noon
The boys had removed their working clothes and were now in the light but warm canvas suits and caps they meant to wear in their flight . Ned stole away a few minutes and at the bank secured bills to pay off the men . On his way back he stopped to invite Mayor Bradley to lunch with them on the Cibola and to be present at the `` let go . '' By noon the men had been paid and the articles of baggage and tools that were to be left behind had been packed , tagged with shipping directions and turned over to Buck 's wife . The cigar-like bag , 98.4 feet long and 17.4 feet in diameter , which was to hold over 65,000 feet of gas , was now so far inflated that it was nearly off the ground . Then Mayor Bradley came . With pride the boys bade him climb into the cabin of the Cibola .