CHAPTER XV
IN DANGER
That Dick was proud and happy, and that Mr. Vardon and the chums of theyoung millionaire were pleased with the success of the airship,scarcely need be said. There was, for the first few moments, howeversuch a thrill that scarcely any one of them could correctly analyze hisfeelings.
Of course each one of them had been in an aeroplane before. Mr. Vardonand his helper had made many flights, not all of them successful, andDick and his fellow cadets had gone up quite often, though they were,as yet, only amateurs. Larry Dexter was perhaps less familiar withaeroplanes than any of them, but he seemed to take it as a matter ofcourse.
"Say, this is great! Just great!" cried Dick, as he slipped the leverof the elevating rudder into a notch to hold it in place. He intendedgoing up considerably higher.
"It sure is great, old man!" cried Paul. "I congratulate you."
"Oh, the praise belongs to Mr. Vardon," said Dick, modestly. "Icouldn't have done anything without him."
"And if it hadn't been for your money, I couldn't have done anything,"declared the aviator. "It all worked together."
"Say, how high are you going to take us?" asked Innis.
"Not getting scared, are you?" asked Dick, with a glance at thebarograph, to ascertain the height above the earth. "We're only upabout two thousand feet. I want to make it three." He looked at Mr.Vardon for confirmation.
"Three thousand won't be any too much," agreed the aviator. "She'llhandle better at that distance, or higher. But until we give her awork out, it's best not to get too high."
The big propellers were whirling more and more rapidly as the motorwarmed-up to its work. The craft was vibrating with the strain of thegreat power, but the vibration had been reduced to a minimum by meansof special spring devices.
"Now we'll try a spiral ascent," said Dick, as he moved the lever ofthe horizontal rudder. The Abaris responded instantly, and began aspiral climb, which is usually the method employed by birdmen. Theyalso generally descend in spirals, especially when volplaning.
Up and up went the big aircraft. There was a section of the cabinfloor made of thick transparent celluloid, and through this a viewcould be had of the earth below.
"We're leaving your place behind, Dick," said Paul, as he noted thedecreasing size of the home of the young millionaire.
"Well, we'll come back to it--I hope," Dick answered. "Don't youfellows want to try your hand at steering?"
"Wait until you've been at it a while, and see how it goes," suggestedInnis. "We don't want to wreck the outfit."
But the Abaris seemed a stanch craft indeed, especially for an airship.
"Say, this is a heap-sight better than sitting strapped in a smallseat, with the wind cutting in your face!" exclaimed Larry, as he movedabout the enclosed cabin.
"It sure is mighty comfortable--the last word in aeroplaning, just asDick's touring car was in autoing," declared Paul, who had taken a seatat a side window and was looking out at some low-lying clouds.
"All we want now is a meal, and we'll be all to the merry!" Dickexclaimed.
"A meal!" cried Larry. "Are you going to serve meals aboard here?"
"Yes, and cook 'em, too," answered the young millionaire. "Paul, showLarry where the galley is," for the reporter had not called at HamiltonCorners in some time, and on the last occasion the airship had been farfrom complete.
"Say, this is great!" Larry cried, as he saw the electrical appliancesfor cooking. "This is the limit! I'm glad I came along."
"We won't stop to cook now," said Mr. Vardon. "I want to see thevarious controls tested, to know if we have to make any changes. Nowwe'll try a few evolutions."
In order that all aboard might become familiar with the workings of themachinery, it was decided that there should be turn and turn about inthe matter of steering and operating the craft. Reaching a height ofthree thousand feet, as Dick ascertained by the barograph, the youngmillionaire straightened his craft out on a level keel, and kept herthere, sending her ahead, and in curves, at an increasing speed.
"There you go now, Paul," he called. "Suppose you take her for awhile."
"Well, if you want an accident, just let me monkey with some of theworks," laughed the jolly cadet. "I can do it to the queen's taste."
"You'll have to go out of your way, then," said Mr. Vardon. "I'vearranged the controls so they are as nearly careless proof as possible.Just think a little bit about what you are going to do, and you won'thave any trouble. It's a good thing for all of you to learn to managethe craft alone. So start in."
Paul found it easier than he expected, and he said, in spite of herbulk, that the Abaris really steered easier than one of the smallerbiplanes they had gotten used to at Kentfield.
Back and forth over the fields, meadows and woods in the vicinity ofHamilton Corners the airship was taken, in charge of first one and thenanother of the party aboard. Larry Dexter was perhaps the one leastfamiliar with the workings of the machine, yet even he did well, withDick and Mr. Vardon at his side to coach him.
"Now we'll give the gyroscope stabilizer a test!" said Mr. Vardon, wheneach, including himself, had had a turn. "I want to make sure that itwill stand any strain we can put on it."
"What are you going to do?" asked Dick.
"I'm going to tilt the craft suddenly at an angle that would turn herover if it were not for the stabilizer," was the answer.
Dick looked at the barograph, or height-recording gage. It registeredthirty-eight hundred feet. They had gone up a considerable distance inmaking their experiments.
"Maybe you'd better wait," suggested the young millionaire, pointing tothe hand of the dial, "until we go down a bit."
"No," decided the aviator. "If she's going to work at all she'll do itup at this distance as well, if not better, than she would fivehundred, or one hundred feet, from the ground."
"But it might be safer--" began Paul.
"There won't be any danger--it will work, I'm sure of it," said Mr.Vardon, confidently.
The gyroscope which was depended on to keep the airship on a level keelat all times, or at least to bring her back to it if she were thrown toa dangerous angle, had been set in motion as soon as the start wasmade. The big lead wheel, with the bearings of antifriction metal, wasspinning around swiftly and noiselessly. Once it had been started, asmall impulse from a miniature electrical motor kept it going.
"Now," said Mr. Vardon, issuing his orders, "when I give the word Iwant you all suddenly to come from that side of the cabin to this side.At the same time, Dick, you will be at the steering wheel, and I wantyou to throw her head around as if you were making a quick turn for aspiral descent. That ought to throw her nearly on her beams' end, andwe'll see how the gyroscope works. That will be a good test. I'llstand by to correct any fault in the gyroscope."
They were all a little apprehensive as they ranged themselves in linenear one wall of the cabin. The airship tilted slightly as all theweight came on one side, just as a big excursion steamer lists tostarboard or port when the crowd suddenly rushes all to one rail. But,on a steamer, deck hand are kept in readiness, with barrels of water,and these they roll to the opposite rail of the boat, thus preservingthe balance.
Mr. Vardon depended on the gyroscope to perform a like service for theairship, and to do it automatically.
The aviator waited a few moments before giving the order to make thesudden rush. Already the apparatus to which was contrasted LieutenantLarson's mercury tubes, had acted, and the Abaris, which had dipped,when all the passengers collected on one side, had now resumed herlevel keel again, showing that the gyroscope had worked so far at anyrate.
"Now we'll give her a trial," called Mr. Vardon. "All ready, come overon the run, and throw her around, Dick!"
On the run they came, and Dick whirled the steering wheel around to theleft, to cause the Abaris to swerve suddenly.
And swerve she did. With a sickening motion she turned as a vesselrolls in a
heavy sea, and, at the same moment there was a dip towardthe earth. The motor which had been humming at high speed went dead onthe instant, and Dick Hamilton's airship plunged downward.
Dick Hamilton's Airship; Or, A Young Millionaire in the Clouds Page 15