CHAPTER XVII
OFF FOR THE START
Uncle Ezra Larabee stood fairly glaring at his nephew. The crabbed oldman seemed strangely excited.
"No, there ain't nothing going to blow up," he said, after a pause."But don't you come in here. I warn you away! You can go in any otherpart of my factory you want to, but not in here."
"Well, I certainly don't want to come where I'm not wanted, UncleEzra," said Dick, with dignity. "But I hear you are building anairship, and I thought I'd like to get a look at it."
"And that's just what I don't want you to get--none of you," went onMr. Larabee, looking at Dick's chums. "I don't want to be mean to mydead sister's boy," he added, "but my airship ain't in shape yet to beinspected."
"Well, if it isn't finished, perhaps we can give you some advice," saidDick, with a smile.
"Huh! I don't want no advice, thank you," said Uncle Ezra, stiffly. "Icalkerlate Lieutenant Larson knows as much about building airships asyou boys do."
"Larson!" cried Dick. "Is he here?"
"He certainly is, and he's working hard on my craft. I'm going to bean aviator, and win that twenty-thousand-dollar government prize!" Mr.Larabee said, as though it were a certainty.
"Whew!" whistled Dick. "Then we'll be rivals, Uncle Ezra."
"Humph! Maybe you might think so, but I'll leave you so far behindthat you won't know where you are!" boasted the crabbed old man.
"Building an airship; eh?" mused Dick. "Well, that's the last thingI'd ever think of Uncle Ezra doing." Then to his relative he added:"But if you're going to compete for the prize your airship will have tobe seen. Why are you so careful about it now?"
"Because we've got secrets about it," replied Mr. Larabee. "There'ssecret inventions on my airship that haven't been patented yet, and Idon't want you going in there, Nephew Richard, and taking some of mybuilder's ideas and using 'em on your airship. I won't have it! That'swhy I won't let you in. I'm not going to have you taking our ideas,not by a jugful!"
"There's no danger," answered Dick quietly, though he wanted to laugh."My airship is all finished. We've used her, and she's all right. Iwouldn't change her no matter what I saw on yours."
"Wa'al, you might think so now, but I can't trust nobody--not even you,so you can't come in," said Uncle Ezra.
"Oh, we won't insist," answered Dick, as he passed over the bonds."Father said you wanted these, Uncle Ezra."
"Yes, I do," and an expression, as of pain, passed over the man's face."I've got to raise a little money to pay for this airship. It's costinga terrible pile; a terrible pile!" and he sighed in despair. "Butthen, of course, I'll get the twenty thousand dollars, and that willhelp some. After that I'm going to sell plans and models of mysuccessful airship, and I'll make a lot more that way. So of courseI'll get it all back.
"But it's costing me a terrible pile! Why, would you believe it," hesaid, looking around to see that the door to the factory was securelyclosed, "would you believe I've already spent five thousand, sixhundred twenty-seven dollars and forty-nine cents on this airship? Andit ain't quite done yet. It's a pile of money!"
"Yes, they are expensive, but they're worth it," said Dick. "It'sgreat sport--flying."
"It may be. I've never tried it, but I'm going to learn," declaredUncle Ezra. "Only I didn't think it would cost so much or I neverwould have gone into it. But now I'm in I can't get out without losingall the money I've put up, and I can't do that. I never could dothat," said Uncle Ezra with a doleful shake of his head.
He gave a sudden start, at some noise, and cried out:
"What's that? You didn't dare bring your bulldog in here, did you,Nephew Richard? If you did I'll--"
"No, I left Grit at home, Uncle Ezra."
Then the noise was repeated. It came from the part of the factorywhere the airship was being constructed, and was probably made by someof the workmen.
"I guess I'll have to go now," said Mr. Larabee, and this was a hintfor the boys to leave.
"Lieutenant Larson said he wanted to consult with me about something.I only hope he doesn't want more money," he added with a sigh. "But hespends a terrible pile of cash--a terrible pile."
"Yes, and he'll spend a lot more of your cash before he gets throughwith you, if I'm any judge," thought Dick, as he and his chums wentback to the automobile. "To think of Uncle Ezra building an airship!That's about the limit."
"Do you really think he is going to have a try for the governmentprize?" asked Larry Dexter.
"Well, stranger things have happened," admitted the young millionaire.
"You're not worrying, though, are you?" asked Paul.
"Not a bit. I imagine I'll have to compete with more formidableopponents than Uncle Ezra. But I do give Larson credit for knowing alot about aircraft. I don't believe, though, that his mercurystabilizers are reliable. Still he may have made improvements on them.I'd like to get a look at Uncle Ezra's machine."
"And he doesn't want you to," laughed Innis. "He's a queer man,keeping track of every cent."
"Oh, it wouldn't be Uncle Ezra if he didn't do that," returned Dick,with a grin.
There were busy days ahead for the young millionaire and his chums.Though the Abaris seemed to have been in almost perfect trim on hertrial trip, it developed that several changes had to be made in her.Not important ones, but small ones, on which the success, or failure,of the prize journey might depend.
Dick and his friends worked early and late to make the aircraft asnearly perfect as possible.
Dick's entry had been formally accepted by the government, and he hadbeen told that an army officer would be assigned to make thetrans-continental flight with him, to report officially on the time andperformance of the craft. For the government desired to establish thenearest perfect form of aeroplane, and it reserved the right topurchase the patent of the successful model.
