Battling the Clouds; or, For a Comrade's Honor

by Frank Cobb

  CHAPTER IV

  "Well, I will say he's a peach!" said Frank.

  Bill made no reply.

  "Don't you say so?" pressed Frank. "Don't you think he is a peach?"

  Bill, forced to answer the question, made a frank but reluctant reply.

  "No," he said. "I think he is a pill." He shook his head.

  "You are a queer one!" said Frank. "It don't look as though you had anysporting blood in you. I suppose because he smokes naughty cigarettes--"

  "It isn't that," said Bill, frowning. "He is just plain _foolish_ tosmoke. Why, he is undersized and underweight now for his age, and everytime he smokes he checks his growth. It is up to him. I bet he has hadit explained to him a million times by each teacher and tutor he hasever had just how smoking will harm him and dope up his brain, so if hewants to miss out on athletics and all that, and look like a boiledmosquito in the bargain, let him go to it. _I_ don't care. It's not thatI don't like about him. It is the way he thinks and talks. Where does helive when he is at home?"

  "Detroit," said Frank.

  "You would think he owned the whole world!" grumbled Bill. "And_squaring_ his sister!"

  "Oh, well," said Frank, "you have a queer way of looking at things. Idon't think you are giving the fellow a fair deal. Perhaps he _does_talk pretty big, but on the other hand he has a lot to talk about. Thinkof it: a fellow only the age of us and he has a couple of automobiles ofhis own and is going to have an airplane. Gee, I am glad I can manage aplane! I have got him there."

  "It's all right, I suppose, for him to gab all he wants to about hiscars and things. By the time we go back to the Post to-night, if we seehim again, I'll bet you he tells us what his father is worth and justhow many gold chairs they have at his house."

  "You are sore," said Frank loftily.

  "What at, for goodness' sake?" demanded Bill. "I wouldn't swap thelittle Swallow for all the cars he ever had or will have. We have morefun in our little cooped-up quarters over at the School than he everthought of with his scraps with his sister. I guess I am sore a little,Frank. I am sore because he came butting in and spoiled our wholemorning. Let's forget him for awhile. I want to take mother's watch to ajeweller and then we will hunt up a good restaurant and have lunch. Itis on me."

  Frank followed in silence. He knew Bill was right, but the stranger haddazzled him. He wished bitterly that his father was a rich manufacturerinstead of a poor army officer. The traveling they had had, thewonderful sights they had seen all over the world seemed poor incomparison with all the glories Jardin had told and hinted at.

  Poor Frank, did not know it, but slowly, ever so slowly, he was makingthe wrong turn; the turn that led away from the right.

  "The trouble with you, Bill," he said, as they loitered over theirice-cream at luncheon, "the trouble is that you are narrow."

  Bill groaned. "There you go on Jardin again, I do believe," he said."All right; I will tell you what _I_ will do. I will really try to likehim, and if he comes around where we are I will be as decent to him as Ican be. Perhaps he has a lot of good in him, as you say. _I_ don't wantto be unjust."

  Frank looked pleased. "I think that is the square thing for you to do,"he said. "Jardin may turn out to be a good scout in every way. Perhapshe saw the Swallow and was so impressed with it that he wanted to make abig impression to get even. You can't tell the first time you seeanybody what they will be like when you get to know them well."

  "Well, I gathered that Jardin was here with his father on some oilbusiness, and probably we won't see him anyhow after this afternoon. Hewon't be apt to come to the Post. Anyway, let's not spoil our wholeafternoon. I want to see some more of those Indians, and I would like togo to that pawnshop without someone tagging along who can buy the placeout. I want to buy a little bead bag I saw in the window if it does notcost too much. I think mother would like it to carry with a blue dressof hers.

  "Say, you are just like a girl, aren't you?" exclaimed Frank. "I wouldnever know what sort of a dress my mother had on, and she would _never_get a bag if she depended on _my_ getting it for her."

