Bright Ideas: A Record of Invention and Misinvention

by Herbert Strang

  *III*

  Templeton had not settled which among his many ideas to work at, whenaccident launched his imagination upon a new flight.

  One day the village was stirred to unusual excitement. Two items oflocal news, following quickly one upon the other, gave the folk so muchmatter for gossip that the amount of work they did was reduced fifty percent. The first was that Nahum Noakes's final appeal had failed; thesecond, that young Wilfred Banks, the son of Squire Banks, one of thelocal magnates, had been seriously injured by the fall of an aeroplane.

  Mrs. Trenchard, having been "there and back," was full of the story.

  "Ay me, to think of a nice pleasant young gentleman like Mr. Wilfredlying at death's door through one o' they dratted airyplanes! Thatventuresome he always was, as a little small chiel. 'Tis against Natureto try to fly like the birds, that's what I say, and what can youexpect? The world do be turning topsy-turvy, and all through theyGermans."

  That night, just as Eves had turned over to sleep, he was roused by acall from Templeton in his companion bed.

  "What is it?" he murmured, drowsily.

  "I've got an idea," was the reply.

  "Well, sleep on it, old man."

  "You know very well that I can't get a wink till I see daylight."

  "Then you've got about five hours. Good night!"

  "Of course I meant a light on the problem; you're so literal. You see,the evolution of a perfectly stable machine----"

  Eves interrupted with a groan.

  "I suppose I must be a martyr," he said, "but I wish you'd arrange foryour ideas to come in the morning. Fire away! I'll keep awake if Ican, but cut it short."

  "You're a good sort, Tom. Really I'd like to know what you think of it.You see, an aeroplane ought to balance itself automatically, and I'vegot an idea for automatically adjusting the surfaces of the planes sothat the machine will instantly adapt itself to gusts of wind,side-slips, and so on."

  "Jolly good idea! Good night."

  "Hold hard. You haven't heard the idea yet. My arrangement would beelectric. Beyond the extremities of the frames I'd have a lightframework on which an extension of the plane could be pushed out by asteel rod actuated by a small electric motor."

  "I can go to sleep at once, then, because that won't work. It meansmore weight."

  "No, no; we'll argue it out. Weight's becoming less and less importantevery day. Look at the weight of bombs an aeroplane can now lift.Anyhow, the point is that the motor would be controlled by the movementof the plane. A sphere moving in a horizontal channel would be affectedby the slightest inclination of the plane. I'd arrange by a series ofelectrical contacts----"

  "How?"

  "I haven't worked out all the details yet; how could I? But the effectwould be that the farther the sphere moved the farther the rod wouldpush out the extension of the plane on the side required. And when theaeroplane had righted itself, the sphere would return to neutral."

  "My sleepy brain is fairly dazed with your rods and spheres and therest. Hang all that! The question is, would the extension idea work?Would the lengthening of the planes meet the case?"

  "Of course it would. It's easily proved. All you want is a glider."

  "Well, old man, the idea's ripping, and being a reasonable chap, you'llagree that you've got to go one step at a time. I don't say you'rewrong, but treat me as a bit of a sceptic, who wants everything proved."

  "Very well; I'm not unreasonable. We'll set to work and make a glider;then you'll see."

  "Righto! Feel more easy now? Hope you won't wake in the night."

  Templeton was just dozing off when from Eves there came:

  "I say, Bob."

  "What?"

  "You'll have to cut into your tenner at last. Bye-bye!"

  During the next week they did very little "work on the land." FarmerTrenchard, impressed as usual by Templeton's earnestness, allowed themas much leave as they wanted, and they devoted themselves during thehours of daylight to the manufacture of a glider. A journey to thenearest town and the cashing of the L10 note furnished them with thewood and the textile fabric they needed, and Templeton had sufficientskill in carpentry to fashion two wings, light enough for his purpose,yet strong enough to sustain him. His funds would not run to anelectric motor, but he thought that, for his first experiments, thelengthening rod might be actuated by stout cords running over pulleys.

  The contrivance was finished after a week's hard work. Tested in thefarmyard, the lengthening apparatus worked smoothly; it only remained totry it in the air. Templeton had already marked a suitable spot for thetrial--a sloping field some little distance from the farm, too steep forcultivation, and occupied usually by cattle fattening for Coggins, thebutcher. It was enclosed by a thick hedge except at the gate, and thatwas kept locked, and blocked with brushwood.

