CHAPTER XXXI
THE WRECK
"What do they mean?"
"What's their game, anyhow?"
"They'll ram us if they don't look out!"
"Maybe they've lost control of her!"
"Dick, if that's your uncle, tell him to watch where he's going!"
Thus cried those aboard the aircraft of the young millionaire as theywatched the oncoming of the rival craft. She was certainly comingstraight at them. It was intentional, too, for Mr. Vardon, who was atthe wheel of the Abaris, quickly changed her course when he saw whatwas about to happen, and the other pilot could have had plenty of roomto pass in the air.
Instead he altered his direction so as to coincide with that of Dick'scraft.
"They must be crazy!"
"If they'll hit us we'll go to smash, even if she is a lighter machinethan ours!"
Thus cried Paul and Innis as they stood beside Dick.
"It's my Uncle Ezra, all right," murmured the wealthy youth. "I canrecognize him now, in spite of his helmet and goggles. But what in theworld is he up to, anyhow? He can't really mean to ram us, but it doeslook so."
The two airships were now but a short distance apart, and in spite ofwhat Mr. Vardon could do, a collision seemed inevitable. The fact ofthe matter was that the Larabee, being smaller and lighter, answeredmore readily to her rudders than did the Abaris.
"We've got to have more speed, Dick!" called the aviator. "I'm goingto turn about and go down. It's the only way to get out of their way.They're either crazy, or bent on their own destruction, as well asours. Give me more speed, Dick! All you can!"
"All right!" answered the young millionaire. "We'll do our best to getout of your way, Uncle Ezra!"
As Dick hastened to the motor-room, Grit trotted after him, growling inhis deep voice at the mention of the name of the man he so disliked.
Dick realized the emergency, and turned the gasolene throttle wideopen. With a throb and a roar, the motor took up the increase, andwhirled the big propellers with mighty force.
Then, in a last endeavor to prevent the collision, Mr. Vardon sent thecraft down at a sharp slant, intending to dive under the other.
But this move was anticipated by Larson, who was steering the Larabee.
He, too, sent his craft down, but just when a collision seemed about totake place, it was prevented by Mr. Vardon, who was a more skillfulpilot.
The propellers of the Abaris worked independently, on a sort ofdifferential gear, like the rear wheels of an automobile. This enabledher to turn very short and quickly, by revolving one propeller in onedirection, and one in the opposite, as is done with the twin screws ofa steamer.
And this move alone prevented what might have been a tragedy. But itwas also the cause of a disaster to Dick's aircraft.
With a rush and a roar the Larabee passed over the Abaris as she was sosuddenly turned, and then something snapped in the machinery of the bigairship. She lost speed, and began to go down slightly.
"Did they hit us?" cried Dick, in alarm.
"No, but we've broken the sprocket chain on the port propeller,"answered Mr. Vardon.
"We'll have to be content with half speed until we can make repairs.Come now, everybody to work. Those crazy folks may come back atus--that is begging your pardon for calling your uncle crazy, Dick."
"You can't offend me that way. He MUST be crazy to act the way he did.I can't understand it. Of course Larson was steering, but my unclemust have given him orders to do as he did, and try to wreck us."
"I shall report whoever the army man was that did not make an attemptto stop their attack on us," declared Lieutenant McBride, bitterly. "Idon't know who was assigned to the Larabee, but he certainly ought tobe court-martialed."
"Perhaps no army representative was aboard at all," suggested Paul.
"There were three persons on the airship," said Larry. "I saw them."
"And the race would not be counted unless an army representative wasaboard," declared Lieutenant McBride. "So they would not proceedwithout one. No, he must have been there, and have entered into theirplot to try and wreck us. I can't understand it!"
"They've evidently given it up, whatever their game was," called Innis."See, there they go!"
He pointed to the other airship, which was now some distance away,going on at good speed, straight for San Francisco. Both craft werenow high in the air, in spite of the drop made by the Abaris, and theywere about over some of the mountains of Colorado now; just where theyhad not determined. They were about eight hundred miles from SanFrancisco, as nearly as they could calculate.
