“Of course, he didn’t give up balloon breaking. He added up a goodly store. But one day he got his, like so many of them. He’d sent three Drachens down in flames that day, when his own plane was so badly crippled, and he was so badly wounded that he was forced to land. He wouldn’t let them take him, though, and he died fighting. When a band of German soldiers approached him, he pulled out his gun and shot six of them before he fell dead.” It was Bill’s turn. “Of course you boys have heard of Eddie Rickenbacker. There was an ace for you. If it was speed and trick flying that you wanted, Eddie was the man to give it to you. He had a bag of tricks that would get any pursuit plane off his tail. But he didn’t always use them. He didn’t have 26 planes to his credit for nothing. Eddie was a great ace and a great scout.” Hank interrupted. “Here we go gassing again like two old fogies. I feel like my own grandfather sitting on the front porch and discussing the battle of Bull Run. We are getting old, aren’t we, Bill? These youngsters ought to be glad that they didn’t have to fly those old buses that we used, though. The new planes are great to fly. You two are going to have a grand time. I’d rather fly than travel any other way. But I don’t think that it would be quite the thing to suggest to my wife now that I would rather fly to Europe with her than take the boat. So old Hank will be a land animal this time. Or rather, a water animal, instead of a bird.” “A sort of—fish?” laughed Bill. “Shut up, you,” said Hank. “Now, listen, how about that offer of my cabin and my plane for your vacation? It’ll be a grand trip, and I guarantee that you’ll like the cabin on the mountain. Nobody around for miles, except Jake, who takes care of the place for me. In fact, there’s no town for a hundred miles around. About the only practical way of getting there is by plane. Just think, old man, all of that beauty and solitude going begging. You can get right back to nature there, live a wild life, or have all the conveniences of home, whichever you chose. We’ve got the place all fixed up. It’s a real man’s place, and you’ll love it. And I’d like to see somebody who’d appreciate it have it this summer. And I know you would.” Bill looked at Hank, who was talking so earnestly, with a puzzled look. “Listen, Hank,” he said, “you aren’t trying to persuade me to go up there as a favor to you, are you? Because if you are, you’re crazy. It’s certainly not you who should be doing the begging. We ought to be down on our hands and knees begging you for the place. The only reason I hesitate at all is because I think it’s too much you’re doing for us.” Hank snorted. “Then you’re going to take the place.”