ll you that a border patrol saw us yesterday, coming back, and
wondered a little at a government plane getting over the line. He did
not report it, so far as I know. But he will make a report the next
time he sees the same thing happen."

"I wish I didn't have that name painted clear across her belly," Johnny
fretted. "But if I went and painted it out it would all be black, and
that would be just as bad. And if I took off the letters with
something, I'm afraid I'd eat off the sizing too, or weaken the fabric
or something. I ought to recover the wings, but that takes time--"

Cliff gave him that tolerant smile which Johnny found so intolerable.
"It is not at all necessary. I thought of all possible contingencies
when I first saw the Thunder Bird. Across the line the name absolutely
identifies it, which is rather important. On this side it is known as
a bird fond of doing the unusual. Your reputation, old man, may help
you out of a tight place yet. Now we are duck hunters, remember.
Hereafter we shall be hunting ducks with an airplane--something new,
but not at all improbable, especially when it is the Thunder Bird doing
the hunting. We must carry our shotguns along with us, and a few ducks
as circumstantial evidence. If we stray across the line accidentally,
that will be because you do not always look where you are flying, and
watch the landmarks."

"This, of course, in case we are actually caught. Though I do not see
why that should happen. They have no anti-aircraft guns to bring us
down. It may be a good idea to carry an auxiliary tank of gasoline in
case of an emergency."

"I don't see why--not if I fill up over there every time I land. I can
stay up three hours--longer, if I can glide a lot. Of course that high
altitude takes more, in climbing up, and flying while you're up there,
but the distance is short. I'll chance running outa gas. I don't want
the extra weight, flying high as we have to. The motor's doing all she
wants to do, just carrying us."

Cliff did not argue the point, but went out to his car, fussed with it
for a few minutes, and then drove off on one of the mysterious trips
that took him away from Mateo's cabin and sometimes kept him away for
two days at a time. Johnny did not know where Cliff went; to see the
boss, perhaps, and turn in what news he had gleaned--if indeed he had
succeeded in gleaning any. Sometimes the long waits were tiresome to a
youth who loved action. B