  "I think perhaps we had better ask Coggins's leave to use his field,"suggested Templeton.

  "Don't do anything of the sort," replied Eves. "We don't want a crowdof yokels looking on. If the thing goes all right, you can invite thevillage to an exhibition."

  The morning chosen for the trial was warm and still. No danger fromgusts of wind was to be anticipated. Mounting the glider on two wheelsfrom the old tricycle, patched up for the occasion, they wheeled it upto the field and managed with some difficulty to hoist it over the gate,after having cleared a way through the obstructing brushwood. At the farend a few cattle were peacefully grazing. The well-cropped hill was asmooth inclined plane of springy turf.

  They carried the machine to the top.

  "I bag first go," said Eves.

  "No, I can't agree to that," said Templeton. "You see, though I'm prettysure it will work all right, there's bound to be a certain risk, and asit's my idea I ought to test it."

  "That's no reason at all. Cooks never eat their own cake. Besides, ifthere is an accident, much better it should happen to me than you._I'm_ not an inventor."

  "I still maintain----"

  "Oh, don't let's waste time. Let's toss for it. Heads me, tails you.A use for my half-penny at last. Here goes."

  He spun the coin.

  "Heads! There you are. Now fasten the straps on my shoulders, and giveme a gentle shove off."

  The glider was not fastened to the wheels, Templeton's theory beingthat, having been started on them at the top of the hill, it wouldalmost at once gain "lift" from the air. So it proved. After a fewyards it rose slightly; a little farther on it was quite clear of theground, and Eves, with legs bent and arms stretched out on the wings,enjoyed for a few brief seconds the exhilaration of aerial flight. Then,however, it began to tilt. Mindful of Templeton's careful instructionsand the preliminary test in the farmyard, Eves tugged at the appointedrope, which should have thrown out an extension of the wing, and,according to Templeton's theory, have restored the balance. Unhappilythe mechanism that had worked so smoothly before now proved treacherous.The machine swerved to the left, and crashed into a bramble-bush in thehedge at the foot of the hill.

  Templeton rushed down in great agitation, sprang into the hedgeregardless of scratches, unloosed the straps, and hauled Eves out.

  "I say, you're not hurt, old man?" he asked, anxiously.

  "I'm pretty well pricked, confound the thing!" said Eves. "The wretchedcord jammed."

  "But the theory's all right."

  "Hang the theory! Look here, old man-- Hullo, here's old Noakes."

  Noakes, accompanied by a thick-set countryman in corduroys and leggings,had come over the crest of the hill just as the accident occurred, andrun down almost on Templeton's heels.

  "I've cotched 'ee," he cried, panting. "You're my witness, Ted Smail.Cotched in the act, the mischeevious young vipers. I'll have the law ofun."

  "'I'VE COTCHED 'EE,' HE CRIED."]

  "My dear sir, I don't think it has anything to do with you," saidTempleton. "My friend, as you see----"

  "Your friend, and you too, be a-
trespassing on my field and a-ruining myproperty, and the law'll have something to say about that."

  "Ruined a bramble-bush!" said Templeton.

  "And the bush has ruined my clothes," Eves added.

  "That there's my hedge, and you've been and knocked a hole in it,and----"

  At this moment his tirade was suddenly interrupted by a bellow behindhim. A bull, excited by the vagaries of the glider, had trotted up fromthe far end of the field to investigate, and further roused, probably,by Noakes's loud tones and waving arms, threw down its head and charged.The men scattered. Eves and Templeton made for the gate and vaultedover. Noakes ran one way, his friend another. The bull plungedstraight at the glider, sticking in the hedge, and smashed it tosplinters. Then it dashed after Noakes, who, seeing no other outlet,flung himself into the ditch below the hedge and scrambled through thetangled lower branches only just in time to escape the animal's horns.

  "We must offer to pay Noakes for the damage," said Templeton.

  "Rot! We haven't done tuppence-ha'-penny worth; and how do we know it'shis field?"

  "I'm sure he wouldn't say so if it wasn't, and there's certainly a holein the hedge. I'll just see what he says."

  Noakes, hatless, dishevelled, and scratched, was coming towards them.

  "I'm willing to pay any reasonable sum for damages, Mr. Noakes," saidTempleton.

