Frank Anderson found no time to invent a scheme that would put the
Swallow into his hands because two days later on a bright Saturday
morning, Frank heard a silvery little siren tooting under his window,
and looked out to see the Swallow below and Bill in businesslike
goggles.
"Hey!" called Bill joyfully. "Want to come along and show me Lawton? Dad
and mother are coming in for dinner to-night, and we can stay in all day
and see the sights, then meet them and have dinner with them. Dad sets
up a dandy dinner, I will say. Hurry up!" He tooted the siren again
gaily, and Frank bolted in search of his mother.
He found her getting ready for a bridge luncheon, and she scarcely
listened when he told her the plan for the day. She managed to say yes,
however, when she understood the part Major Sherman was going to play,
and drifted out of the room leaving Frank to yell down from the window
that he was coming and to embark on a more or less thorough toilet. He
looked very smooth and clean, however, ten minutes later, when he hopped
into the Swallow and settled himself beside Bill.
Frank pointed out the various places of interest as they went along, and
before they knew that the miles had been passed, they were entering the
outskirts of the village. It was a typical Western village: low, squat,
unpainted sheds of houses, with sandy front yards, and heaps of refuse
lying about.
As the boys picked their way along, they turned a corner into a better
part of the town. Here the houses were better; but on the whole very
shabby. The influence of the oil boom was being felt, however, and here
and there immense and showy residences were being built.
They then turned into the main street, a very wide, splendidly paved
thoroughfare crowded with automobiles, carriages, mule teams, saddle
horses, and indeed every possible kind of conveyance.
Frank noted with pride that wherever they went the little Swallow
created a great commotion. People stopped to stare and exclaim. Bill,
who was busy guiding his little beauty among the larger vehicles, did
not seem to notice but it was meat and drink to Frank.
Down by Southerland's drug store they parked the Swallow, locking it
carefully, and walked off, leaving the Swallow literally swallowed up by
a crowd of admiring people. Frank hated to go and when they had wandered
half a block away made an excuse for going back. Bill said he would look
at some sweaters in a sporting goods window until he returned.
Frank found the crowd larger than ever. A policeman had attached himself
to the circle and a couple of old Indians stood looking solemnly down.
Someone was talking and when Frank pressed through the crowd he found a
boy about his own age leaning on the fender and addressing everybody in
general. Frank listened and studied the boy as he did so. He was a slim,
pale chap with a shock of light, wavy hair which was shaved close to his
head everywhere except on top where a thick brush waved. He was
continually smoothing it back or shaking his head to get it out of his
eyes. He seemed to consider it a very fascinating motion. Frank liked
his man-of-the-world air and did not see the grins on the faces of many
of the listeners.
"Rather nice little machine," said the boy. "I wonder who owns it. I
would like to tell him a few things he ought to have changed about it.
Some of the lines are all wrong, and anyone can see the engine couldn't
hold up under any strain. I bet he has trouble with the hills. All the
cars of this make have trouble. His tires are wrong too. He ought to use
a heavier tire if he expects to get any speed out of it. It ought to go
at a pretty good clip if the chap knows how to drive. There is
everything in the driving. I have taken my eight-cylinder at one hundred
and ten miles easily a good many times, but my dad and the chauffeurs
never get over eighty-five out of it."
Frank felt his head swim. Here was talk that _was_ talk! He completely
forgot Bill, looking at sweaters. He edged up to the car and fumbled
under the seat.
"Hello!" said the boy. "This your car?"
"It belongs to another fellow and me," said Frank, unable to keep
himself from establishing some sort of a claim on the Swallow. "Why?"
"Quite a nice little toy," said the boy, nodding condescendingly. "I
never cared much for toys myself but some chaps like 'em. I have an
eight-cylinder machine and a six-cylinder runabout, and that's enough to
keep me going for the present. I want a racing car built for me pretty
soon."
"You don't live here, do you?" asked Frank, sure he would have heard
somehow of this remarkable youth who talked so glibly of owning a string
of cars.
"I should hope not!" said the boy scornfully. "Not in this dead little
hole! I guess you don't know me. I am Jardin, Horace Jardin. My father
is the automobile man."
