CHAPTER XXIII
AN IMPROMPTU RACE
"How's she running?"
"Couldn't be better!"
"You're not crowding her though, are you? I mean we can go faster;can't we?"
"Oh, yes, but I think if we average fifty miles an hour for the wholetrip, we'll be doing well."
Dick, Paul and Innis were talking together in the small pilot-house ofthe airship. And it was Dick who made the remark about the speed.They had risen high above New York now, and were headed across theHudson to the Jersey shore. They would cover the Western part of theGarden State.
"It sure is great!" cried Innis, as he looked down from the height. "Ifanyone had told me, a year ago, that I'd be doing this, I'd never havebelieved him."
"Me either!" declared Dick. "But it's the best sport I ever heardabout."
"And you sure have got some airship!" declared Larry, admiringly. Theyoung reporter had just finished writing an account of the start,heading his article, "Aboard the Abaris," and, enclosed in a leatherholder, had dropped the story from a point near the clouds. Theleather cylinder had a small flag attached to it, and as it was droppeddown while the airship was shooting across the city, it attractedconsiderable attention. By means of a glass Larry saw his story pickedup, and he felt sure it would reach the paper safely. And he learned,later, such was the case.
"We'd better arrange to divide up the work of running things whilewe're in the airship," suggested Dick. "We want to have some sort ofsystem."
"That's right," agreed Mr. Vardon. "We shall have to do some sleeping."
"How long do you figure you will take for the trip?" asked LieutenantMcBride, who was making official notes of the manner in which the motorbehaved, and of the airship in general.
"Well," answered Dick, "we can make a hundred miles an hour when we'reput to it," and he looked at Mr. Vardon for confirmation.
"Yes, that can be done," the aviator said. "But of course we could notkeep that up, as the motor would hardly stand it. But fifty miles, onthe average, for the entire trip, would be a fair estimate I think."
"And figuring on it being three thousand miles from New York to SanFrancisco, we could do it in sixty hours of continuous flight," addedDick. "Only of course we'll not have such luck as that."
"No, we've got to make one descent anyhow, about half-way across, totake on more oil and gasolene," Mr. Vardon said. "And we will be verylucky if we don't have to come down but once more on the way. But wemay have luck."
"I think we will!" cried Dick.
While the young millionaire was at the wheel, taking the airship higherand higher, and Westward on her journey. Mr. Vardon and LieutenantMcBride arranged a schedule of work, so that each one would have anopportunity of steering.
"And while you're at it," suggested Innis, "I wish you'd arrange aschedule for the cooking. Have I got to do it all?"
"Indeed not," said Dick. "We'll put Paul and Larry to work in thegalley."
"Not me!" exclaimed Paul. "I can't even cook water without burning it."
"Get out! Don't you always do your share of the camp cooking when wego off on hikes and practice marches?" objected Innis, to his cadetchum. "Indeed and you'll do your share of it here all right! I'll seeto that."
"I guess I'm caught!" admitted Paul.
The start had been made about ten o'clock in the morning, and beforenoon more than ninety miles had been covered, as registered on thedistance gage. This took the party across New Jersey.
They had passed over Newark, and the Orange mountains. The ruleagainst flying over a city had bothered Dick who argued that it wouldtake him much out of his air line, and consume more time if he alwayshad to pick out an unpopulated section.
So the rule was abrogated as far as the aviation association wasconcerned.
"And if the policemen of any cities we fly over want to take a chanceand chase us in an aerial motor cycle, let 'em come!" laughed the youngmillionaire.
Dinner was served at a height of about eight thousand feet. Dickwanted to get himself and his companions accustomed to great heights,as they would have to fly high over the Rockies. There was some littlediscomfort, at first, in the rarefied atmosphere, but they soon gotused to it, and liked it. Grit, however, suffered considerably, anddid not seem to care for aeroplaning. But he was made so much of, andeveryone was so fond of, him that he seemed, after a while, to forgethis troubles. He wanted to be near Dick all the time.
Mr. Vardon was a veteran aviator, and heights did not bother him.Lieutenant McBride, too, had had considerable experience.
Afternoon found the Abaris over Pennsylvania, which state would requireabout six hours to cross at the speed of fifty miles every sixtyminutes. The captive balloons, and other landmarks, enabled them tokeep to their course.
Dick put his craft through several "stunts" to further test itsreliability and flexibility. To every one she answered perfectly. Thegyroscope stabilizer was particularly effective, and no matter howsevere a strain was put on the craft, she either came to an even keelat once when deflected from it, or else did not deviate from it.
"I shall certainly report as to the wisdom of having such an apparatuson every airship the United States uses," declared Lieutenant McBride."No matter whether Dick Hamilton's craft wins the prize or not,--and Icertainly hope he does--the gyroscope must be used."
"I am glad to hear you say so," spoke the inventor, "but I never wouldhave been able to perfect it had it not been for my friend DickHamilton."
"Why don't you blush, Dick?" asked Innis, playfully.
"I don't take any credit to myself at all," said the young millionaire.
"Well, I'm going to give it to you," declared the aviator. "From nowon the gyroscope stabilizer will be known as the Vardon-Hamilton, andsome additional patents I contemplate taking out will be in our jointnames."
"Thanks," said Dick, "but I'll accept only on one condition."
"What is that?"
"It is that no money from this invention comes to me. If I win thetwenty thousand dollar prize I'll be content."
"What are you going to do with the money?" asked Paul Drew, for Dickreally had no need of it.
"I'll build a new gym, at Kentfield," was the reply. "Our present oneis too small. We need an indoor baseball cage too."
"Good for you!" cried Innis. "You're a real sport!"
In the evolutions of the airship each one aboard was given a chance topilot her. He was also allowed to stop and start the machinery, sinceit could not be told at what moment, in an emergency, someone wouldhave to jump into the breech.
It was about three o'clock in the afternoon, when Dick's ship wasnearing the Western borders of Pennsylvania, that Paul, who was lookingdown through the celluloid floor in the cabin, cried out:
"Something going on down below us, boys!"
All save Innis, who was steering, crowded around the odd window.
"Why, there's an airship meet going on down there," said Dick. "Look,there are a lot of monoplanes and some biplanes."
"Let's go down a bit and salute them," suggested Larry.
"Down she is!" cried Innis, as he pulled over the lever of thedeflecting rudder. "Say when, Dick."
"Oh, keep her up about two thousand feet. We don't want to interferewith any of their evolutions."
But the advent of the Abaris seemed welcomed by the other airships thatwere taking part in the evolutions below. Two of them, which had beenflying high, at once pointed their noses upward, and raced forward toget in line with Dick's craft.
"They're going to race us!" Paul shouted.
"Come on, Dick, now's your chance!"
"Shall I?" the young millionaire asked of Mr. Vardon.
"Yes, go ahead. Let's see what we can do to them. Though they areprobably much swifter than we are."
"Take the wheel, Dick!" cried Innis. "I want to see you beat 'em."
The implied challenge was at once accepted, and in another moment theimpromptu race was und
er way.
Dick Hamilton's Airship; Or, A Young Millionaire in the Clouds Page 23