The Thunder Bird eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 265 pages of information about The Thunder Bird.

The Thunder Bird eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 265 pages of information about The Thunder Bird.

“Sure, I’ll fly—­for that.  I was kidding.  For two thousand I’d fly to Berlin and bring back a lock of old Kaiser Bill’s hair.”

“That’s the way to talk, old man!  I knew you were game.  I told the boss so, when he asked if we could count on you.  I said you had nerve, no political prejudices, and—­that you need the money.”

“That’s my number, I guess,” Johnny admitted, grinning.

Cliff laughed again, which made three distinct impulses to laughter in one conversation.  This was not like Cliff’s usual conservatism.  As Johnny had known him he laughed seldom, and then only at something disagreeable.  He was keyed up for something; a great coup of some sort was in sight, Johnny guessed shrewdly, studying Cliff’s face and the sparkle in his eyes.  He was like a man who sees success quite suddenly where he has feared to look upon failure.  Johnny wondered just what that success might mean—­to others.

“I bet you’re putting over something big that will tickle Uncle Sam purple,” he hazarded, giving Cliff a round-eyed, admiring glance.

“It will tickle him—­purple, all right!” Cliff’s tone had a slight edge on it.  “You’re sitting in a big game, my boy, but you aren’t paid to ask questions.  You go ahead and earn your two thousand.  You do the flying, and let some one else do the thinking.”

“I get you,” said Johnny laconically and took himself and his thinkless brain elsewhere.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

JOHNNY MAKES UP HIS MIND

“No political prejudices—­hunh!” Johnny was filling the gas tank, and while he did it he was doing a great deal of thinking which he was not paid to do.  “This newspaper business—­say, she’s one great business, all right.  It’s nice to have a boss that jumps your wages up a couple of hundred at a lick, and tells you you needn’t think, and you mustn’t have any political prejudices.  Fine job, all right.  Will I fly by moon-light?  Will I?  And them government planes riding on my tail like they’ve been doing the last two trips?  Hunh!”

Cliff came then with a bundle under his arm.  Johnny cast a suspicious eye down at him, and Cliff held up the package.

“I want to take this along—­rockets; to let them know we’re coming.  Then they’ll have flares for us to land by.”

“Been planning on some night-riding, hunh?”

“Naturally; I would plan for every contingency that could possibly arise.”

“Hunh.  That covers them planes that have been line-riding over this way, too, I reckon.”  Johnny climbed down and prepared to pump a little more air into one tire.

“Possibly.  Don’t let those airplanes worry you, old man.  They have to catch us, you know.”

“No?  I ain’t worrying about ’em.  The one that does the thinking on this job can do the worrying.  I’m paid to fly.”  Johnny laughed sourly as he glanced up from where he squatted beside the wheel.

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Project Gutenberg
The Thunder Bird from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.