  "I suppose there is a difference in folks," said Bill. "There was a manvisiting my uncle back home one time. He broke his leg while he was withus, and mother helped take care of him and amuse him, and say, he couldembroider and crochet! He taught mother a lot of stitches."

  "A regular sissy!" sneered Frank.

  "I thought so," said Bill; laughing at the recollection. "One night whenhe felt sort of bad I rubbed his back, and his shoulders were allcovered with scars. Well, what do you think? A tiger did it. A RoyalBengal tiger like you read about! And I found out that he had huntedevery kind of big game there is, and the fiercer, the better. He simplydidn't care _what_ he did in the way of hunting. Oh, my; that was a snapfor me! When he found out that I was simply crazy to hear his yarns, heused to tell me thrills, I can tell you.

  "I didn't think he was such a sissy then. That crochet work looked allright. But it was sort of funny to see him lying there showing mymother how to make a new kind of muffler or table mat and remember howhe came by a great white scar that showed on his wrist when he stuck hisarm out."

  "How did he get it?" asked Frank, all attention.

  "He got that one in Africa," said Bill, taking a taste of his ice-cream."He and another chap had penetrated away into the jungle. They wereafter a splendid specimen of--"

  Bill stopped, looked at the door and attacked his ice-cream.

  "Here is little Percy again," he groaned. "Frank, if I don't treat himaccording to agreement, you are to kick me."

  Frank turned. The African jungle faded away. There was Jardin!

  He came smiling across the room and joined them.

  "Hello, everybody!" he said gaily. "Getting some grub? It didn't take mevery long to get through, so I thought I would wander down the streetand see if I could run across you. Thought you might like to go to see amovie."

  "That is mighty nice of you," said Bill heartily, "but I sort of wantedto see a little of the town this afternoon."

  "I think that is a good idea," said Jardin. "We can go to see the moviesany old time. I saw my dad at the hotel and have some good news to tellyou. We are going to stay here for a couple of weeks. Dad thought thatI would make an awful kick about it, and I would if I hadn't met youfellows, but between us we ought to be able to start something going. IfI had one of my cars here I could give you a good time, but we will haveto take a fall out of your little steamer."

  "Say, that's fine!" said Frank with enthusiasm enough for two. "I willhave a chance to show you the Aviation Field, and Bill can show you theSchool of Fire, and there are some dandy fellows over at New Post and upat Old Post too."

  "I would like to see them, especially the Aviation part," said Jardin."I might get some pointers about flying my plane. It will be done beforelong,--in a couple of months anyway. I worked hard enough for that car,"he chuckled. "I thought up every kind of mischief you ever heard of andthen some, and tried 'em all out, and all the time I kept hollering foran airplane. I just wore dad out. He offered me everything you everheard of if I would stop cutting up, and at last he hit on this airplanewhich was what I had been after from the start. So we made an agreement,regular business affair you know, and we both signed it. I am to stopsmoking the day school opens and also agree to go to whatever school hepicks out and to keep the rules and remain for the three terms of theschool year. He has got to give me plenty of money, though. You can'thave a decent time in school without your pocket full of money."

  "I don't see why you need much," said Bill thoughtfully.

  "Take it from me, you do," replied Jardin. "I have been in about everyhigh-class school around our part of the country and I _know_."

  "I am going to boarding-school this fall, and I don't believe I willhave much of an allowance. My folks won't think it is wise, I know."

  "A lot of people are like that," said Jardin. "Are you going away toschool too, Frank?"

  "I expect I am," said Frank. "I d
on't know where yet; the folks have notdecided for either of us, but we hope we will go together; don't we,Bill?"

  "Sure!" agreed Bill.

  "Wish you knew where you were going," said Jardin. "I would make dadsend me where you were. That would be a lark. The Big Three: how wouldthat go for a name, eh?"

