by Roy Rockwood
CHAPTER VI
A STARTLING DISCOVERY
“Go in by all means, Dave.”
It was Mr. Brackett, the aircraft manufacturer, who spoke, and neverwas a decision more welcome to boyish ears than this announcement.Prompt with his engagement, as was his business rule, the President ofthe Interstate Aero Company had arrived at the Midlothian grounds ateight o’clock in the morning, of the day succeeding Hiram’s adventurewith the _Scout_.
There had been warm greetings, for Dave felt deeply grateful to thewealthy manufacturer who had so advanced his interests. His impetuousassistant was equally responsive. As to Mr. Brackett, it had been agreat satisfaction for him to realize that his young protégés had notonly made good the promise of their early professional career, but hadlargely been the means of popularizing the machines turned out at hisplant.
He had listened to all that Dave had to say, had gone over the paperssent from the promoters of the International meet at Chicago, hadconsidered for a few moments, and then had settled the matter of Dave’sparticipation in the six words above noted. Hiram’s eyes sparkled. Adazzling picture of new fame and sure success came into his imaginativemind.
“I’ve got to say something or bust, Mr. Brackett!” he exploded. “Ihardly slept last night for thinking of it all. Why, where should Davebe but in the front ranks at Chicago? A first-class prize meet would besecond-class without the aviator who won the trans-Atlantic medal, andlooped the loop at Philadelphia ahead of all the competitors, andinvented all the new wrinkles in hydro-aeroplane work at Cape May,and——”
“There, there, Hiram—that will do,” interrupted Dave, but smilingindulgently. “From the entrants’ list they send us there will be noordinary talent at the Chicago meet and no worn-out stunts will pass.We’ve got to better ourselves and prepare for real work, if we expectto make a showing.”
“You’ve got the last word, the real finishing touch in the _Ariel_,Dave,” reminded Mr. Brackett.
“I appreciate that, yes, indeed,” responded the young airman warmly,and with pride. “And it means half the battle.”
“I suppose you can realize our interest in this meet,” continued Mr.Brackett. “If the _Ariel_ wins, it standardizes our new model in amanner, and means thousands of dollars in effective advertising for theInterstate Aero Company.”
“I’m going to do my level best,” Dave assured him, and he was sostirred with hope, faith and eagerness that he paced about restlessly.“There are some points I am sure of—distance flights, altitude andspeed. None of them can meet the _Ariel_ there. The stunt programme,though, is another thing. I want to study up on that and practice, andI would like to have a talk with the managers at Chicago as soon aspossible.”
“Just what I was about to suggest, Dave,” said Mr. Brackett. “I don’tsee anything gained by your staying here at the Midlothian grounds. Infact, after what you tell me of the explosion yesterday morning, Istrongly advise making a move. Has that tramp friend of yours shown up?”
“No, he hasn’t reported, as I expected he would,” replied Dave ratherdisappointedly, and the manufacturer looked thoughtful as thoughentertaining some suspicions. Hiram broke in with the words:
“He’s true blue, though, Mr. Brackett; I’ll vouch for him! If he hasn’tgot to us yet, it’s because he hasn’t found any trace of the man he’safter.”
“And have you no idea as to the motive for the attempt to destroy the_Ariel_?” asked the manufacturer.
“I have!” cried Hiram in his usual forcible way. “When we come to tracethis thing down, we will certainly find that it goes back to thatschemer, Vernon, who has made us so much trouble in the past.”
“Have you heard anything of Vernon lately, Dave?” inquired Mr. Brackett.
“Nothing definite. Of course I realize that he would find it policy tokeep out of our way. He knows we would advise the management of anymeet where he might happen to be, that he is a dangerous man, and assuch ought to be excluded by the Association.”
“Yes, but cloud-work is all the fellow knows,” suggested Hiram, “and hewill naturally always be a hanger-on in that line. He’s slick enough towork under cover. He’s bad enough, too, to agree to do any unfair worka rival might want to have done against us. That dynamite wasn’tplanted in our hangar for fun. Look out for Vernon, I say, and look outsharp, for we haven’t heard the last of him yet, you mark me!”
“Well, once at Chicago, you will find better protection,” submitted Mr.Vernon. “Ah whom have we here?”
