the two--and that his own sister, Jess,
was as pretty as either; but think of the
distinction of leading off with a girl whose
father would lead off amid the dance of
planets, in sending a messenger to the
moon, Mars, too, maybe!

"Whoopee!" He kicked the sod as
if spurning it as common or garden earth%
--although there were moments when,
like others--elders--in a skeptical world,
he told himself that the Thunder Bird
would prove, after all, a Flying Dutchman,%
--just an extravagant dream.

"So--so you were out on the lake
this morning, studying pond life with the
professor," he said, alluding to the Scoutmaster.
"He's instructor in a college
and each year he gets us started on something;
last summer it was astronomy--he
brought a small telescope along."

Pem's heels drummed more excitedly
on the sod--the starry heavens were her
scope.

"But we have a good deal of fun with
[[217]]

p216 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p217w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p218

v?