a bad side-slip had resulted in smashing it up.

"The engine is in her, sure enough," said Louis, "and it is by no
means a bad type of engine either. It might have more power, but it
is reliable enough. What was the matter with this bus, anyway, that
made them decide to shelve her?"

Someone told me that she side-slips badly at times. I never heard
why. Planes don't do things like that without there being a reason,
Louis. Maybe she needs a bit of fixing that she has never had. It
would be fun if we could rig her up so that she would fly properly,
wouldn't it? Wonder if there is any use asking Parks?"

"Parks could only ask the colonel, I suppose. He is a real good
fellow, and always seems willing to help us in every way he can.
I don't see, if he does not intend to repair the 'bad bus,' why
he wouldn't let us do it in our spare time, I know he would trust
me to do the engine. He said the other day I could tune up an engine
as well as anyone he had under him."

"You could fix up the engine easy enough," said Joe "It is the rest
of the machine that would take some doing. She is in pretty rocky
shape, an would want a lot replaced. Harry Corwin could help us
with her. He has had a lot of work with frames lately. For that
matter, I guess all the lot would help. We could come in early and
get some time on her before work starts, stay a bit later at night,
and most Sunday afternoons we could hammer away at her without
interruption. It would be rather fun to have the seven of us trying
to show what we have learned and putting it into practice that way.
If we got the old bus right I don't think they would mind our having
a flight or two on her now and then, do you?"

"Sure not," replied the French boy. "But will the colonel give us
the chance?"

"We will know before many days have passed."

Parks shook his head at first when the boys broached the project to
him. "I don't think the colonel will agree," was his comment.

"I had better wait for a good time to introduce the idea. There
is no telling what he might think of it. Personally, I was undecided
what to do with that machine. I have just let it set there waiting
till I made up my mind. I can't recommend scrapping a plane merely
because it has the reputation of being unlucky. That is about all
the bad name of the 'bad bus' amounts to, after all. I am not sure
that you boys would not turn her out in better shape than the repair
men turned her o