matter, I guess all the lot would help. We could come in early and
get some time on her before work starts, stay a bit later at night,
and most Sunday afternoons we could hammer away at her without
interruption. It would be rather fun to have the seven of us trying
to show what we have learned and putting it into practice that way.
If we got the old bus right I don't think they would mind our having
a flight or two on her now and then, do you?"

"Sure not," replied the French boy. "But will the colonel give us
the chance?"

"We will know before many days have passed."

Parks shook his head at first when the boys broached the project to
him. "I don't think the colonel will agree," was his comment.

"I had better wait for a good time to introduce the idea. There
is no telling what he might think of it. Personally, I was undecided
what to do with that machine. I have just let it set there waiting
till I made up my mind. I can't recommend scrapping a plane merely
because it has the reputation of being unlucky. That is about all
the bad name of the 'bad bus' amounts to, after all. I am not sure
that you boys would not turn her out in better shape than the repair
men turned her out last time. I can't see the harm in the plan."

Parks generally got his way about the hangars. Colonel Marker depended
greatly on Parks' judgment, which the colonel was fond of calling
"horse sense." So when the head instructor spoke to the colonel about
the proposal the Brighton boys had made to repair the "bad bus" in
their own time, and obtain, as a special reward for good work,