CHAPTER XVI
THE "MONARCH II"
The manager of the Interstate factory and Dave and Hiram followedthe messenger from the plant back to the office.
"The gentleman who wishes to see me," the young aviator explained toMr. Randolph, "is the revenue officer I told you about."
"Ah, I think I understand the purpose of his visit, then," said themanager.
Mr. Price was the same keen-faced, ferret-like person he alwaysappeared, as Dave introduced him to the manager.
"I have heard of you from our young friend, Dashaway," said Mr.Randolph.
"Lucky I ran across him," responded the officer, in his usual short,jerky way. "Lucky to catch you here, too, before you got off,Dashaway."
"Then you came specially to see me?" asked Dave.
"And your friends," replied Mr. Price with a comprehensive wave ofhis hand. "Mutual interests all around, it seems. You see, I metMr. King at Columbus after you left," explained the official. "Hetold me of your remarkable discoveries, Dashaway. You are keenerthan I, young man. I have been chasing all over the district, andhere you get a clew to Ridgely, while I and my men were blunderingaround."
"If it is really a dew to him, Mr. Price," submitted the youngaviator. "You know, it is all a theory so far."
"As the facts stand, I have no doubt from your story that Ridgely isone of the men who ran away with the Drifter," declared the officer.
"Have you fathomed his purpose in taking the air route, Mr. Price?"asked the factory manager.
"Most certainly."
"I am puzzled to guess what it may be."
"Why, it's plain as the nose on your face," said the officerbluntly.
"How is that?"
"You know that this man, Ridgely, is a professional smuggler?"
"So Dashaway has told me."
"We drove him from one point on the border. He has selectedanother, that's all. He has worn out the old methods of evading therevenue service, so he is adopting new ones. In fact, I ratheradmire his brilliant originality. Why, I can conceive no situationso ideal as that capture of an airship, and professional operatorsin his employ."
"Then--"
"I am positive that the Dawsons and Ridgely have made for someobscure point, probably near Lake Superior, and will open upbusiness in the old way, do their work only at night, and I havecome on here to ask Dashaway to work in harmony with me."
"Most certainly he will," pledged the factory manager.
"I am after Ridgely, you are after your aircraft. We can worktogether," pronounced the officer. "I intend to start at once forthe Lake Superior district. I shall set my men at work clear alongthe line and over the border, to try and find a trace of my man. Ihaven't an airship, though, you must remember, and wouldn't know howto run one if I had. That's where you come in, Dashaway. Yousearch the air, I'll watch the land. What I want to do is to giveyou a list of points where I or my men can be reached at a moment'snotice any time. If we keep in touch with each other, I believe wecan land those rascals."
For over an hour after that the officer and Dave had an earnest,confidential chat together. Mr. Price brought out maps, and gaveDave great deal of information as to the smuggling system on theborder. In the meantime, Randolph and Hiram again visited theaerodrome. After the revenue officer had departed, Dave came acrossHiram looking for him.
"Say, Dave," exclaimed the excited youth, "it's like a new world tome, all this. I declare, I never had such a time in my life. ThisMr. Randolph is a prince."
"Fixed things up for us, has he, Hiram?"
"Right royally. He's stocked up that monoplane like a banquet hall.Why, say, if we can keep the Monarch II aloft, we can live likemillionaires in an up-to-date hotel for a week to come."
Hiram in his enthusiasm was exaggerating things considerably.However, when Dave revisited the aerodrome, he found that the cleverInterstate manager had stocked up the aircraft, with every necessityfor safety and comfort he could think of.
The Monarch II was certainly a marvel in its construction and scope.It had been made to accommodate an operator and one, or even two,passengers. The seating space was quite roomy, and there was ahandy basket-like compartment, arranged to hold wraps, provisionsand duplicate machine parts.
It was late in the afternoon when the Monarch II was rolled out intothe broad roomy yard of the factory. Everything was in order forthe finest start in the world. Dave had thought out and mapped outevery detail of the proposed air voyage. Mr. Randolph personallysuperintended all the initial arrangements. The starter workedliked a charm. There was no wavering. A turn of the handle, andthe magnificent machine spread its wings like some great bird poisedfor a steady flight.
Hiram gave a great shout of delight. Dave smiled down at themanager proudly.
"Good luck!" cried Mr. Randolph.
Just then the factory whistle sounded out shrilly for quitting time.Workmen appeared at the open windows of the factor. Some camerunning out into the yard.
The word had gone around that the young aviators were bound on anextraordinary cruise--a search for the stolen airship. A greatchorus of ringing hurrahs went up from the crowd.
"It's great, isn't it, Dave?" chuckled the delighted Hiram.
"The Monarch II acts prettily, that's sure," replied the youngaviator.
Dave delighted his companion by giving him charge of the barographreadings and attention to some of the minor duties of aviation. Therapid progress of the machine in mid air was exhilarating. Theweather conditions were ideal, and Dave had a definite goal in view.
There was not a break in the pleasant twilight journey. The MonarchII fulfilled all expectations and promises. About nine o'clock inthe evening the record showed over two hundred miles accomplished,when they descended on a level stretch of prairie near a smallbustling city. Here the gasoline supply in the tanks wasreplenished. The basket had been stored with over a hundred gallonsof this in separate packages, without embarrassing the buoyancy ofthe machine, as the young aviators were far below average operatingweight.
