WOULD I have shot Professor Morgan?” repeated Dick Hamilton in recalling the incidents just related to his friends in camp. “Not for the world. I should no more have fired at that poor fellow than I should have slain—well, say that buck with the big antlers.”  
“But you made frightful threats against him.”
 
“All pure bluff; I didn’t mean a word of it; you know that the first step to secure mastery of a lunatic is to make him afraid of you. I found it rather hard work in the Professor’s case, but think I succeeded.”
 
“What would you have done if he had attacked me, as he started to do?” asked Harvey.
 
“I knew you had your Colt and that each chamber was loaded, but before you could have drawn and fired, I should have thrown away my rifle and leaped upon him. His build and looks show he is a lithe, wiry fellow, but I should have mastered him. It might have been a hard struggle and some ugly blows would have been struck and they would have been a cause of keen regret, for[267] you can’t feel enmity against an irresponsible person. But by keeping up the bluff I headed him off.”
 
This brief extract from the conversation of the group at the tent by the lake was closed by the following curious remark of the elder Hamilton:
 
“If it hadn’t all turned out as it did, I never should have appreciated the wit and brightness of this handsome brother of mine. What he did afterward was as much ahead of my performance as the United States of America is ahead of every other nation in the world.”
 
Which remark compels us to return to the scene of the meeting near the cavern where Bohunkus Johnson was waiting for the Professor to take him on his aerial voyage to Africa.
 
Harvey was still laughing over the frenzied flight of the colored youth when he suddenly sobered at the fear that the inventor would follow with his machine and pick up Bunk before he could be prevented; but the crazy aviator did not seem to have such a thought, for, as has been said, he sailed straight for his workshop.
 
There was no reason for the brothers remaining and they started after the lad, who was found by the canoe still bewildered and scared almost out of his wits.
 
[268]“Whar’s—whar’s de Perfesser?” he asked in a tremulous voice.
 
“Didn’t you see him going back to his shop in his monoplane?”
 
“I seed de machine but I didn’t know he war in it.”
 
“Suppose he had come here for you?” inquired Dick.
 
“He wouldn’t hab got me.”
 
“How would you have escaped him?”
 
“I’d crawled under de canoe and stuck my nose up on toder side where he couldn’t see me, and breeved so soft he’d thought I was drownded.”
 
“That idea is as brilliant as most of the others you have formed.”
 
“Gee! if I’d knowed he was crazy I’d knocked his head off and den run like blazes for hum,” said Bunk, anxious to placate his friends whom he had so grievously offended. They understood his feelings and did not press him. Dick motioned for the lad to take his place in the boat and the two followed, the elder picking up the paddle and heading for the tent where Val Hunter and Fred Wadsworth were awaiting them with much curiosity.
 
“We saw the monoplane,” said the Southerner, “and wondered what was going on. So this is[269] Bunk, is it?” he added, gravely extending his hand to the abashed youth, who mumbled something unintelligible. He was made welcome and the brothers withheld all criticism in his presence. Dick went so far as to remark that if Bunk had had any suspicion of the lunacy of the man, events would have turned out very differently. This delighted the fellow, who began to appreciate the invaluable kindness that had been done him by Dick and Harvey.
 
He was eager to show his good will toward all by doing the chores in camp. There was always more or less work of that nature, such as gathering wood for the oven or furnace or whatever it might be called, the dressing and cooking of fish, and the preparation of other articles for dinner. While the lad was busy with these duties, the four young men gathered in front of the tent, most of them smoking, and held a conversation that was destined to have important results.
 
“Why did the Professor resent so fiercely your keeping Bunk from him?” asked Wadsworth, “he couldn’t have placed much value on so slow-witted a lad.”
 
“It was one of the idiosyncrasies of a disordered brain. Had he been perfectly sane he would have cared little about him,” replied Dick.
 
[270]“I have been thinking,” remarked Hunter, “that something ought to be done to prevent that poor genius from committing suicide.”
 
“I think the same,” added Harvey.
 
“You feel sure he intends to try to cross the Atlantic?”
 
“He is certain to make the venture unless prevented.”
 
“How can you hold a madman in check?” asked Dick; “I almost regret that I didn’t send a bullet through the tank of his machine.”
 
“It wouldn’t have taken him long to repair the fracture,” said Hunter.
 
“It would have delayed him several days, and in the meantime we could lay the case before the authorities and ask them to interfere.”
 
“I doubt it,” replied Hunter thoughtfully; “I can’t see on what ground the law could prevent him from going on with his experiments. Suppose he proved—what I believe is true—that the chemical combination which he has made will buoy his aeroplane two days or more and that he can travel a hundred miles an hour, what right would any one have to interfere with him? No; there must be other plans tried, or we shall have to leave him to his fate.”
 
[271]“What do you mean by other plans?” asked Harvey.
 
“I’ll be hanged if I know; can’t you think of something?”
 
Harvey made an evasive answer; for in truth, he was turning over a scheme in his mind which he............