"I have heard of him," said Frank.
"I guess you have!" chuckled young Jardin. "You couldn't go anywhere on
the globe without seeing the Jardin cars. Dad puts out more cars than
any other two concerns on earth." He assumed a very bored look. "Gee,
sometimes I wish I could change my name! Makes a fellow so conspicuous,
you know."
"Well, _I_ didn't know who you were until you told me," said Frank,
grinning.
Jardin flushed. Evidently he could not take a joke that was levelled at
himself.
"No, I suppose there are a few rube places like this where the people
have never heard of the Jardin car."
Frank hastened to smooth things over. He had no desire to quarrel with
this young prince who talked so easily. Frank had to admit that a good
deal of it sounded like ordinary boasting, but he assured himself that
it must all be true, and proceeded to make things square again.
"You are wrong there," he said. "It would be a good deal smaller place
than Lawton before the people had to be told about the Jardin car. Of
course I didn't know that you were Jardin, but I couldn't be blamed for
that."
"Sure not!" granted the boy. He took a gold cigarette case from his
pocket and lighted one, then as an after-thought offered it to Frank who
refused, but with a feeling of disgust that he was unable to take one
and smoke it coolly as young Jardin was doing.
"The little fool!" a man in the group was saying, but Jardin either did
not hear or care.
"Where is the other boy who owns the car?" he asked.
"Down the street," said Frank. "I forgot all about him. We are in town
for the day. His father is an instructor at the School of Fire at Sill,
and mine is stationed at the Aviation School."
"That's what I am crazy over," said Jardin. "If I consent to go to
school and stay all through the winter, I am to have a little plane
this fall. I have been taking lessons down at Garden City, and my plane
is to be a real long distance one. Dad will give me anything if I will
go to school. Gee, I hate it!"
Frank swallowed hard. Two automobiles and an airplane! He commenced to
feel sorry for Bill. "Bill and I are going east to school this fall," he
said. "Where are you going?"
"I don't know yet," said Jardin. "I have got to talk it over with dad."
"Let's go find Bill," said Frank. "That is, if you haven't anything
better to do."
They detached themselves from the crowd and walked down to the sporting
house, where they found Bill just tucking a bulky bundle under his arm.
He had bought his sweater and stopped to count his change before he
turned to greet the boys.
"Gee, what an old woman's trick," said Frank, who wanted to let Jardin
know that _he_ was not afraid to spend.
"You mean to count the change?" Bill inquired.
"Yes," said Frank.
"You are right," Jardin cut in. "I never have time. _My_ time is more
valuable than a few cents the fellow may swipe from me."
"Suppose it is the other way around," said Bill. "Suppose the fellow has
made the mistake. When the checks are made up, his shows the loss and he
has to make it up. Not much fun for him. Perhaps he has a family and he
can't afford it. I never used to bother either, but once I was taking
dinner in New York with a friend of mother's who has oodles of money,
and when he came to pay the check he looked every item over and counted
the change and it was thirty cents overcharged. I suppose I looked
funny, because he said to me when the waiter went off to get it
straightened out, 'Bill, it is no special credit to let these fellows do
you. If you want to give money away, there are plenty of beggars on the
streets, or you can buy millions of shoe laces and pencils. But never
let anybody think they can put it over you.'
"And then to show the other side, that is, when the other fellow makes
an honest mistake, he told me a story that made me remember. Then the
waiter brought the right change, got a tip, and we left. But I always
count change now."
"I'd like to see anybody do that in the Biltway Hotel!" laughed Jardin.
"This was in the Biltway Cascades," said Bill.
"Come down here," said Frank. "Here is where the Indians come most."
Young Jardin and his father had only reached town late the night before
so he was as ready as Bill to see the sights.
On a corner by a drug store two very old Indians stood gesturing at each
other. The boys stopped a little way off and watched them. Their
wrinkled old mouths were tight closed but their hands flew in short,
quick motions that were perfectly impossible for the boys to
understand. It was evident, however, that the two old men understood
each other with perfect ease because at intervals they would laugh as
though at an excellent joke.
