“Top of your head means high, and on the neck, low,” Johnny promptly finished his code.  Having thus made a code keyboard of Bland’s person, he settled himself with his guns beside him.

Bland eased on the power, glancing unconsciously to the right and left ailerons, as he always did when he started.

The buzz of the motor grew louder and louder, the big plane quivered, started down the barren strip toward the reddening east, skimmed lighter and lighter the ground, rose straight and true, and went whirring away into the barbaric splendor of the dawn.

CHAPTER TWENTY

MEN ARE STUPID

Into that same dawn light filed the riders of the Rolling R, driving before them a small remuda.  Behind them clucked the loaded chuck wagon, the leathery-faced cook braced upon the front seat, his booted feet far spread upon the scarred dashboard, his arms swaying stiffly to the pull of the four-horse team.  Behind him still came the hoodlum wagon with its water barrels joggling sloppily behind the seat.  Little Curley drove that, and little Curley’s face was sober.  It had been whispered in the bunk house that Skyrider was deep in disgrace, and Curley was worried.

On the porch of the bungalow Sudden stood with his morning cigar unlighted in his fingers, watching the little cavaleade swing past to the gate.  He waved his cigar beckoningly to Bill Hayden, turned his head to shake it at something Mary V had said from the doorway, and waited for Bill to ride close.

Mary V, camouflaged in her blue negligee worn over her riding clothes, came out and stood insistently, her two hands clasped around Sudden’s unwilling arm.

“No, sir, dad, I’m not going back to bed.  I’m going to say every little thing I want to say, and you and Bill have both got to listen.  Get off that horse, Bill.  He makes me nervous, dancing around like that.  Heaven knows I’m just about raving distracted, as it is.  Dad, give Bill that cigar so he won’t look quite so disagreeable.”

Bill looked inquiringly at Sudden.  It did not seem to him that even so spoiled an offspring as Mary V should be permitted to delay him now, when minutes counted for a good deal.  He wished briefly that Mary V belonged to him; Bill mistakenly believed that he would know how to handle her.  Still, he took the cigar which Sudden obediently surrendered, and he got down off his horse and stood with one spurred foot lifted to the second step of the porch while he felt in his pocket for a match.

“Well, now, Bill’s in a hurry, Mary V. We haven’t got time—­”

“You’d better take time, then!  What’s the use of Bill going off to Sinkhole unless he listens to me first?  Do you think, for gracious sake, I’ve been riding around all over the country with my eyes shut?  Or do I look nearsighted, or what?  What do you suppose I laid awake all night for, piecing things that I know together, if you’re not going to pay attention?  Do you think, for gracious sake—­”