CHAPTER XVI. THE ILLUMINATED FAIRYLAND.
"Oh! Tubby!" Andy was heard to cry out above the clamor.
It was all over in a few seconds. Rob believed he saw the fat boy manageto get his other hand out; and it flashed through the scout leader's mindthat the last he had noticed Tubby was gripping his open knife in thathand.
They saw the stout boy roll over and over like a big rubber ball. At thesame time it became evident that the shouts of sudden alarm and horrorbursting forth from the crowd must have warned the aviator that somethingwas wrong, for he instantly shut off the power, and the monoplane was nowslowing up instead of increasing its speed over the level ground.
Rob, Andy and Hiram joined in the forward rush, everybody fearing theworst with regard to poor Tubby. But when they arrived on the spot theywere more than pleased to see him calmly brushing off his clothes.
"Did you get hurt, Tubby?" demanded Andy, anxiously.
"Never a bit," replied the grinning Tubby. "That's the good of beingencased in fat, you see. If it had been you, Andy, you would have gottena broken rib, or something like that. Oh! thank you for my hat, mister.Did anybody see my knife; it slipped out of my hand just as I cut thecord that was holdin' me to the machine?"
"Good for you, Tubby, if you had the presence of mind to do that!" criedHiram.
"And here's your knife, my boy," said an air-pilot, advancing. "You had anarrow escape, and if I were you I would let it be the last time I evertried to run with a machine. If you had fallen over you might have beendragged and killed."
"Not by that cord, I should think, mister," declared Tubby, holding upthe piece that still dangled from his left arm, where a loop hadaccidentally become fast. "It would have broke short on me; but all thesame I'm through trying games like that. I'm not built for it, I guess."
They were pushing the monoplane back for another start. The aviatorstopped to survey Tubby from head to foot.
"So, it was you holding me back, was it? Didn't get hurt any, I hope? Butlooky here, young fellow, when I want an _anchor_ I'll get a real one,and not just a tub of jelly; understand that, do you?"
It was pretty rough on Tubby, for the crowd laughed uproariously, but hedisarmed the anger of the air-pilot by joining in the mirth.
"I meant all right, mister," he told the aviator, "and it would have beeneasy only for that cord that was hanging out. It got caught around myarm, and I couldn't break away. Thank you for letting me off so easy."
After that the boys walked away. It had threatened to be a serious matterat the time, but now that everything was over Andy and Hiram weresecretly exchanging nods, and chuckling over the remembrance of their fatchum sprinting after the swift monoplane, going faster no doubt than hehad ever done before in all his life.
"I see the finish of the rest of the boys in Hampton when the foot racesare on next fall," Andy complained, in what he meant to be a serioustone, "if you take to doing your practicing that way, Tubby."
"Yes," added Hiram, "when it comes to the point that Tubby can keep alongwith a racing aeroplane, or a speeding motorcar, the rest of us might aswell throw up the sponge and quit. He'd make circles around us like Rob'sboat the _Tramp_ could with the old _Sea Gull_."
"Make your minds easy, boys," Tubby told them pleasantly. "I'm going outof training. Once is enough for me. You can have the field to yourself,Hiram; only if I were you I'd quit that running business. An inventor hasno right to take chances; and what's happened once may happen again."
"Well, now, I never thought of that, Tubby," admitted the other, shakinghis head seriously. "Just as you say, an inventor has no right to exposehimself like an ordinary person. No telling what he might not think upsome day for the uplift of the civilized world. He sorter belongs toscience, don't he? Yep, I'll stop chasing after aeroplanes; but of courseI'll have to go up once in a while in order to keep in touch withthings."
"We're about ready to start for the hotel, Hiram," announced Rob; "and ifyou've decided not to introduce yourself to the Golden Gate peopleto-day, you might just as well come back with us."
Hiram sighed, and allowed his glance to rove over to where the crowdstill gathered around the demonstration station.
"I s'pose I'd better," he replied with an effort. "I don't want to begreedy, and overdo things; but it's giving me a jolt to have to breakaway from here. How about you, Tubby; coming along and have dinner withus to-night?"
"Of course he is," said Rob immediately. "To-morrow he must changehotels, so he can be one of our party."
"Why, you took the words right out of my mouth, Rob," declared Andy.
"That makes it unanimous," added Hiram, vigorously; "so you see there'sno way for you to back fire, and break away from your moorings from thesame old crowd, Tubby."
Tubby smiled, and looked pleased.
"It's nice to know you're appreciated, let me tell you, boys," heobserved. "I'll be only too glad to join you at dinner. Yes, and in themorning I'll pack my grip so as to change base. I can leave a letter forUncle Mark that he'll get as soon as he comes back from Oregon."
So that much was settled, and somehow all of them seemed to feel pleasedover the addition to their ranks. Tubby Hopkins was always like a breathof Spring and a welcome guest at every camp fire. Gloom and Tubby neveragreed; in fact he radiated good cheer as the sun does light and heat.
"What's the use of going to the city, and eating an ordinary dinner atsome hotel or restaurant, when we can get such a corking fine spread atthe place where we had our lunch?" asked Andy.
