CHAPTER III
ON THE WING
The constable stared at Hiram. He glanced at Elmer with half a scowl.Then he rubbed his head as if seeking for new ideas. Finally a sort ofsickly grin overspread his flabby face.
“You’d make a good lawyer,” he observed. “Over the state line I am, sureenough, with no warrant served. Well, I’m not so sorry as you maythink.”
“I’m glad to hear you say so,” declared Hiram. “You’ll be glad, too,when you come to know that the man behind the gun in this case is anunmitigated rascal.”
“I didn’t know anything about that, I simply followed orders,” said theofficial, in a slightly apologetic tone.
“Well, good-bye, officer, I suppose I can go?” broke in Elmer.
“I shan’t hinder you. Only keep out of my territory.”
Elmer exchanged a look of mutual understanding with Hiram, and walkedslowly away. He soon disappeared beyond a little thicket, heading in thedirection of the town and the railroad station.
“Well, officer?” spoke up Hiram, moving about the biplane to see thateverything was in order.
“Well, lad,” returned the constable, “I suppose it’s in order for me toget back home after this fool’s errand.”
“I’ll be glad to take you back with me,” said Hiram.
“Humph!” and the constable shrugged his shoulders in a dubious way. “I’msafe on the ground once more, thank goodness; and I reckon I’ll stayhere.”
“Oh, come ahead in the machine,” invited the young pilot. “No capers,officer, honestly. I had to do some gliding to make you forget businesstill my friend was over the safety line, but I’ll take you home steadyas a Pullman, I promise you.”
“No diver’s suit, though, mind you.”
“That isn’t necessary,” laughed Hiram. “Just strap yourself in and I’llgive you a nice ride.”
By the time they got back to the aero grounds the constable was asfriendly as could be. He shook hands good-bye with Hiram, and winked athim and chuckled to himself as he walked over to where the lawyer-likeman and the disguised Vernon stood waiting for him. They evidently hadseen the _Comet_ returning and had hastened to the grounds to hear thenews.
Hiram lingered, watching the group until they disappeared. Dave Dashawaycame out of the hangar as the assistants ran the biplane towards it.
Bright as a dollar, looking every inch the active, ambitious fellow hisfriends called him, the young airman regarded his assistant inquiringlyand expectantly.
“You didn’t wait for me,” observed Dave.
“No, I was in a hurry,” laughed Hiram. “I suppose you know what wasdoing?”
“I’ve heard something about a warrant for Elmer. I’ve guessed out theplot. Mr. Brackett was here, quite worried.”
“He needn’t be,” declared Hiram, reassuringly. “There he is now. It’sall right, Mr. Brackett,” added Hiram, advancing to meet the wealthymanufacturer. “They didn’t get Elmer, and, what’s more, they won’t gethim very soon.”
Dave Dashaway led the way into the little portable house adjoining the_Comet_ hangar where the boys slept nights. All sat down on camp stools.
“I hope this new trouble is not going to disturb your plans,” spoke Mr.Brackett.
“Not a bit of it,” replied Hiram. “Elmer is safely out of the way, andeverything is arranged to keep that miscreant, Vernon, from annoyinghim.”
Hiram recounted all that had transpired. The cloud of uneasiness passedfrom the brow of the president of the Interstate Aero Company. He smiledapprovingly at the keen-witted narrator.
“Elmer will take a train and go right on to an arranged rendezvous,”explained Hiram. “He will be on hand for the start, Mr. Brackett.”
“I shall start for Washington,” announced the manufacturer. “I want tosee the _Comet_ begin the big race in which I feel Dashaway and hisfriends will win new laurels.”
“Thank you for your confidence in us,” said the young airman. “I expectto deserve it. There’s a reason—you have given us a biplane that is amarvel.”
“Yes,” declared Hiram, enthusiastically, “there will be nothing in thefield that can even begin to compare with the _Comet_.”
Our hero and his assistant spent some time going over the splendid pieceof mechanism, after Mr. Brackett had gone away. The highest skill hadbeen employed in the construction of the _Comet_. From barograph tobreeches buoy it was as nearly perfect and thoroughly equipped as moneyand intelligence could make it.
The biplane was of original design. It had a tube mechanism anduniversal bearing that were entirely new in the aviation field. Thearrangements for gasoline, oil and water had been the mainconsideration. The capacity for carrying extra weight the second. Thecoverings were rubberized fabric, the machine had the very newest shockabsorbers, and the double-control system admitted of a manipulation thatnot only divided the operation work, but added to the safety ofnavigation.
As to the superb balancing and self-righting powers of the _Comet_, theboys had demonstrated these merits only the day previous. With a rippingcrash the machine had entered the perimeter of a corkscrew glide. Davefound the tilt so steep there seemed no chance to come out of thespiral. Hiram, in the second seat, by a deft, quick operation of therudder control, changed the equilibrium. Dave did the rest, and the_Comet_ passed a hair-breadth ground swoop clean as an acrobat.
On account of the long flights necessary, probable landings in desertspots far from civilization, and the menace of supplies giving out, the_Comet_ had been constructed of a weight, breadth and length that wouldadmit of the utilization of a so-called ballast pit. This was locateddirectly behind the seats. It was compactly filled at the present time,all ready for the start scheduled for a few days later. With everyarticle cared for, and after a close calculation of the effect ofdislodgment and replacement, the young aviator in command of the machinefelt that he had mastered most of the details of the prospective triparound the world.
Before Mr. Brackett had left them, he had made arrangements to join themat the aero meet at Sylvan Park, near Washington. There were some finaldetails of the journey to arrange for after they reached the aviationfield. So far as their present situation was concerned, however, the_Comet_ was all ready for the flight.
The sky was clear, the stars shone brightly and there was a gentlebreeze entirely favorable to them, as, about ten o’clock the _Comet_ wasquietly rolled out of the hangar. The young airman purposely evaded anypublicity as to their start on account of Elmer and his enemies. The twoassistants waved them a hearty adieu, but stirred up no commotion.Within five minutes the splendid piece of mechanism was speeding on itsway for a point fifty miles distant.
“At Fordham, you said,” remarked Dave, as they settled down to an evencourse of progress.
“Yes, just beyond the town. We all know the town, it’s right in ourcourse—and I thought that the best place to have Elmer wait for us.”
The _Comet_ passed over half a dozen quaint little villages. Then itfollowed the railroad tracks, the signal lights operating as guides.They knew Fordham, because they had made several trial spurts to andfrom the place. They passed its rows of street lights, slowed down, andthe _Comet_ reached _terra firma_ inside of the town baseball grounds.
“Hello!” at once hailed them, and Elmer came forward from a seat on thebleachers, where he had been resting. “Everything all right?”
“As a trivet,” pronounced Hiram. “Been a slow wait; eh?”
“Oh, I snoozed a little,” replied Elmer; “lunched some, and had a hardtime explaining my being here to a suspicious old watchman who looksafter the grounds.”
“Get aboard,” directed Dave, and Elmer sank into the seat with acontented sigh.
“It’s business now, I suppose,” he remarked. “Say, fellows, it’s a bigthing we hope to do; isn’t it?”
“Yes,” assented the sprightly Hiram; “and I reckon we’ll have seen somestartling sights befo
re we come this way again.”