CHAPTER I
AT THE HANGARS
“Dave, here is something that will surely interest you.”
As he spoke, Hiram Dobbs held up a newspaper to the view of hiscompanion, and Dave Dashaway caught sight of the prominent head line:“Grand International Aviation Contest.”
The two friends were amid an environment strongly suggestive ofairships and their doings. They were sitting under a tree near thehangar where Dave’s various aircraft and equipments were stored. Thiswas Dave’s home, for the time being. Here, for over a month he hadslept, ate and trained for just such an event as the one which his chumhad brought to his attention.
There was nothing about Dave’s present appearance to indicate that hewas an expert in aviation except a medal modestly showing beyond thelapel of his coat. It might, however, have been a source of surprise tothe average person to read the inscription on the medal, certifying toDave’s championship in a feat that had startled the aviation world.
Hiram proudly wore a pin bearing the initials: “N. A. A.” (NationalAero Association) showing a distinction beyond the ordinary for a boyof his age, and showing, too, that when he spoke of aviation it was notas a novice.
“Dave, you ought to go in for that,” he added.
“Yes, it looks attractive,” agreed the young aviator after a swiftglance over the item under discussion.
“Ten thousand dollars—think of it!” exclaimed the interested Hiram.
“It’s a big lot of money,” responded Dave, slowly.
“And a big heap of work to win it, I suppose you would say,”supplemented Hiram. “Well, you never were afraid of work, and as to thechances—say, a fellow who has done what you’ve just done—why, it’ll bemere child’s play!”
Dave Dashaway smiled at the ardor of his companion. He was thinking,though, and impressed by the present situation. All things pertainingto aviation had a great attraction for Dave. His dreams, his practicalefforts, all his ambitions lay in the direction of supremacy as an airpilot.
“I have been resting for a spell, as you might call it, Hiram,” he saidfinally, “and hadn’t of late, thought much of business. After that lastdash of ours, you know, Mr. Brackett thought we had better let theseason run out and prepare for something out of the ordinary next year.”
“This has come along all right; hasn’t it?” challenged Hiram, pointingat the item. “And the biggest kind of a thing, too. ‘Ten thousanddollars to the aviator scoring most in all events.’ Besides that,prizes for points in plain sailing, altitude and fancy stunts. It’syour class, Dave, it’s near here and you were never in better workingtrim in your life.”
“Why, Hiram,” spoke Dave, “you seem to have quite set your heart uponit.”
“Indeed I have!” vociferated the impetuous Hiram. “Think I’m going tosit around and keep mum, and hear a lot of would-be-airmen brag? Notmuch! They boast about a heap of records I know they never made. Theywere talking about this very prize offer last night. I took a good dealof pride in telling them about some of the things you’ve done. Theyknew about most of them, though. They looked glum when I hinted thatyou were going in for a try.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” said Dave, quickly.
“Shouldn’t—why not?”
“Because in this line the wise man keeps his business to himself.Airmen, generally, are a jealous lot. Some of them, as we have reasonto know, are untrustworthy.”
“I never thought of that,” replied Hiram, his face growing serious.“You’re right! It wouldn’t be the first time some schemers got afteryou, and tried to block you. That’s so! All the same, with that new_Ariel_, biplane, made specially for you, who can beat you? Why, Dave,your little trailer, the _Scout_, alone has half a dozen speed pointsahead of the average machine on the field here. Those new release gearsare just dandy, and there isn’t a craft on the list that has such anengine as the _Ariel_, let alone the fuselage angle rods and thetubular framework.”
“I declare, Hiram,” laughed Dave, “you’ve been posting up on scientificdetails lately; haven’t you?”
“I’ve tried to get it pat, yes, I’ll admit,” assented Hiram proudly.“Then again, I’ve had a motive in view. You see, I’ve been thinking upa grand scheme—”
Hiram came to a sudden stop, looked embarrassed, and there was a faintflush on his face. It was with a somewhat sheepish expression in hiseyes that he glanced at his companion.
“I know what you’re hinting at,” observed Dave shrewdly. “I suspectedyou were up to something when I saw you working over those littlecanvas bags. What’s the mystery, Hiram? Going to tell, this time?”
“I’m not,” dissented the young airman’s assistant staunchly. “You’djust laugh and say it was another of my grand schemes. All right! Thosebags mean something—provided you go into this new contest. Honest,Dave,” went on Hiram with impressive earnestness, “I can put you onto awrinkle in aeronautics that is new enough, and strong enough, to carrythe day any time—oh, bother!”
Whatever scheme the young lad had in his mind, its disclosure wasprevented at that moment by the arrival of an intruder. A man of aboutthirty, wearing a monocle, mincing in his steps and looking the typicalEnglish “dandy” to perfection, approached the bench where the twofriends sat.
“It’s Lieutenant Montrose Mortimer,” remarked Dave with a faint smile.
“Lieutenant nothing!” declared Hiram forcibly. “He’s no more a Britisharmy officer than I am.”
“Ah, Mr. Dashaway,” spoke the newcomer, bowing, “I hope you’ve thoughtover my proposition.”
“Why, yes, Lieutenant,” replied Dave, “I have done so.”
“And have arrived at a decision?” questioned the other with markedeagerness.
“Well, no, not exactly,” answered Dave promptly. “You see, LieutenantMortimer, I am not a free agent in aviation matters. In fact, you mightsay I am under contract indefinitely to Mr. Brackett, who has financedme in the past. I should have to refer your offer to him, you see.”
“When will he be here?” asked the man, evidently very much disappointed.
“He may be here within a week.”
“I sincerely trust you will prevail on him to accept my offer,” spokethe pretended army man. “I shall feel that my duty to the admiralty andwar office has been remiss if I fail to secure your valuable services.I am aware of your opposition to leaving your native country. I alsoappreciate your wish to remain neutral in regard to any actual warfare.That can be arranged. What we ask of you is to act as an instructor.Please think it over,” and he turned aside.
“Now, then,” broke out Hiram promptly as the lieutenant sauntered away,“what is that fellow really after, Dave?”
“Why, Hiram, according to his own story he is a representative from theaviation department of the British war office. He has made a verycreditable showing—and he offers me all expenses paid abroad, where hesays a yearly contract of several thousand dollars will be offered.”
“I don’t like him. Why, say, he reminds me of one of the funny cartoonsthat new tramp friend of yours drew for us last evening.”
“Hello!” exclaimed Dave, glancing hastily at his watch and then at thehangar. “He’s some sleeper; isn’t he, that tramp?”
The young airman referred to a new character who had incidentally comeacross their path the day previous. He was a tramp, a little above theaverage, but still frowsy, hungry and penniless. His humor had made animpression on the boys. They had fed him and he had asked for work torepay them. He was sober, and he looked honest, Dave had consented tohis sleeping in the hangar.
“I guess it’s the first comfortable bed the poor fellow has had for along time,” explained Hiram. “Say, Dave, he must have been a goodartist once, to draw those faces as cleverly as he did last evening.”
“Yes, he certainly has a sort of genius about him,” began Dave, whenthere was a sudden and startling interruption.
From Dave’
s hangar there came a dull explosion. Both of the youngaviators made a rush in its direction, wondering what accident hadhappened.
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