"That beats all!" exclaimed Jardin, actually interested for once. "Both
those old fellows are deaf and dumb."
"Wait," said Frank.
The gestures went on, and presently another old Indian approached. He
was even older than the other two. His face was a network of wrinkles
and his braided hair hung in two thin, scant little tails scarcely
reaching his shoulders. It was gayly wound, however, and his cheeks were
carefully painted. The two other old men seized him by the arms and to
the amazement of Bill and Horace both commenced to talk at once.
"Now what on earth did they do that for?" demanded Bill of no one in
particular. "If they can talk, why did they go through all that crazy
motion business?"
"I don't know," said Frank. "They do it all the time. Only the old ones,
though."
"I bet Lee will know," said Bill. "We will ask him."
"Who is Lee?" asked Horace
"My dad's orderly," said Bill. "He will drive father and mother in
to-night when they come. Who are all these boys in blue suits? Look like
bell boys."
"They are from the Indian school we passed on the way out," explained
Frank.
"Lee knows a lot of the boys in that school," said Bill. "He is going to
go over with me some day."
"How does he happen to know them?" asked Jardin.
"He is part Indian himself," explained Frank.
"A half-breed?" said Jardin. "They are awfully treacherous. Don't you
feel afraid to have him around?"
Bill laughed. "I should say not! Why, Lee is the finest and best fellow
I ever knew! He wouldn't lie to save his life. Dad says he can trust him
with anything anywhere. Afraid? Well, you just don't know what you are
talking about! Frank has got that afraid bee in his bonnet. It makes me
sort of tired because I know what Lee is, and I am going to be for him
every time and all the time."
"You always act as though it was a personal slam if anyone says the
least thing about Lee," complained Frank.
"That's the surest thing you know!" said Bill fervently. "I _do_ take it
as a personal slam always if anyone says things against a friend. And a
friend Lee certainly is. I think he is as true and clean as any man I
know, and he is--well, he is a dandy! Anybody who says he is different
will have to prove it!"
A spirit of malicious meanness rose in Frank. He assumed an air of good
nature.
"All right," he said. "It is really not worth talking about, but some
day I may be able to make you see things differently."
"I will believe you when you can prove it," retorted Bill.
"Aw, let's drop it," said Jardin, taking each boy by an arm and turning
into a doorway. "Let's look in this pawnshop. Did you ever see anything
like that white buckskin Indian suit?"
"The Sioux Indians work those, little gentlemen," said the owner of the
pawnshop, seeing them pause before the soft, snowy leather garment.
"They are the only Indians who can cure the hides and tan them like
that, and the squaws do the bead work."
"I have a notion to buy that for my sister," said Jardin, feeling of the
delicate fringes. "She could wear it to a fancy dress ball. I suppose
this feather headdress goes with it."
"It is worn with it," said the man. "I will let you have them cheap.
Dress and headdress for fifty dollars."
"All right," said Jardin as coolly as though the man had said fifty
cents. "Send them over to the hotel C. O. D. May will have a fit over
those."
"I reckon you are sort of all right to get a present like that for your
sister," said Frank, as they strolled out. "You must like her a whole
lot."
"I don't," said Jardin. "I just have to keep squaring her all the time.
She is an awful tattler, and if I don't keep her squared, she peaches
on me. Sisters are an awful nuisance!"
"You are right," said Frank. He had never thought so before but if this
wonderful young man thought so, why, it must be true.
Bill said nothing.
Jardin glanced at his wrist watch.
"Lunch time," he announced. "Come on back to the hotel and have
something to eat with me."
"That suits me," said Frank.
"Sorry, but I can't accept," from Bill. "I have a couple of errands to
attend to for mother and I have been fooling around so long that I will
have to be pretty spry. You all go on, and I will get a bite later."
"Well, of course I will stay with you if you think you can't put your
errands off for an hour or so," said Frank sulkily.
"I have put it off too long anyhow," said Bill, "but I certainly won't
mind if you go."
"No, I will go with you," decided Frank.
"All right then," said Jardin, shrugging his shoulders. "Suit yourself,
of course! Perhaps we will meet later." He turned and started back
toward the hotel, leaving the boys looking after him.