"They're trying to get in first," said Dick. "Maybe, after all, theyjust wanted to frighten us, and delay us."
"Well, if that was their game they've succeeded in delaying us," saidMr. Vardon, grimly. "We're reduced to half speed until we get thatpropeller in commission again. There's work for all of us. Reducesped, Dick, or we may tear the one good blade off the axle."
With only half the resistance against it, the motor was now racinghard. Dick slowed it down, and then the work of repairing the brokensprocket chain and gear was undertaken.
It was not necessary to stop the airship to do this. In fact to stopmeant to descend, and they wanted to put that off as long as possible.They still had the one permitted landing to their credit.
The propellers, as I have said, could be reached from the open deck,and thither Mr. Vardon, Dick, and Lieutenant McBride took themselves,while Paul, Innis and Larry would look after the progress of the craftfrom the pilot-house and motor-room.
Slowly Dick's airship went along, just enough speed being maintained toprevent her settling. She barely held her own, while, far ahead ofher, and fast disappearing in the distance, could be seen the othercraft--that carrying Uncle Ezra.
"I guess it's all up with us," murmured Paul, as he went to the wheel.
"No, it isn't!" cried Dick. "I'm not going to give up yet! We canstill make time when we get the repairs made, and I'll run the motoruntil her bearings melt before I give up!"
"That's the way to talk!" cried the army man. "And we're all with you.There's a good chance yet, for those fellows must be desperate, orthey'd never have tried what they did. My opinion is that they hope toreach San Francisco in a last dash, and they were afraid we'd come inahead of them. But I can't understand how that army man aboard wouldpermit such a thing. It is past belief!"
It was no easy task to make the repairs with the airship in motion.Spare parts, including a sprocket chain, were carried aboard, but thework had to be done close to the other revolving propeller, and, asslowly as it was whirling about, it went fast enough to cause instantdeath to whoever was hit by it. So extreme caution had to be used.
To add to the troubles it began to rain violently, and a thunderstormdeveloped, which made matters worse. Out in the pelting storm, withelectrically-charged clouds all about them, and vivid streaks oflightning hissing near them, the aviators worked.
They were drenched to the skin. Their hands were bruised and cut byslipping wrenches and hammers. Their faces were covered with blackgrease, dirt and oil. But still they labored on. The storm grewworse, and it was all the Abaris could do to stagger ahead, handicappedas she was by half power.
But there were valiant hearts aboard her, and everyone was imbued withindomitable courage.
"We're going to do it!" Dick cried, fiercely, and the others echoed hiswords.
Finally, after many hours of work, the last rivet was driven home, andMr. Vardon cried:
"There we are! Now then, full speed ahead!"
The repaired propeller was thrown into gear. It meshed perfectly, andonce more the Abaris shot ahead under her full power.
"Speed her up!" cried Dick, and the motor was put to the limit. Butmuch precious time had been lost. Could they win under such adversecircumstances? It was a question each one asked himself.
Darkness came on, and the tired and weary aviators ate and slept. Then
ight passed, a clear, calm night, for the storm had blown itself out.High over the mountains soared the airship through the hours ofdarkness. She was fighting to recover what she had lost.
And when morning came they calculated they were but a few hundred milesfrom San Francisco.
Paul, who had gone to the pilot-house to relieve Innis, gave a startledcry.
"Look! Look!" he shouted. "There's the other airship!"
And as the others looked they saw, ahead of them, emerging from themidst of a cloud, Uncle Ezra's speedy craft. And, as they looked, theysaw something else--something that filled them with horror.
For, as they gazed at the craft which had so nearly, either by accidentor design, wrecked them, they saw one of the big side planes crumpleup, as does a bird's broken wing. Either the supports had given way,or a sudden gust of air strained it too much.
"They're falling!" cried Dick, hoarsely.
The other airship was. The broken plane gave no support on that side,and as the motor still raced on, whirling the big propellers, theLarabee, unevenly balanced, in spite of the mercury stabilizers, tiltedto one side.
Then, a hopeless wreck, she turned over and plunged downward toward theearth. Her race was over.