‘Waal, I don’t say it war ez easy ez hoein’ a row,’ replied Ephraim, ‘but it warn’t so dreadful hard nuther. I got it all outern a book, as I was telling ye, and made her to measurement, and thar she is, ye see. Besides,’ he added with an affectionate grin, ‘seein’ ez how it wuz fer ye I made her, Luce, I didn’t take no count of trouble. Ef thar wuz any, I reckon it never come my way.’ ‘Upon my word, you are a good old Grizzly,’ cried Lucius enthusiastically, and fetching Ephraim a sounding slap between the shoulders, which seemed to delight the assaulted one immensely. ‘To think of your taking all that trouble just to please me. And the thing itself—why, it’s magnificent! If you aren’t clever! Say, Grizzly, are you sure it will hold us?’ ‘I reckon,’ answered Ephraim. ‘Git inter the kyar and see.’ ‘Yes, I see there’s plenty of room in there,’ said Lucius, ‘but what I meant to say was, will it bear us, hold us up, or whatever you call it?’ ‘Waal, I should say so,’ cried Ephraim joyously. ‘Ye onderstand, Luce, thet’s jest whar the hard part came in. I had ter cal’clate the strain and——But d’ ye know anythin’ ’bout airy nortics?’ ‘Airy who?’ repeated Lucius, puzzled. ‘Oh, I see, aeronautics.’ ‘Waal, I said so. D’ ye know ’em?’ Lucius shook his head. ‘Then I han’t no time ter teach ye now. Ye kin read ’em up twixt now and the time we go up, ef ye like.’ ‘I shouldn’t understand it,’ said Lucius. ‘I guess I’ll leave it to you. It means the way to handle a balloon, I suppose?’ ‘Thet’s about it,’ answered Ephraim sententiously. ‘I ’magine it’s easy ’nuff. I read her up, and if ye care to come, why, I ain’t afraid ter be airy-nort.’ ‘I’ll go with you fast enough,’ said Lucius. ‘It will be grand. When do you mean to start?’ ‘Waal, perhaps we’d better wait till we get a notion whar old Stonewall’s goin’ ter. Then we kin foller him up; fer, don’t ye know, thar’s bound ter be some mighty stark fightin’ when old Stonewall is around.’ ‘Oh!’ cried Lucius, flushing scarlet, as a sudden recollection struck him. ‘I forgot. I won’t—I mean I can’t go with you.’ ‘What! what’s thet ye say?’ exclaimed Ephraim, too astonished for further speech. ‘A soldier’s first duty is obedience,’ went on Lucius, speaking to himself. ‘It’s no use, Grizzly; I’ll just have to stay behind.’ ‘What ails ye ter say such ez thet?’ asked Ephraim, much aggrieved. ‘Right now ye seemed willin’ ’nuff, and ye looked right peart and chipper. Ye seemed ter ache ter come. Co’se ye mought have been funnin’ bout’n thet; but ef thet’s so, why, I give in I never war so fooled before.’ ‘No,’ said Lucius, shaking his head sadly; ‘you were not wrong. I did want to go. I do still, very much indeed.’ ‘Then why in thunder don’t ye?’ queried the mystified Ephraim.