Then began a little game of dodging, Timothy stepping in front of the intruder and stretching his arms like a cattle driver. In half a minute Raymond Oliphant gave it up. “Really, this is too absurd,” he said good-temperedly. “I say, I’ll give you my word to stay here while you go and tell your master that I’d like to introduce myself to him.” “Then you’ll stay a long time, ‘cos master’s in town and won’t be home till seven o’clock.” “Well then, the driver of that aeroplane, whoever he is. Ah! here he comes, thank goodness!” Tom was hastening across the field. He wore his usual working suit of blue alpaca; face and hands were much begrimed. “Your watch-dog here won’t let me pass,” said Oliphant with a smile as Tom came up. “I told him I was a neighbour, but he thinks I’m a bad lot. We’ve only just come to the place; my father has taken it, you know; he’s coming down for shooting as soon as Parliament’s up. I saw your aeroplane skylarking round, and couldn’t resist the temptation to come over for a nearer look. You don’t mind?” “Well—no.” Tom’s tone was dubious. “Oh, if you’d rather not, of course!” “No, I don’t mind really. But Mr. Greatorex is rather particular about keeping the matter quiet——” “I’ll be mum as the dead, I assure you. I don’t know anything about machinery; it isn’t in our line at Eton; you needn’t be afraid of my giving the secret away.” “It isn’t that, exactly. I’m not afraid of your discovering the secret of the machine; but it’s rather important that the fact of its existence shouldn’t leak out just yet.” “Well, you’ll have to make friends with my sister then. She has seen it too. It’s lucky Mother is in town, or the secret would be out by this time.” They were walking now side by side to the shed. “You’re not Mr. Greatorex’s son, then?” “No; my name’s Dorrell. I’m no relation of his.” “My name’s Raymond Oliphant. I’m just home from Eton; long holidays, you know. That’s a clinking machine of yours. Never seen anything like it before. Did Mr. Greatorex invent it? I understood he was a chemical manufacturer.” “No. I did.” “Really! I say—d’you mind?—how old are you?” “Eighteen.” “Just my age! And I’m rotting about at Eton while you——I say, you ought to make a good thing of this.” “It’s only experimental at present. We haven’t tried a long flight.” “Will you get the Government to take it up? I’ll put in a word with the pater, you know.” “That’s altogether premature,” said Tom with a smile. “Why, it seemed to me to go all right. Will it take two?” “Two of our weight, I think. Would you like to try?” “Rather! And I say, just keep out of sight from our grounds, will you? If Margaret were to catch sight of me she’d have a fit or something. By Jove! it won’t be so slow here as I feared.” Oliphant spent a quarter of an hour in the air, and when he descended was overflowing with enthusiasm. “It’s simply ripping, Mr. Dorrell,” he cried. “I may come again, mayn’t I?”