and don't cost a quarter
as much. And that linen--I sure would love to cram it down old Abe
Smith's gullet. Say! You got tacks and hammer, and varnish and brushes?
If you're away off from the railroad, as you say you are, all these
things must be laid in before we start work. And what about your oil and
gas? And how's the propeller? Does she show any crack anywhere? How far
is it, anyway? I'd like to look 'er over before I do anything about it.
From all I can see, you don't know what condition the motor's in. How far
is it, anyway? I might go and take a look."

"When you take a look," said Johnny, with a flash of his old spirit,
"it will be with your sleeves rolled up. If you think I'm running a
sight-seeing bus, you'd better tie a can to the thought. My time ain't my
own--yet. I can get by, this trip, because the bronk I'm riding needed
the exercise; or I can say he did, and it will get over. But I don't
expect to be riding in to the railroad every day or so. If I get another
chance in a month, I'll say I'm lucky."

"Well, I'd like to help you out all right. I can see where you're going
to need it, and need it bad. Tell you what I will do, providing it suits
you. I'll go over with you, and take a look at the plane. If it can be
repaired without shipping it into a shop, all right! I'll help you repair
it. You'll learn to fly, all right, on the way to the Coast. That is, if
you've got it in you.

"And the other side of it is, if the plane can't be repaired at your
camp, and you don't want to trust me to get it to a shop where I can
repair it, all right. You stake me to a ticket to Los Angeles and money
to eat on. It's going to be worth that to you, to know just what shape
your plane's in, and what it will cost to fix it. And without handing
myself any flowers, I'll say I'm as well qualified as anybody. I've built
fifteen of 'em, myself. I can tell you down to the last two-bit piece
what it's going to stand you to put her in shipshape condition, ready to
take the air. And believe me, old top, you can throw good money away
faster on an airplane than you can on a jamboree. I've tried both ways; I
know." He leaned back on the truck and clasped his hands around one bent
knee, as though, having stated his terms and his opinion, there remained
nothing further for him to say or to do about it.

Johnny looked at him dubiously, did some further rapid thinking, and went
to inquire of the station agent the price of a ticket to Lo