CHAPTER IX
THE PATH OF THE EAGLE
“Well, I declare!” almost shouted Hiram Dobbs.
“I should say so,” vociferated Elmer. “You see, Dave in his hurry forgotthat package under his pillow. There’s a photograph——”
“Of the girl who came in the automobile! What is it Dave calls her? Oh,yes—Edna Deane.”
“And that pile of bank bills, Hiram!” cried the astounded Elmer, as hegingerly flicked over the edge of a heap of bills surrounded by anelastic band. “Big bills! See, look! Why, there must be hundreds there!”
“Hundreds?” repeated Hiram, equally dumbfounded, like his comrade. “Seethe printed figures on that paper band—‘$5,000.’ Don’t touch them, coverthem up. It’s Dave’s business, and we have no right to spy into hisaffairs. All the same—thunder!”
Elmer replaced the pillow. Then both boys sat down on stools and staredat the cot and then at each other.
“It’s a mystery,” broke out Elmer, after a tantalizing spell of silence.“What’s Dave doing with all that money? It puzzles me.”
“No, it’s what is he going to do with it,” corrected Hiram. “You canmake up your mind, it’s business. The girl’s picture I can’t exactlyfigure out. Dave will explain it all when the right minute comes. Herehe is now.”
Somewhat flushed, the young aviator came hurrying into the tent. Hirampretended to be arranging his necktie and Elmer was lacing a shoe. Daveproceeded to the bed and threw aside the pillow. He stored the packagehe found there in an inside pocket.
“You want to hurry, fellows,” he said. “There’s a lot to do thismorning, you know.”
There was so much to do, that after a hurried breakfast the crew of the_Comet_ found every minute occupied for the ensuing two hours. The_Comet_ was in perfect trim for the start. There were a hundred littlethings to think of in the way of supplies and duplicate parts ofmachinery. Mr. Brackett appeared on the scene early, and went over thebiplane he understood so well with the care and anxiety of an automobileowner entering his pet car for a race.
All the time bands were playing, banners flying, and a vast concourse ofpeople had gathered. There was a speech from the president of theNational Aero Association, with the contestants to the fore. The youngairman and his friends went down the line, looking over the variousmachines that were to take part in the event. Each one bore a numeral,and had some distinctive mark that gave it a clear identity.
“We are number three,” said Hiram. “That was always my lucky number. Iwent to school three years, got licked three times before I left andworked three years on the farm. This is the third big event I’ve hadanything to do with, there are three of us——”
“Three cheers for number three!” cried Elmer. “There’s father beckoningto me. No, he wants us all, fellows.”
Our hero and the aero manufacturer had talked over all business detailsearlier in the morning. The kind-hearted Mr. Brackett, however, couldnot see his proteges start out on a long and perilous flight without afew words of fatherly counsel. He gave them some sensible advice, andDave fancied he looked with considerable pride at Elmer. It was withsatisfaction that the indulgent father compared the present courageousambitions of his son with the useless life the prodigal had once led.
A bell was rung at the grandstand. This was the half-hour preparationsignal. The airmen now proceeded to their machines. The scene became oneof lively activity and gay colors. The _Comet_, neat, compact andperfect, showed up for the beautiful piece of mechanism it was in theclear, dazzling sunlight. Its crew, nattily attired, seemed to fit intoa pleasing natural picture.
There was no expectation of a general uniform start when the second bellrang. With the long perilous journey before them, it was a matter ofsmall consequence starting on the moment. Some of the aeroplanes, infact, would not be in line for some hours to come. Ever ready at thebusiness call, however; always on time as a matter of principle, theyoung pilot of the _Comet_ wasted no time. Number three was the first toleave the field, and got all the first overflow of cheers andenthusiasm. Until a course due northwest was attained, Elmer and Hiramsat waving to the little group outside of their abandoned hangar. Mr.Brackett kept them in sight until the _Comet_ was a fading blur, a merespeck in the far distance. The splendid machine struck its best gaitstaunchly, steadily, leaving a gasoline trail behind.
The boys had talked so much over the trip—they understood the _Comet_ sowell, that everything went like clockwork. Elmer had charge of the mapsand charts. Hiram insisted on being purser extraordinary. All hands wereprepared for any emergency that might arise.
The Aero Association had mapped out the general route the contestantswere to pursue. None was tied to rigid rules, however, outside ofreporting at certain stations. All this had been arranged by letter andcable. The first reporting stop was to be made at Chicago, the next atWinnipeg. Between all reporting points, the contestants could followtheir own route. They could land when they chose. Each one, however,must report at the stations designated and secure the credentialsnecessary to prove that he was still in the race.
The route chart showed towns and cities where an aero club or interestedairman could be located. These would also answer as repair and supplystations. Even in foreign countries, so far as could be arranged, thecontestants would be able to locate friends and receive succor orassistance as needed.
“We are going to blaze a great international trail,” observed Hiram,proudly.
“That is, if we get through all right,” remarked Elmer.
“Oh, we’ve got to do that,” proclaimed his light and airy comrade. “The_Comet_ was made to do it. I wonder how many of the others will evenreach Canada?”
“There were twelve entries,” spoke their pilot. “I will say, a finer lotof machines never started a flight. Of course they won’t all getthrough.”
“It will be kind of lonesome when we get pretty well scattered, andtrailing over some desert or water waste, way out of range ofcivilization; eh, fellows?” suggested Elmer.
The _Comet_ made a non-stop run of nearly two hundred miles. It wasmid-afternoon when they descended half-way across a high mountain range.Dave went all over the machine and Elmer oiled and cleaned up thebearings. Hiram gathered some scraps for a little fire, and they had hotcoffee, as well as ham broiled on long forks, and the rest of a reallygood meal.
Then there was a pleasant chat, some exercise, and they were all aboardagain and driving through a brief mountain rainstorm, coming into clearweather beyond.
Before dusk Hiram reported four competitors visible through his fieldglass. Two of them came pretty near to the _Comet_, and one signalledthem. Then their routes deviated, and after a second landing the boysgot ready for a six-hour steady night run.
About two o’clock in the morning they landed in a convenient field. Theregister showed four hundred and ninety-two miles accomplished in alittle less than fourteen hours, almost straight flying.
It was late in the afternoon of the day following that the _Comet_ cameto a stop on the aero grounds just outside of Chicago. From having beenthere before and from their description chart, Dave was able to locatethe place readily.
No meet was on at the time, but enthusiastic brother airmen were on handexpecting an arrival. Amid cheers and warm hand clasps, the tired crewof the _Comet_ were greeted royally.
There was a blackboard outside the office building of the course. Asthey neared it Hiram uttered a triumphant chuckle. Its surface wasunmarked until a man approached it, and chalked on its line the firstarrival from starting point.
“_No. Three—the Comet._”