efully."

"I'll come peacefully all right; what I'm wondering now is, will the
other fellow?" Johnny looked toward the door suggestively.

Captain Riley laughed and rose to his feet. "Young man, you seem to
know a sure way of making men peaceful! They tell me that Cliff Lowell
came to himself about two o'clock this morning. For awhile they
thought you had finished him."

"Well, it's time all good flyers were in the air; I'll go with you and
see you start. I'm rather curious over that Thunder Bird of yours. I
want a look at her."

In his youth and innocence--John Ivan Jewel wondered why it was that
the soldiers looked astonished even while they saluted their commanding
officer. He did not know that he was being especially honored by
Captain Riley, which is perhaps a good thing. It saved him a good deal
of embarrassment and left him so much at ease that he could talk to the
captain almost as freely as if he had not worn a uniform.

"Good-by--and good luck," said Captain Riley, and shook hands with
Johnny. "I'll be glad to see you again--and, by the way, I'm just
keeping that money until you call for it."

Johnny climbed in and settled himself, then leaned over the edge where
the bullet had nicked so that his words would not carry to the man
waiting to crank the motor.

"I'll call for that money in about two hours," he said. "I ain't
saying good-by, Captain. I'll see yuh later."

Captain Riley stood smiling to himself while he watched the Thunder
Bird take the air. That it took the air smoothly, spiraling upward as
gracefully as any of his young flyers could do, did not escape him.
Nor did the steadiness with which it finally swung away to the
southeast.

"That boy's a born flyer," he observed to his favorite first
lieutenant, who just happened to be standing near. "They say he never
has had any training under an instructor. He just _flew_. He'll make
good--a kid like that is bound to."

Up in the Thunder Bird Johnny was thinking quite different thoughts.
"He thinks I won't be able to deliver the goods. He was nice and
friendly, all right--good golly, he'd oughta be! He admitted right out
plain that they wanted Cliff bad. But he's hanging on to my money so
he'll have some hold over me if I don't bring in Schwab for him. And
if I don't, and go back for my money, he'll--well, firing squad won't
be any kidding, is what I mean.

"O-h-h, no! Captain Riley can't fool me! Wouldn't tell me to get