"Me, I'm saw that thing what flies. Only now it sets. It's got wheels in
front--little small wheels. Dos--two. My brother, he's show me. I'm find
thees wranch. It's got wings out, so." Tomaso spread his two arms. "Some
day, I'm think she's fly. When wind blows."

Johnny felt a little tremor go over him, but he managed to laugh. "All
right; you've been looking at the pictures. If you saw it, tell me about
it. What makes it go?"

Tomaso shook his head. "She don't go," he said. "She sets."

"All right. She sets, then. What on,--back of the wheels? You said two
wheels in front. What holds up the back?"

"One small, little leg like my arm," Tomaso answered unhesitatingly.
"Like my arm and my hand--so. Iron."

Johnny's eyes widened a trifle, but he would not yield. "Well, where do
men ride on it? On which wing?"

"Men don't," Tomaso contradicted solemnly. "Men sets down like in little,
small boat. Me, I'm set there. With wheel for drive like automobile.
With engine like automobile. My brother, she's try starting that engine.
She's don't go. Got no crank nowhere. She's got no gas. Me, I'm scare my
brother starts that engine. I'm jomp down like hell. I'm scare I maybe
would fly somewhere and fall down and keel. _No importa._ She's jus'
sets."

Johnny turned white around the mouth, but he shook his head. "Pretty
good, Tommy. But you better look out. If there's a flying machine over
there, it belongs to the government. You better leave it alone. There's
other folks know about it, and maybe watching it."

Tomaso shook his head violently. "_Por dios_, my brother she's fin' out
about that," he said. "She's don't tell nobody, only me. She's fin' out
them _hombres_ what ride that theeng, they go _loco_ for walking too much
in sand and don't get no water. Them _hombres_, they awful sick, they
don't know where is that thing what flies. My brother, she's fin' out
that thing sets in Mexico, belongs Mexico. Thees countree los'. Jus' like
ship what's los' on ocean, my brother she's tell from writing. My
brother, she's smart _hombre_. She's keep awful quiet, tell nobody. She's
theenk sell that thing for flying."

"Huh!" Johnny grunted. "What you telling me about it for? Your brother'd
skin yuh alive if he caught you blabbing it all out to me."

Tomaso looked a little scared and uneasy. He dropped his eyes and began
poking a hole in the sand with his toe. Then he looked up very candidly
into Johnny's face.

"Me, I'm awful loneso