CHAPTER II
AN INVOLUNTARY PASSENGER
Dave Dashaway’s assistant knew his business too well to attempt any rashor reckless change in the course of the biplane. At a glance Hiram hadtaken in the situation. In a flash he gave the right order.
“Help him—pull him in,” he directed.
“Yes, he’ll smash the wing and we’ll all go down in a heap if he hangson there,” declared Elmer, quickly.
“Let me off! Let me off!” puffed and panted the constable. “Help! I’lldrop! Murder! I’m a goner!”
“Easy, officer!” cried out Hiram, in his clear, ringing tones. “Don’tget rattled or you’ll be gone, indeed.”
Elmer had grasped the arm of the clinging man. He had strapped himselfinto his seat, and this position assisted in giving him a tuggingstrength that counted for something. The white, scared face of theconstable came nearer and nearer to him. Through great efforts thetrespasser was hauled up over his center of balance, and he tumbled intothe vacant seat all in a heap.
“Let down this balloon! I’ve got a warrant,” began the constable,breathlessly—“oogh!”
A whirl of the biplane sent the man banging against the side of the seattill his teeth rattled.
“Strap him in,” called out Hiram, “if he don’t want to get a spill.”
“Oh, my! Stop! Please stop! Let me out!”
Meantime Elmer had snapped the belt in place. It was well that he hadacted speedily. The _Comet_ made a switch just there which caused theinvoluntary passenger to tremble with terror, yell outright, and crouchback in his seat.
Hiram directed a smooth volplane and made an even spurt of speed on aset level. This gave the intruder a chance to steady his nerves andregain his breath. He was still, however, big-eyed and chattering. Theyoung pilot dared not direct attention from his task of running themachine, but he managed to turn his face sideways so as to give Elmer asignificant glance. The latter half smiled as he understood what was onthe programme.
“Now, see here, officer,” spoke Hiram, past his shoulder, “I can’t giveyou any further attention than to tell you what to do. If the machinetips——”
“Is there danger?” gasped the overcome constable. “Say, please go down!Easy, you know! P-please-p—please!”
“You had better show some sense,” retorted Hiram, with pretendedsternness. “There is always danger of a spill. Don’t help it any.”
“N-no, I won’t,” chattered the officer. “I—I’ll do just what you tellme.”
“Then sit still and keep still. Elmer, get him into that airman armor.He’s pretty bulky, and if we take a flop——”
“Br-rr-r!” shivered the unfortunate passenger. “Oh, don’t talk aboutit!”
“Get the aerodrome safety helmet on him,” pursued Hiram. “It will savehis head if he tumbles.”
“Say, I don’t want to! You’ve got to stop! I’m an officer of the law andI order you to lower this balloon.”
“You want to drop, do you?” called back Hiram, “All right, if you sayso, only——”
“No! no! no!” fairly bellowed the constable, as the pilot described amanœuvre pretty near to accomplishing a “shoot-the-chutes” dive inaviation. “You know best. I’ll do as you say.”
He allowed Elmer to fasten on the helmet as the machine steadied. Itmade his big shock-haired head look bigger than ever.
“Now then, the felt safety buffers,” directed Hiram, and his willingaccomplice bundled the passenger in between two thick pads coveringchest and shoulders like a wad of pillows.
“He’d better have the earflaps and respirators if you’re going up intothe rarefied air,” suggested Elmer, solicitously.
“Don’t go! Say, I’m not well! This air is good enough for me,”remonstrated the constable.
“Now for the non-concussion girdle,” ordered the merciless pilot.
Elmer was almost bursting with suppressed merriment. He was so sure thatHiram knew his business and that no real danger was imminent in thatcalm air with a perfect head breeze, that he enjoyed the occasionimmensely.
By this time their frantic fellow passenger resembled a diver, swathedas he was in thick leather safety devices crowned with steel. Muffled upand helpless, he squirmed, groaned and closed his eyes with a sickeningshudder every time he glanced over the edge of the machine. The unusualsight of the earth fading away, the swift passage of the landscape,fairly chilled him.