"Well, there's a whole lot of sense in that," admitted Rob. "We can sitaround and get rested, then go to our dinner before the evening rushstarts in; and by the time we're through, the illumination of theExposition will have gotten fully under way. And that's a sight we'rewanting to see, you know."
Hiram fell in with the idea at once, and Tubby declared it suited himperfectly. So once more they headed toward that section of the Zone wherethe giant Aeroscope lifted up its cage of sight-seers hundreds of feetevery few minutes, for the eating-place had been close to this spot.
Since they were looking forward to several weeks at the Fair, no wonderthe boys felt very satisfied and happy. There was so much to see thatthey believed they could put in all the time to advantage withoutduplicating anything.
When they were seated at the table, Tubby kept his chums in a constantroar of laughter by his many quaint remarks. Sometimes these were calledforth by some queer type of foreigner chancing to pass by; and then againit might be Tubby would revive some ludicrous memory of past events inwhich he had figured.
They certainly seemed to enjoy their "feed," as Tubby called it; it wasnot unlike a camp supper, when eaten under such odd surroundings. Andyopenly declared that with so many swarthy turbaned Arabs strolling by,not to mention Egyptians, Hindoos, Algerians, Moors, and the like, hecould easily imagine himself away off on a sandy desert, with camels asthe only means of transportation.
"Makes me so thirsty just to think of it that I have to keep on drinkingall the time; so please get me another cup of coffee, waiter," he said.
"A poor excuse is better than none," remarked Hiram. "Now, I'm going tohave a second helping of that ambrosia nectar just because I want it. Idon't have to ring in all that taffy about hot deserts, camels and suchstuff."
By the time they were through with dinner the illumination of theExposition grounds was in full blast. It certainly looked like fairylandto Rob, Andy and Hiram; though the last named seemed to be moreinterested in figuring how an improvement might be made in the wonderfulelectrical display than in admiring the amazing effect of the myriads ofcolored lights.
The roofs of buildings, the domes, the turrets and the towers, as well asthe Triumphal Arch of the Setting Sun were all aglow. It made a spectaclenot easily forgotten, and which the boys were never weary of gazing at.
As all of them felt pretty stiff and tired from having been on their feetso much that day, and not being u
sed to it after sitting so long on thetrain, it was determined that they would not linger any longer.
"We'll be here on plenty of nights up to the closing hour," said Rob,"and I think it would be poor policy to overdo things in the beginning."
"Yes," added Tubby with the air of an oracle, "I never forget what I wasonce told, that it's very unwise to press your horse in the start of along journey. Let him generally get used to going, and by degrees he'llbe able to do better work right along--and finish strong."
"Same way," added Andy, "the jockeys hold back racers till they reach thelast lap. The one that's the freshest on the home stretch is the onethat's going to win, nine times out of ten."
"I'm going with you, boys, and see all I can of my chums," announcedTubby, who undoubtedly hated to spend even one more night alone. "I canengage a room near yours for to-morrow, p'r'aps; and besides, Rob hassomething he promised to show me, which won't keep over the night."
What he referred to happened to be some photographs Rob had taken on theway to California, and which would have looked just as good on the nextday; but then Tubby was hunting for even a poor excuse to hang on to theparty as long as he could.
They took a carriage at the exit. At the office of the hotel they waiteduntil Tubby had interviewed the clerk, with Rob at his elbow to vouch forhim.
"Great luck, fellows!" announced Tubby, as he rejoined Andy and Hiram. "Igot my room all right, which in itself is a wonder with all the crowds inthe city right now; but would you believe it I'm next door to you!"
"It's some more of that everlasting Hopkins' luck," Andy told him. "Youcan't be kept down, Tubby, no matter how they try it. We've seen you bobup on top before now. And look at you chancing to have that open knife inyour hand this afternoon, when that cord held you! One chance in tenthousand of such a thing happening, and yet it did with you. Sometimes Iwish my name wasn't Bowles; if I couldn't have it that I think I'd chooseHopkins. Sounds lucky to me!"
Chattering as they went, the four chums sought the elevator, and weresoon on the fifth floor where the boys' connecting rooms were located.
Rob had secured only the one key at the desk. With this he opened thedoor, and stepping inside reached out his hand to switch on the electriclight. As this flashed up the boys stared about them.
"Wrong room, Rob, I bet you!" exclaimed Andy. "We never left thingsscattered around on the floor like this."
"But that looks like your suitcase, Andy; and this open steamer trunk ismighty similar to the one we fetched along to hold our extra clothes!"exclaimed Rob.
"Looks like somebody had been in here looting!" remarked Tubby, whoseeyes seemed as round as saucers as he turned from one object to another.
"Well, what d'ye think of that?" cried Hiram, bitterly; "here's my bagturned inside out, just like some sneak thief had been looking for moneyor jewelry. There's been an attempt at robbery here, fellows, as plain asthe nose on my face!"
The Boy Scouts at the Panama-Pacific Exposition Page 16