"And it is on that point that more money may be made than by merelywinning the prize," said Mr. Vardon. "We must not forget that, so wewant everything as nearly right as possible."
And to this end they worked.
"You're going to take Grit along; aren't you?" asked Paul of Dick oneday, as they were laboring over the aircraft, putting on the finishingtouches.
"Oh, sure!" exclaimed the young millionaire. "I wouldn't leave himbehind for anything."
"I wonder what army officer they'll assign to us," remarked Innis. "Ihope we get some young chap, and not a grizzled old man who'll be akilljoy."
"It's bound to be a young chap, because none of the older men havetaken up aviation," said Larry. "I guess we'll be all right. I'll seeif I can't find out from our Washington reporter who it will be."
But he was unable to do this, as the government authorities themselveswere uncertain.
The time was drawing near when Dick was to make his start in thecross-country flight, with but two landings allowed between New Yorkand San Francisco. Nearly everything was in readiness.
"Mr. Vardon," said Dick one day, "this business of crossing a continentin an airship is a new one on me. I've done it in my touring car, butI confess I don't see how we're going to keep on the proper course, upnear the clouds, with no landmarks or anything to guide us.
"But I'm going to leave all that to you. We're in your hands as far asthat goes. You'll have to guide the craft, or else tell us how tosteer when it comes our turn at the wheel."
"I have been studying this matter," the aviator replied. "I have madeseveral long flights, but never across the continent. But I havecarefully charted a course for us to follow. As for landmarks, thegovernment has arranged that.
"Along the course, in as nearly as possible a bee-line from New York toSan Francisco, there will be captive balloons, painted white for dayobservation, and arranged with certain colored lanterns, fornight-sighting. Then, too, there will be pylons, or tall towers ofwood, erected where there are no balloons. So I think we can pick ourcourse, Dick."
"Oh, I didn't know about the
balloon marks," said the youngmillionaire. "Well, I'll leave the piloting to you. I think you knowhow to do it."
Several more trial flights were made. Each time the Abaris seemed todo better. She was more steady, and in severe tests she stood up well.The gyroscope stabilizer worked to perfection under the mostdisadvantageous conditions.
Several little changes were made to insure more comfort for thepassengers on the trip. Dick's undertaking had attracted considerableattention, as had the plans of several other, and better-knownaviators, to win the big prize. The papers of the country were filledwith stories of the coming event, but Larry Dexter had perhaps the bestaccounts, as he was personally interested in Dick's success.
Dick paid another visit to Uncle Ezra, and this time his crabbedrelative was more genial. He allowed his nephew to have a view of thecraft Larson was building. The former lieutenant greeted Dick coldly,but our hero thought little of that. He was more interested in themachine.
Dick found that his uncle really did have a large, and apparently veryserviceable biplane. Of course it was not like Dick's, as it designedto carry but three passengers.
"We're going to make the trip in about forty-eight hours, so we won'tneed much space," said Uncle Ezra. "We can eat a snack as we go along.And we can sleep in our seats. I've got to cut down the expensesomehow. It's costing me a terrible pile of money!"
Uncle Ezra's airship worked fairly well in the preliminary trials, andthough it did not develop much speed, Dick thought perhaps the craftylieutenant was holding back on this so as to deceive his competitors.
"But, barring accidents, we ought to win," said the young millionaireto his chums. "And accidents no one can count against."
Everything was in readiness. The Abaris had been given her last trialflight. All the supplies and stores were aboard. Jack Butt had takenhis departure, for he was not to make the trip. His place would betaken by the army lieutenant. A special kennel had been constructedfor Grit, who seemed to take kindly to the big airship.
"Well, the officer will be here in the morning," announced Dick, oneevening, on receipt of a telegram from Washington. "Then we'll makethe start."
And, what was the surprise of the young millionaire and his chums, tobe greeted, early the next day, by Lieutenant McBride, the officer whohad, with Captain Wakefield, assisted in giving instructions atKentfield.
"I am surely glad to see you!" cried Dick, as he shook hands with him."There's nobody I'd like better to come along!"
"And there's nobody I'd like better to go with," said the officer, witha laugh. "I was only assigned to you at the last minute. First I wasbooked to go with a man named Larabee."
"He's my uncle. I'm glad you didn't!" chuckled Dick. Then he toldabout Larson and Lieutenant McBride, himself, was glad also.
In order to be of better service in case of an emergency, LieutenantMcBride asked that he be taken on a little preliminary flight beforethe official start was made, so that he might get an idea of theworking of the machinery.
This was done, and he announced himself as perfectly satisfied witheverything.
"You have a fine craft!" he told Dick. "The best I have ever seen, andI've ridden in a number. You ought to take the prize."
"Thanks!" laughed the young millionaire.
"Of course I'm not saying that officially," warned the officer, with asmile. "I'll have to check you up as though we didn't know one other.And I warn you that you've got to make good!"
"I wouldn't try under any other conditions," replied Dick.
The last tuning-up of the motor was over. The last of the supplies andstores were put aboard. Grit was in his place, and the cross-countryfliers in theirs. Good-byes were said, and Mr. Hamilton waved theStars and Stripes as the cabin door was closed.
"All ready?" asked Dick, who was the captain of the aircraft.
"All ready," answered Lieutenant McBride.
"All ready," agreed Mr. Vardon.
"Then here we go!" cried Dick, as he pulled the lever. The airship wason her way to the starting point.