enough of it. If he was her mother or her father, he knew what he'd do
with her and the whole outfit. He'd stand 'em all up in a row and make
'em sing that fool song till they were hoarse as calves on the fifth day
of weaning. There was a time, too, when he had liked that girl. If she
had shown any brains or feeling, he could have loved Mary V. Good thing
he found out in time.

Johnny looked back from the gate and heaved a great sigh of relief at his
narrow escape. Or was it regret? Johnny himself did not know, but he
called it relief because that was the most comfortable emotion a young
man may take away with him into desert loneliness.

Yes, sir, he was glad of the chance to stay at Sinkhole for awhile. He
wouldn't be pestered to death, and he would have plenty of time to study
and read. He'd send for that correspondence course on aviation, and he'd
get the theory of it all down pat, so that when he had enough money saved
up to go into the thing right, all he would need would be the actual
practice in the air. He should think he could go to some school and work
his way along; get a little practice every day, and do repair work or
something the rest of the time for nothing. A dollar a minute for
learning was pretty steep, Johnny thought, but after all it was worth it.
A dollar a minute--and four hundred minutes in the air for the average
course!

Four hundred dollars, and only half that much saved. And then there would
be his fare back east, and his board--Johnny wished that he might cut out
eating, but he realized how healthy was his appetite. He counted three
meals for every day, at an average of fifty cents for each meal. Well,
even so, he could "ride the bumpers" to the school; take a side-door
pullman; beat his way; hobo it--or whatever the initiated wanted to
call it. He could send his suitcase on by express, and just wear old
clothes--send his money on, too, for that matter. He could save quite a
lot that way. Or maybe he could get Sudden to let him go back with cattle
from the Gila River Ranch--only he wouldn't ask any favors from any one
by the name of Selmer. No, he'd be darned if he would! He'd just draw his
wages, when he had enough saved, and drop out of sight. He wouldn't even
tell Curley where he was going. And then, some day--

There came the air castle again, floating alluringly before his eager
imagination, like a mirage lake in the desert. Johnny's eyes stared ahead
through the shimmering heat w