  "Are ye?" replied the man with a grin. "I be main glad to hear it. Youshall have the bill, don't 'ee make no mistake about that. But I won'ttake no money 'cept by judge and jury."

  He passed on, and stood at the gate until his friend should find itconvenient to join him.

  Two days later Constable Haylock came to the farm, and, with anapologetic air, handed to Eves and Templeton each a blue document,summoning them to appear at the justice court to answer a plaint oftrespass and damage on the part of Philemon Noakes.

  "This is serious," said Templeton. "You see, we've no defence. We didbreak his hedge and disturb his tenant's cattle, as he says. I wonderwhat the penalty is?"

  "A fine of L5, old man, I expect," said Eves, cheerfully. "Don't youworry; I did the damage, and I can't pay."

  "I'm sure _I_ can't. That glider cost L7 16*s.* 4*d*. I haven't halfL5."

  "Well, they'll give us seven days C.B., or whatever they call it, andyou'll have to write to Aunt Caroline to bail us out. Jolly good idea!We'll be able to give her tips in food economy after a week of prisonfare."

  "It's no joking matter. She'll be upset; no Templeton of our family hasever been in prison."

  "You don't say so! You'll make a record, then. Splendid!"

  On the appointed day they appeared before the justice.

  "'Tis Squire Banks's day," whispered Haylock as they passed him at thedoor. "He baint such a hanging judge, so to speak it, as Sir Timothy."

  Noakes gave his evidence, Smail corroborated it, and Squire Banks askedthe culprits what they had to say in their defence.

  "It was like this, sir," began Eves, before Templeton could start; "myfriend Templeton devotes a lot of time to trying experiments--workingout ideas for useful inventions. When he heard of that accident to aflying man the other day"--the old gentleman looked interested--"he keptme awake at night talking over an idea for making an aeroplaneautomatically safe. I confess I was sceptical, and it's my fault allthis happened, because it was to prove his theory to me that he made aglider; it cost him over L7, sir; and we couldn't find a better place totry it on than that hilly field. I'm afraid I was clumsy; at any rate,the thing came to grief----"

  "But the principle of it is quite sound," Templeton put in.

  "But, of course, you're not concerned with principles here, sir, butonly with law," Eves went on. "We didn't know the field belonged to Mr.Noakes, or I assure you we wouldn't have touched it with a pole, and asto damage, my friend offered to pay any reasonable sum."

  "But didn't I understand that you caused the damage?" the squireinterposed, his eyes twinkling. "That being the case, ought not theoffer to pay have come from you?"

  "I'm afraid it ought, sir; but--well, I've only got four and elevenpencehalfpenny."

  There were smiles in the court at this ingenuous confession.

  "Well, Mr. Templeton offered to pay," the squire went on. "What then?"

  "Mr. Noakes wouldn't hear of it, sir," Eves answered.

  "Is that so, Noakes?"

  Noakes had to confess that it was.

  "Come, now, Noakes, brambles grow very fast, and any hedger will closethe gap for eightpence. It's a trumpery matter. You young fellows canpay half-a-crown between you for the damage, and Noakes must pay his owncosts; it's an unreasonable action. Call the next case."

  "Jolly old trump!" said Eves as they went out. "And I'm jolly glad theold boy's son is getting better."

  On reaching the farm, Templeton found awaiting him a letter from hisaunt, written in reply to one he had sent her more than a week before.She explained the long delay by the fact that the letter had pursued herthrough three counties. "I am delighted to hear," she wrote, "that youhave not yet spent _any_ of the money I sent you. It shows great_strength of character_. You will be pleased to hear that my lecturesare a _great success_. I expect to reach Polstead in about ten days,and I shall be so glad if you will do a little thing to prepare my way.My lectures are _thoroughly practical_; it is useless to talk abouteconomical foods if the dear people cannot procure them. I want you tosee Mr. Philemon Noakes for me; he is the _principal tradesman_ in thevillage; and ask him if he will _very kindly_ lay in a stock of certain_cheap_ articles of which I will send you a list. A personal interviewis so much more satisfactory than a formal letter, and you will find Mr.Noakes a _very civil and obliging person_."

  "My hat!" cried Eves, laughing. "What a rag! I'll come with you, oldman."

  Templeton looked worried.

  *A GAS ATTACK*