reticence in his presence. Finally, as Norman unlocked the
door of the aerodrome, it occurred to him to say:

"This wilderness idea is pretty fine at long range or in books, but it
seems to be like some other things. If you've got the real hankering for
it, rotten food and all the mosquitoes in the world won't keep you from
it."

"You don't know it," broke in the young Austrian instantly, "but if we're
going to live in the same town I might as well tell you that a lot of
people call me 'Count Zept.' Of course I'm not a 'Count' and I don't know
why they gave me the title, unless it's because I've never been good for
much. Now I'm going to get rid of that handle to my name by showing my
folks and others that I can do something besides ride horses. I'm going
home with old Moosetooth and La Biche and stay there long enough to
forget there's a place like Paris."

CHAPTER II

A CURIOUS STRANGER LEARNS THE OBJECT OF THE _Gitchie Manitou_

The announced flight of the young aviators Monday afternoon was delayed
until the hour grew so late that this feature of the program was
postponed until the next day. It was the old story of over-enthusiastic
amateur assistants who persisted in giving unsolicited aid when the
airship was being taken from the aerodrome. A young man who thought the
machine had to be carried instead of being wheeled onto the starting
field sought to lift the rear truss by means of the lateral rudder. In
doing this, he punctured the oiled silk plane. After a futile attempt to
sew the rent, Norman was forced to ask the police to clear their
enclosure. When Mr. Zept, one of the committeemen, called and learned of
the situation, he advised a postponement of the flight until the next
afternoon.

"My son tells me," remarked Mr. Zept as he was about to leave the
aerodrome, "that he had the pleasure of meeting you boys this morning.
I'm glad of it. I hope you'll be friends."

"He's a fine young man," answered Norman. "You ought to be proud of him."

"All parents should be proud of their children," answered Mr. Zept with a
sober face. "I've tried to give Paul a good education and I hope I've
done the best for him. But I have never seen much of him and, in a way,"
he added with a smile, "I hardly know him as well as I do you boys."

"He's certainly enthusiastic," remarked Roy, "and--and impulsive," he
added, hesitatingly.

"He really has some peculiar ideas," commented Mr. Zept. "But I suppose
they're