  "Great!" said Bill absently. He finished the last spoonful of hisice-cream. "Let's go out and see the town," he suggested. "There is ashooting gallery around the corner that has the cutest moving targets Iever saw."

  "That's the ticket!" said Jardin. "I can shoot almost better than I cando anything else."

  They wandered out, and turned down to the shooting gallery. A soldierwas leaning idly against the door frame. Bill looked twice, grabbed theyoung man in a bear hug.

  "Lee, you old scamp!" he cried. "How did you happen to get here?"

  The dark face of the handsome young half-breed lighted up. "I drove thecar in," he answered. "Your mother is shopping and your father will comein with Colonel Spratt in time for dinner. I have been watching thesepeople shoot. Are you boys going to try it?" He glanced at Jardin with akeen eye, then looked away instantly.

  "I can't shoot for sour apples and you know it. I suppose you want tohave a good laugh at me," said Bill. "All right, here goes!" He laiddown his money and received the little rifle.

  "No moving targets for me," he said to the man in charge. "And I wantthe biggest target you have, at that."

  "Here is one we let the ladies shoot at," the gallery man laughed. Heput up a brilliant affair of different colored rings encircling a largeblack spot.

  "That is the thing for me," said Bill.

  "Us ladies!" jeered Frank, laughing.

  "Shoot!" commanded Lee.

  Bill aimed, breathed hard, blinked and pulled the trigger violently.

  There was a black hole in the outside ring.

  "Good boy!" said Bill, patting himself. "Good boy! 'If at first youdon't succeed, try, try again.' I have just three tries, I believe."

  The next shot was a trifle closer. Bill held a little steadier. Thelast shot he took his time about and pulled carefully, using his fingerinstead of his whole side. A bell clanged. He had actually hit thebull's eye! Bill fell against Lee in a make-believe faint.

  Frank tried next, Jardin refusing to make an attempt. At last however,after Frank had repeated Bill's performance, Jardin selected a rifle andasked for the moving targets to be set in motion.

  He aimed quickly at the head of the smallest duck, and it disappearedbehind the painted waves. Again and again he repeated this while theboys stood spellbound.

  "That's easy!" said Jardin, laying the rifle down on the counter. "I canbeat that easily."

  "Do it," said Lee, handing him a rifle.

  "Put up your hardest target," instructed Jardin. "I want something worthwhile."

  The target popped into place. It was a pretty little figure of a dancinggirl with a tiny tambourine in her uplifted hand. She whirled and turnedand the little tambourine gleamed and sparkled. Jardin took careful aimat the tambourine and missed. Three times he missed, the boys exclaimingthat no one could hit anything so delicate. Finally he gave it up,giving a number of explanations _why_ he did not hit it.

  Then, quite idly, Lee picked up a rifle and with a half smile at thegallery man he shot without raising the rifle to his shoulder. A showerof tiny flashes burst from the uplifted tambourine. Then three times, asfast as he could lift a rifle, Lee hit the little tambourine and thebright flashes leaped up. It was evident that Lee had been there beforebecause without a word the man removed the little dancer and placed arow of small and lively dolphins in view. They curved in and out ofsight and looked very funny indeed. But Lee shook his head. The manremoved the target, and feeling under his lapel drew out a pin, a commonwhite pin which he stuck carefully in the middle of the black cloth atthe end of the gallery. Lee's bullet drove the pin into the cloth asneatly as though it had been done with a mallet.

  "Want to try?" he asked Jardin.

  Jardin smiled sourly. "I am no professional," he said.

  He and Frank sauntered out, followed by Bill and Lee.

  "Who is that soldier?" asked Jardin. "Isn't he just an enlisted man?"

  "That's all," said Frank. "He is the Major's orderly."

  "I don't like his looks," said Jardin.

  "Neither do I," agreed Frank. "But you had better not tell Bill that. Heis crazy over Lee."

  "Every man to his taste!" Jardin said with a sneer.