For five or ten minutes the passenger was content to remain mute, tryingto realize and become accustomed to his unexpected condition. Themachine had a duplicate control system. That is, the rudder wires ran tothe right hand second seat as well as to that of the pilot. This made itpossible for Hiram to confine his attention exclusively to spark andthrottle control, while his assistant could cooperate as to the steeringgear whenever the tail trailed heavily. Elmer, too, could cooperate inthe aileron and elevator control, and the flight settled down to asmooth, perfect rush through the atmosphere.
“Ahem,” ventured their passenger as he regained his scattered wits. Hespoke in a vague, uncertain tone. “I told you that I had a warrant and Iwant to explain—whew!”
Hiram Dobbs was bound to shut off the passenger from any officialcomplication of matters. His eye had been fixed to a row of hills tenmiles distant. He had marked out his course and he had a definitedestination in view. Just now he stirred up the officer considerablywith a new joggling twist of the machine, just as he had planned to do.The fright of the constable was renewed. He forgot what he had startedto say.
“What’s the programme?” whispered Elmer, bending over close to the earof the pilot.
“I want to get you to a point of safety before that fellow has a chanceto read that warrant of his,” was the low-toned reply.
“I see; but how are you going to work it?” questioned Elmer, in someperplexity.
“Leave that to me,” returned Hiram, in a confident way.
“Yes, I’m going to.”
“I want to get beyond the ridge ahead—in fact, as far away from ourstarting point as I can.”
“I want to explain,” here again broke in their passenger. “I’ve got adocument here——”
There he stopped. Hiram had to laugh and Elmer chuckled. The constablemade several ineffectual efforts to reach a pocket in his coat. Themuffling devices he wore prevented him. He was like a man encased in asuit of armor.
“Never mind the document,” said Hiram. “Just tell us what it’s about.”
“It’s a warrant, and it charges this young man with trespassing on theproperty of a farmer with an airship. The complainant has a legal right,_ipse dixit_, to claim malicious intent, which makes it a criminaloffense.”
“I thought so. Pretty flimsy,” remarked Hiram. “They’ve raked up sometrifle to give that miserable Vernon an excuse to keep you in court fora week or more. All right officer,” he added, “read your warrant.”
“How can I read it when I can’t get my hands with these pesky things onthem anywhere near my pocket?” demanded the constable, wrathily.
“Very well, then don’t say I obstructed the law by refusing you yourrights.”
“When you land I’ll read the warrant,” explained the constable. “Thisboy has got to come with me. It’s defiance of law to refuse.”
“We will land very soon now,” promised Hiram. “Whisper, Elmer.”
The skillful pilot worked the exhaust purposely to cover a quickundertoned interview with his friend. There was a perfect understandingbetween them by the time the colloquy was concluded.
“All right,” said Elmer simply, and with a satisfied expression on hisface, as he sank back in his seat.
The young air pilot skirted a great grove of trees and flew the _Comet_high above a range of hills beyond. Then, near a little town with arailroad depot showing in its midst, he prepared to descend.
Hiram made a thrilling dive that nearly sent the constable intohysterics. The _Comet
_ reached the ground and settled down upon it assafely and gracefully as a bird sinking to its nest.
“Jump out,” he said simply, to Elmer.
The latter unbuckled the seat belt promptly and leaped to the groundbeside the machine.
“Hold on! Stop!” shouted the constable.
Elmer showed no disposition to run away. He only walked briskly up anddown, stamping his feet and exercising his arms.
“That boy is under arrest,” continued the officer, struggling with hisburden of wraps.
“Not quite yet, officer, I fancy,” retorted Hiram.
“Well, he will be soon as I get out and read my warrant. I order you tohelp me, young man. If you refuse, I shall complain of your aiding andabetting a criminal to escape.”
“Bah!” cried Hiram, “you know as well as I do that he is no criminal.Here,” and he assisted his passenger in getting rid of the hamperingdevices. “I’ll help you.”
With a great snort of relief the bulky officer stepped to the ground.His first act was to shake his cramped limbs. Then he fished in hispockets for the warrant.
“In the name of the law,” he began with assumed dignity, producing afolded document.
“Hold on,” challenged Hiram, “what are you up to?”
“I’m going to arrest one Elmer Brackett.”
“I think not,” retorted Hiram, coolly. “It seems you’ve forgottensomething rather important, Mr. Officer.”
“What’s that?” snorted the constable.
“We have landed just over the state line and your warrant is no good inthis locality.”