Roy Stone obligingly spun the propeller, an accomplishment with
which his association with Von Arnheim had made him familiar, and once
more the plane soared upward and headed across the border.
At the ranch that night it was a jolly party that gathered around the
board, with Mr. Hampton, Mr. Temple and the three boys. Gabby Pete,
talkative as ever, was bursting with desire for information about all
their adventures. He had prepared a surprisingly good dinner in honor
of the occasion.
Rollins alone was not present. When told of Mr. Hampton's impending
arrival, he had begged Mr. Temple to let him go to a distant oil well
for several days until Mr. Hampton could be informed in detail of his
treachery in the past and the reason for it. This Mr. Temple had
agreed to.
Back and forth across the table flew the conversation and, when the
meal was at an end, all continued to sit around the table until a late
hour.
During the weeks that followed Bob and Frank spent many enjoyable
hours rambling on horseback over the surrounding country and taking
more extended trips by airplane. The love for the country of which
Jack had spoken on arrival, seized them, too. The bright hot days
succeeded by cool nights--for in New Mexico the air cools immediately
upon the setting of the sun--appealed powerfully to boys reared on the
seacoast.
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