. just now his excuse was captain ludington and lord pelton. mr. and mrs. graham were insistent that the party should stop in their big and comfortable house, but frank’s uncle had his way about it.

by the time the boys had reached the hotel the english guests had gone to their apartments, but mr. mackworth and mr. graham were yet in the office surrounded by luggage. mr. mackworth at once clasped his hands on the shoulder of each boy.

“well, howdy do again?” he began with a cheery chuckle. “everything workin’ fine? all ready to be off?”

“i’m afraid you’ll have to see father and mother again,” laughed frank. “but the loon is all ready—”

[64]

“i’ll see your mother this evening,” mr. mackworth replied. “you ain’t holdin’ out, are you, graham?” he went on with a pretended scowl.

“well,” answered mr. graham, “i can’t say that i’ll have the heart to stop your excursion, crazy as it is. but the mothers of these two boys—”

“say, graham,” interrupted mr. mackworth with a sly wink, “in that mess of stuff, somewhere, is a greener shotgun. i had it made in london and i’ve toted it all the way here for you,” striking mr. graham on the back. “now you don’t suppose i’m goin’ to turn it over to anyone who’s ungenerous enough to stop our fun?”

mr. graham’s sporting blood was stirred. next to trout fishing he loved partridge shooting and this particular gun he had had in mind for years.

“boys,” he said in turn, laughing, “you see how it is; i’ve been bribed. settle it with their mothers, mackworth. i might as well consent and have it over.”

this having been practically settled frank made a suggestion:

[65]

“uncle guy,” he said, “we had an idea that you and your friends would want to have a look at the loon when you got here. so we’ve kept her in working form. i suppose the english gentlemen will be late sleepers in the morning. it’s pretty late now but don’t you think you had better run out now to the hangar and look over the machine? then we can get busy knocking the monoplane down in the morning.”

“oh, we’re not in such a rush to get away, frank. we’ll give you time enough. besides, my friends are quite likely in their tubs by this time.”

mr. graham had stepped aside to speak to a passing friend and frank took advantage of the further delay.

“have you time to tell us who they are, uncle guy?” he asked. “we had our notions but we are all twisted.”

“not disappointed, are you?” was mr. mackworth’s answer. “i know what you mean. you were looking for stage englishmen—cockney young bank clerks or “h”-less old esquires. but you ought to know lord pelton or his family—”

[66]

“that’s the young one?” asked phil to be sure they were right.

mr. mackworth nodded his head.

“lord pelton has just left the university. the family estates are in staffordshire. of course, he is rich; but that is neither here nor there. he loves the outdoor life; is a yachtsman and especially fond of shooting. he was after tigers in india when i met him, both of us guests of captain ludington. the captain, as you can guess, is an army man. he is in the india service and just home on leave. he’s really the one that put us up to this trip. he has heads, horns and skins enough to start a taxidermist shop. he still has two big hunts on his program, he says. this summer he wants the head and black horns of one of our mountain goats and the head and horns of a bighorn ram. this winter, or some other winter, he’s going for musk ox and moose.”

“then i reckon he knows all about ’em,” put in phil.

“considerably more than i do, at least,” answered mr. mackworth. “but i’ve got some books and maps in one of these bags,” he went on, starting to pick out a bag.

[67]

“not just now,” suggested mr. graham, rejoining the group. “no books and maps now. frank’ll call for you with the car at eight thirty, and you’d better get your speech ready for your sister.”

when at the appointed hour frank piloted the big machine up the driveway, its passengers presented quite a formal appearance—mr. mackworth and his two guests being in full evening dress. mrs. graham received them on the big colonial porch or gallery where lights were glowing behind the vines. east india chairs; taborets for cigars; cooling drinks and oriental rugs made the place more comfortable than indoors.

the formalities over, mrs. graham good-naturedly took her brother to task for his recent shortcomings. she had not heard from him for over six months, in which time he had gone to england, drifted to india and was just home.

“and now,” mrs. graham went on, shaking her head, “the chances are that we shouldn’t have heard from you had you not taken a notion to steal our boys. i’m sorry you want[68] frank and phil,” she went on, “but i’m glad you’re going to take the airship. it’s the first one of your crazy ideas i ever approved.”

“and i can’t even take credit for this idea,” mr. mackworth roared, “it is captain ludington’s notion, sister. give him all the glory.”

before the embarrassed mrs. graham could reply, captain ludington was on his feet, his hands raised in protest.

“on my word, my dear madam, i must protest. i did have in mind a possibility of big game shooting from an airship; i even suggested the idea. but, as to using your son’s airship—or even your son—i must protest; i knew of neither.”

