“What a man you are!” said Dulcie warmly. “Tell me, do you always tell the truth?” “I try to,” said Red, looking puzzled. Dulcie made the plunge. “Well then, why does Mr. Cram hate David so?” “My God!” exclaimed Red, dropping a wrench, “how did you discover that?” “He’s been talking to me, about himself mostly, and he didn’t say a word about David that you could pin to, but he hates him poisonously.” “Honest, Miss Hammond,” said Red admiringly, “you are one smart girl.” “Well, you know it, too.” “I do so,” said Red, “but David doesn’t. Not he! He’s got more brains and better, than anyone I know, but no common sense when it comes to side-steppin’ a rattler.” “But why? What’s the answer?” demanded Dulcie. “How long have you known him?” hedged Red. “Cram? Oh, two or three years. I used to go down to Princeton for dances and whatnot. That’s where I first heard of David. The three men who dragged me around to rabbles were friends of his at prep school.” “Yeah, Butter Brown, and Len, and Smithy?” “Right first time,” said Dulcie. “David has told you. Well, Wally tried to give me a rush. Gee, he was a wet smack! And he wouldn’t take hints. I was bored to tears, and the boys all offered to take him off and kill him. But all that doesn’t explain why he has it in for David.” “Visibility increasin’,” commented Red. “David doesn’t just shun you, Miss Hammond. That wouldn’t just please Wally. But that’s only part of it.” Speaking in a low tone, he told her how, almost four years ago, David had passed his entrance exams to the pilots’ school, while Cram had failed. He told her a great deal about Wally, as man and boy. “He’s not as bad as I make out, perhaps,” he finished, “but even as a boy Wally always magnified every slight or injury to Mr. Walter Cram, and retaliated on a big scale.” “I think it’s a shame!” cried Dulcie. “It makes me have a horrid feeling.” “Well, we’ll just keep an eye out, and see what we see,” said Red as he went off in search of a possible loose screw. Dulcie liked Red. She liked his bright smile, and the twinkle in his blue eyes. She didn’t care who he was, or whence he came. He was so true, so merry, and so unassuming that he could be any man’s friend. Yes, she liked Red, and she liked David. She certainly did like David. During the lunch hour the Moonbeam sped smoothly along at an altitude of one thousand feet. Dulcie declared that it was like being on an ocean liner, only nicer. She proved a joy unspeakable to the young reporters, the professors regarded her with apparent curiosity, and even Mr. Hamilton induced her to talk to him a while. Tea-time was one of the pleasantest hours of the day. No one suffered but Koko, the little dog, who stuffed on cakes, and groaned for hours afterwards.