ated the
whole house, and turned the key in the lock.

CHAPTER EIGHT

SUDDEN MUST DO SOMETHING

"I been thinking, bo, what we better do." Bland climbed down from the
motor and approached Johnny eagerly, casting suspicious glances here
and there lest eavesdroppers be near. That air of secrecy was a habit
with Bland, yet it never quite failed to impress Johnny and lend weight
to Bland's utterances. Now, having been put on the defensive by Mary
V, he was more than ever inclined to listen.

"Shoot," he said glumly, and sent a resentful glance back at the house.
At least, Bland showed some interest in his welfare, he thought, and
regretted that it had not occurred to him to tell Mary V that and see
how she would take it.

"Well, bo, all this limelight stuff is playing right into your mitt. I
didn't spill who I was to them news hounds, and I don't have to. I let
you take all the foreground. I was the mechanic--see? So it's you
that will have to put this over; and put it over strong, I say.

"Now first off you want some catchy name for the plane, and you've got
it ready-made. All yuh need is paint to put it on with. Across the
top of the wings you want to paint THE THUNDER BIRD--just like that.
Get the idea? And we'll go back to Tucson and clean up a piece of
money. While you work into the exhibition stuff we can take up
passengers and make good money. Ten minutes of joyride, at ten dollars
per joy--you mind the mob that follered us to the hotel just for a
look-in? Say one in ten takes a ride, look at the clean-up! You take
'em yourself, bo--do the flunkey work and look wise. I never mentioned
the joyridin' at first, because I look on that as side money, and
exhibition flyers don't do nothing like that. They think it cheapens
'em, and it does. But right now it means quick money, see. With all
this publicity, and the Injun name--say, it's a cinch, bo! They'll
fall over theirselves to git a ride.

"My idea is to get the name painted on right now, before we go back.
Then we'll circle over town and do a few flops and show our sign. So
right away the name'll stick in their minds and make good advertising.
Then when we land, the mob'll be there--I'll say they will! And
they'll take a ride, too. I wonder is there any lampblack on the
place?"

Johnny smoked a cigarette and studied the proposition. It looked
feasible. Moreover, it promised ready money, and ready money was
Johnny's greatest, most