“quite so,” added lord pelton, laughing. “mr. mackworth mustn’t shift the blame of this on my friend. i assure you, mrs. graham, your brother is the guilty person.”

“i thought you gentlemen were going to stand with me in this,” retorted mr. mackworth with mock seriousness, “and now you’ve deserted before the fire has begun. well, here goes, single-handed. how about it, sister? does frank go with us, or do we give up the[69] trip? you’re willing, aren’t you, graham?” he said, turning to that gentleman, who was mixing a summer punch of ginger ale, mint and fruits.

“i think it would be all right,” answered frank’s father slowly—glancing apprehensively at his wife.

“how did you happen to come to a decision so quickly,” asked mrs. graham at once and suspiciously. the sudden color in her husband’s face and the peculiar smile on her brother’s made her laugh outright.

“come,” she persisted, “i must know what sort of a bribe was used.”

“i haven’t received a thing,” mr. graham asserted positively.

“what are you going to receive?” persisted his wife.

“well,” explained mr. mackworth, maintaining his injured look, “i have a present for him. but it isn’t a bribe. you couldn’t suspect me of buying his consent?”

“i could suspect you of anything,” was his sister’s answer. “let me see the present!”

at a signal from mr. mackworth, frank[70] stepped to the automobile and returned with a heavy leather case—the greener shotgun from london. as the raised lid revealed the beautifully engraved, blue-black barrel, the eyes of each man—frank’s included—snapped with envy.

“that?” protested mrs. graham with but little more than a glance. “well, frank can just stay right at home. it’s a shame for you two men to make light of such a serious thing. just as if an old gun had anything to do with your son and nephew risking his life in that flying machine. i’m sure captain ludington approves of my sentiments. don’t you, captain?”

“quite so, quite so, to be sure,” exclaimed the captain, hastily withdrawing his eyes from the beautiful new gun.

“and you, lord pelton?” the mischievous lady added quickly.

“i beg pardon, o,—er,—ah, yes, of course. just as you say, mrs. graham. i’m quite sure you are right.”

mr. mackworth laughed outright.

“all right, sister, if you say ‘no,’ why, ‘no’[71] it is,” he said. “but just notice how seriously all these gentlemen, including your son, take this important question. see how concerned they are?” all the men and frank were adjusting the parts of the gun.

“i suppose you think that is the way to bring me over,” mrs. graham answered with a smile.

“by no means,” was mr. mackworth’s response. “i’m just going to ask you to let him go because i tell you it is all right.”

“well, then,” laughed his sister, “of course he can go. but you must look after his chum phil, too. his mother depends on him. you’d better pay him for his time—”

“it’s a bargain, then?”

“since you ask it—but you must write to us oftener.”

mrs. graham turned as if to renew her attention to her other guests when mr. mackworth slipped something into her hand.

“i almost forgot it,” he explained and in an instant he, too, was busy over the fowling piece.

mrs. graham had no need to look into the little leather case—she knew it contained[72] jewels. one glance revealed a birdlike hair ornament of diamonds, amethysts and pearls. the glints in the half light hinted at a cost of thousands of dollars. she was about to rush forward with a cry of pleasure when the blood flushed her face and she snapped the lid shut. in another moment she was by her brother’s side.

“did you—you mean that—that was to get me to say ‘yes’?” she whispered excitedly.

“by no means,” laughed mr. mackworth. “you agreed before i remembered that i had it.”

“you’d better say that,” she retorted.

“how do you like it?” he asked as he took the case from mrs. graham, opened it and removing the quivering ornament, snapped it in the coils of her hair.

all on the gallery stepped forward to examine the jewel. then the heartless mackworth had his revenge. while all were bubbling over with admiration for the valuable ornament, mrs. graham’s brother exclaimed:

“o, by the way, gentlemen, mrs. graham has consented that frank may go with us.”

to escape further confusion, mrs. graham fled into the house. when she had regained her composure and the gun and jewel had been partly forgotten, mr. graham, mr. mackworth and frank walked to mrs. ewing’s home near by and in a short time the last contract had been made in relation to the proposed expedition. when mrs. ewing understood that mrs. graham had agreed to let frank go; that phil was to have his vacation at the present time, she also relented and phil returned with the party.

as the evening air grew cooler the party withdrew to mr. graham’s library where pipes and cigars began to glow and the talk to run on events which were supreme joys to the boys. at last mr. graham served the men a liquor. captain ludington raised his glass.

“here,” he said with a smile, “is a toast: i propose the good luck, safety and the success of our coming hunt.”

“and i,” added lord pelton, “suggest the health and happiness of mrs. graham and mrs. ewing—the mothers of frank and phil—who have graciously made our experiment possible.”