"This high living of ours makes and hungry," intimated Hiram, asthey finished getting the machine in shape to renew the flight.
"Time for lunch, you think?" proposed Dave with a jolly laugh."Here we are."
They selected from the packages in the accommodation basket enoughthings for a feed. Mr. Randolph had certainly provided for them ina liberal way. The packages produced two kinds of sandwiches, somedoughnuts, a cream cakes, cheese, celery and a prime apple pie.
Dave was pleased and proud with their progress thus far on theirstrange journey. There was a steady but mild head wind, and if heheld till daylight the young aviator counted on reaching the firstimportant destination on the route he had mapped out.
His idea was to reach a certain point in the dark. They would thenseek a hiding place, or at least seclusion, until evening again,resting through the day. Dave's plan was to travel so that theirprogress might not be noted and get to the Dawson group through thepublic prints or by some other avenue, and thus warn them that theywere being traced.
There was not a landmark on the route, such as a city, lake orriver, that Dave had not memorized, from standard "fly" directoriesduring the past two days. The Drifter, being in the hands of theDawsons, who knew considerable about aviation, would probably followthe same course. At night it was more difficult to tally offprogress than in daylight, but so far Dave felt that he had notdeviated from the due northwest course that was to bring him to acertain destination.
For over five hours after lunch and rest the Monarch II keptsteadily on its way. Dawn was just breaking when Dave passed a fewmiles to the west of a town he knew to be Millville. He glanced atHiram, about to address him. Hiram was fast asleep.
"We will have to get down somewhere near here," decided Dave.
As he changed the course of the aircraft there was a slight jar, andHiram woke up.
"Hello!" he cried, "have I been--"
"As
leep at the switch?" smiled Dave. "Yes, but it hasn't needed anyattention. We are going to land, Hiram."
Dave knew his bearings, as has been said. His anxiety, however, wasto get to cover, so to speak, before the airship was seen by anyonein the vicinity. He soon knew that he had failed in this. Circlingabout and drifting in trying to select a suitable landing spot, Davemade out rising farmer staring up at the machine from his chickenyard.
A little farther on the driver of a truck wagon, bound town-wardsevidently, espied the Monarch II, even in the dim morning light, forhe stopped his horses, his face turned in the direction of themachine.
Finally Dave located a spot that suited him. It was where there hadbeen mining going on some period in the past. Some hills shut inthe deserted diggings. Several great heaps of ore surrounded a sortof pit, broad and roomy.
"I don't think we can find a better resting place," said Dave, asthey reached the ground and he shut off the power.
"Going to stay here all day?" inquired Hiram.
"That is the programme, yes."
"Well, I suppose breakfast is the first move?" asked the youngaviator's assistant.
"I'm hungry as a bear," announced Dave.
"So am I," agreed Hiram, and he set at work to explore theaccommodation, basket.
Hiram soon had a tempting spread. There was cold ham, a roastedchicken, an abundance of bread and butter, and a two gallon jug ofcold coffee.
The boys did full justice to the layout. Then Dave went over themachine, seeing to it that every part was in order.
"I'll have to take a little nap, Hiram," he advised his companion.
"No, a good long one," corrected Hiram.
"If we're going to lay off until night, there isn't much to do.I'll stay awake and keep a look out for anything happening. Yousee, I had quite a snooze up there in the air."
Dave made a comfortable couch by spreading out some of the wrapsfound in the accommodation basket. It was after ten o'clock when hewoke up. He insisted on Hiram taking a turn on the couch.
"Can't do it. Not a bit sleepy," declared Hiram.
"Well, you can try it while I'm gone," suggested Dave.
"Oh, going somewhere?"
"Yes, to the town. I want to make a few inquiries as to the countryaround here and ahead of us, and I may wire Mr. Randolph."
"All right, go ahead," replied Hiram. "I'll see that everything iskept trim and safe about the machine."
Dave visited Millville, and posted himself as to certaingeographical points in which he was interested. He also sent abrief dispatch to the Interstate people. Provided with somerailroad maps, and some fresh rolls from a bakery, he started out torejoin his chum.
He found Hiram busy burnishing up every bit of metal about theMonarch II. They had their noon lunch. On his way back from townDave' had noticed a little brook. He was telling Hiram about it,and they were discussing a plan of a plunge and a swim, when Hiram,facing the point where the pit began, sprang suddenly to his feet.
"Hello!" he cried excitedly. "Someone is coming."
"Sure enough," echoed Dave, also arising. "Why, I noticed that manin Millville. Can it be possible that he has followed me? I didn'tknow it, if he has."
The boys stood motionless, awaiting the coming up of the intruder.He was a brisk, smart looking man. There was something in his sharpway of glancing at things that made Dave think of a lawyer. Thestranger came up within a dozen feet of them. Then he halted, tookin the flying machine with a grim smile, and then looked the youngaviators over from head to foot.
"Reckon I've landed on both feet," he observed, a confident,satisfied drawl in his voice.
"What do you mean by that?" inquired Dave.
"Why, I've been looking out for an airship said to be cruisingaround this neighborhood. Truck farmer said he saw one early thismorning. Then I noticed you in town. I think you'll understand me,young man," continued the stranger, "when I say that I'm on the huntfor a chap about your size running a stolen airship, and whose nameis Jerry Dawson."
"Why," exclaimed Dave with a quick start, "so are we!"