“A thousand pardons,” spoke an intruder, and there crossed thethreshold of the hangar at that juncture Lieutenant Montrose Mortimer.The suspicion was instantly suggested to Dave that the reputedEnglishman might have been lingering outside to choose this specialmoment for an appearance.
“Got a cablegram from my people abroad this morning, Dashaway,” hecontinued glibly. “They are urging me to reach some definite results.”
“This is Mr. Brackett, of whom I spoke to you yesterday, Lieutenant,”said Dave, introducing the manufacturer. “He might be interested tobear of the remarkable aviation progress in England.”
“Ah, just so, just so,” assented the lieutenant, with a searching lookat Mr. Brackett. “Why, sir, I have told our young friend here of theflight-camps the British admiralty have established at Aldershot. Ihave been commissioned to secure some good tutoring material, and thefame of Dashaway naturally led me to him. It is example and directionthat our novices need, and I can promise fine pay and a permanency. Wehave the best Benoist models, Gyro motors, and every standard wrinkle.The war has made it just as insistent for us to secure the best birdmenas armament and shells.”
The lieutenant rattled on at a great rate and Mr. Brackett listenedquietly. Believing that he was impressing his audience, Mortimer drewsome papers from his pocket, selected one, and began figuring up theincome possibilities of an energetic up to date expert like Dave.
“This is very interesting, Lieutenant Mortimer,” said the manufacturerfinally, “but I fear Mr. Dashaway is not in a position to accept yourflattering offer.”
“Regret—disappointed. I could cable my people for more liberal termsif——”
“It would be of no use,” said Mr. Brackett. “Dashaway is going to enterfor the Chicago meet, and will leave here forthwith.”
“Oh, indeed!” observed their visitor, as if he had received a valuablepiece of news, and he arose quickly, brushing pencil and paper to thefloor. “Sorry! Going to make it in this superb biplane of yours,Dashaway?”
“Yes, we shall take the _Ariel_ with us, of course,” replied Dave. Hesaid it reluctantly, however. He had noted a subtle eagerness in theface of his questioner that he did not like.
“That fellow is a fraud,” broadly announced the manufacturer, as thealleged representative of the British admiralty bowed his way out ofthe hangar.
“That’s been my opinion all along,” echoed Hiram promptly. “You canspeak right out,” he added to Dave. “The fellow’s out of sight. Ifollowed him purposely to the door, for he looked as if he might bethinking of sneaking around to overhear what we might say. He noticedme, and bolted for it. Say, did you see him prick up his ears and actsort of rattled, when you told him that we were going to leave here?”
“That struck me,” acquiesced Mr. Brackett. “As I said, he is palpably afraud.”
“Why do you say that, Mr. Brackett?” inquired Dave.
“Because I happen to know something about the aircraft situation inEngland. The big operating point for military aviation requirements isnot at Aldershot, but at the Brookland Motor Course and Flying Grounds,which has been taken over by the government for tests and speed trials,the general public being strictly excluded.”
“Huh!” bristled up Hiram, thinking hard—“what’s coming along now?”
“Another thing,” resumed the manufacturer, “when this lieutenant ofyours speaks of Benoists and Gyro Motors, he is talking about somethinghe do
es not understand. The principal flyers adopted by the admiraltyare American models, and the Green water cooled engine has just won thetwo hundred and fifty thousand dollar prize in the national test inEngland.”
“Why, what can the man’s object be in going to all this trouble andduplicity?” asked Dave.
“It doesn’t look clear, nor right, to me, Dave,” answered Mr. Brackett.“If this is another part of some plot to do you, or your machine harm,it is high time that you were away from here and,——”
“It is!” startlingly interrupted Hiram. “Say, I’ve got the key to thewhole business!”
Both Mr. Brackett and Dave stared at the speaker in wonderment. Hiramwas very much excited. He was waving something in his hand, but it wasnot the “key” to which he alluded. It was, in fact, the piece of paperon which Lieutenant Montrose Mortimer had been figuring that Hiram hadpicked up from the floor of the hangar.
“Look there!” he shouted, exhibiting its reverse side. “See! It’s atelegram from Chicago. Read it, and see if I’ve been guessing wrong allalong!”
Hiram held the sheet so that his companions could plainly read thefollowing alarming message:
“Keep Dashaway and his machine out of the race at any cost.”
And it was signed: “Vernon.”
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