by Roy Rockwood
CHAPTER XXV
THE FALSE BAROGRAPH
“He’s a wizard, but——”
The speaker, one of many gathered near the grand stand of theInternational grounds, paused in the middle of the sentence, and lookedsignificantly at his companion.
“I understand,” agreed the latter. “You want to say that the fellowValdec is an aviatic contortionist. Whew! there’s a risky turn. Andhe’s bobbed up all right. There’s not much practicability or science inthe stunt, though.”
The _Whirlwind_ had gone up third in the last big event of the meet.Valdec had completely overshadowed his previous contestants. There wasno doubt as to his agility, daring and complete mastery of his machineat critical junctures. He suggested reckless bravado, and acted like aman not caring one whit for life or limb.
“He’s hair-raising and blood-curdling, and that is all,” declaredHiram. “But——”
“There’s his big stunt—looping the loop!” cried the thrilled and reallyinterested Bruce.
There could not help but be vociferous applause as a result of themarvellous gyrations of Valdec. He was showing off his strongestpoints. To the lover of sensations they were fascinating. To the real,progressive airman, however, they showed little in the way of grace orreal utility.
For all that, the ever observant Hiram looked sober and anxious asValdec brought the _Whirlwind_ to center field, and was greeted with areal ovation. Dave next received the signal to begin, and the _Ariel_arose in the air.
“I’m tingling all over!” declared Hiram.
“Keep your nerves steady,” advised Mr. Brackett, at his side. “Davewill, I am sure.”
“Pretty work, that,” pronounced a bystander, and the staring, gapingHiram echoed the sentiment enthusiastically.
The _Whirlwind_ had been a mad, erratic, dashing creature full ofstrange turns and jerky movements. Valdec had looped the loop twice,but it was with a dive, rather than a swoop. The _Ariel_ proceeded onits course with a gliding movement until about eight hundred feet up inthe air. Then the pilot began a spiral. The crowd watched the maneuverbreathlessly. There was not a break in the swift, perfect circles,narrowing to a space not three times the length of the biplane.
“Pretty neat, that!” sang out an admiring voice.
“One—two—three” added a strident echo—“he’s discounted the record!”
Three times in succession, far up aloft, the _Ariel_ had turned acomplete loop-the-loop somersault. So graceful, so easy it seemed tothe expert young aviator, that the maneuver was a pleasant contrast tothe rapid rush work of the venturesome Valdec.
A roar of commendation arose from the spectators. Not yet, however, hadDave Dashaway won his full laurels. The _Ariel_ sailed away from itsrecent field of action straightaway west. Then, five hundred feet up inthe air, within the full view of every person on the ground, distinctlythe _Ariel_ began “writing.”
“A-R-I-E-L”—in small letter script; every curve and letter formationcould be traced.
The watching crowd went wild with delight. As the _Ariel_ descendedgracefully to the ground, even the Syndicate crowd themselves knew thatthe day had gone against them. The judges were of one voice. Theofficial blackboard gave to number five thirty additional points.
“Ten points shy—oh, dear!” lamented Hiram.
“Mr. Dashaway has shown his mettle all the same,” proclaimed Bruceproudly.
“There’s nothing open for the _Ariel_ class to-morrow, the last day,”observed Hiram. “I suppose the committee will give out the officialaward of the big prize this evening.”
“Oh, Hiram! Hiram!” shouted Bruce three hours later, bursting into thehangar where his comrade was writing a letter to some home friends.“You’re to come down to headquarters right away.”
“That so? Who says it?” challenged Hiram in his usual offhand way.
“Mr. Brackett. And Dave. Something’s up. A row, I think.”
“A row? Why? what about?” questioned Hiram, fully interested now.
“About the awards. I don’t know—I just guess. I know this much, forDave Dashaway told me that. The committee of awards wants all ourpeople, and the Syndicate folks.”
“I’m such a small potato I can’t see why they include me,” observedHiram. “Unless—thunder! if it’s about——”
“That barograph” he was about to add, but he suppressed the utterance.All the way to the club building, however, there was an excited flushon his cheeks, and he was thinking hard and hopefully.
“_Ariel?_ You’re to go in,” spoke the guard at the door of thecommittee room—and the boys entered. Hiram was last. He paused for amoment as he passed a man seated somewhat back in the shadow. In aninstant he recognized the disguised man of the restaurant.
“Mr. Borden!” he spoke in a whisper. Then he passed on. The trampartist had placed a warning finger to his lips.
Mr. Brackett and Dave sat slightly back of a table around which weregathered the five official committeemen. Opposite to them wereWorthington, Valdec and two others of their crowd. The chairman of thecommittee took up a bundle of papers and arose to his feet.
“All those interested in the matter under consideration are here, Ibelieve,” he observed. “Mr. Worthington,” he continued, “we have toannounce a revision of the unofficial announcement of prizes won.”
“How is that? What do you mean?” flared up the fiery Valdec.
“Just this,” replied the chairman steadily, almost sternly. “Thecommittee has awarded the altitude test to number five.”
“Why! see here!” shouted the choleric Valdec, springing to his feet.“The barograph test”—but the chairman silenced him with a dignifiedwave of his hand and went on:
“You are barred from the grounds hereafter and the Association will benotified. You can take your choice with your entrant, Mr. Worthington:a public exposure, or a quiet withdrawal from membership in andprivileges of the National Aero Association.”
“I cannot understand,” stammered Worthington, uneasily.
“This gentleman will explain,” observed the chairman and Bordenadvanced from the shadows, minus his disguise.
It was a brief but conclusive story—that which the artist tramprecited. He charged the Syndicate people with conspiring to defeat thehigh aims of aviatics. He claimed that Valdec had never made thealtitude flight and had substituted a “doctored” barograph for the onethe officers supplied to him at the start of the contest.
“The man you employed to provide the fraudulent instrument has beenbrought to us by Mr. Borden,” proceeded the chairman. “His private markwas on the barograph and the one removed is in our possession, securedsecretly by Mr. Borden at your hangar.”
Dismay, exposure, defeat!—like some snarling animal Valdec left theroom. Humiliated and degraded Worthington sneaked after him.
“You are credited with forty new points, Mr. Dashaway,” announced thechairman of the committee, “giving you a winning lead. The committeehas decided to award you the ten thousand dollar prize.”
* * * * *
The grand event was over, the victor crowned, and Dave Dashaway stoodchampion in his line, eager for new laurels.
It all came to him pleasantly as he started the _Ariel_ homeward forthe International grounds after a brief pleasure flight.
The incidents of the past two days had been most enjoyable. TheInterstate Aero Company had won approved recognition of their output,and their machine had been driven by the top-notch artist in theaviation field.
The result of the discovery of the diamonds had made Bruce Beresfordsupremely happy. He could now provide permanently for his littlesister, Lois, and he could afford to wait till the next season torejoin his young friends in their airship experiences. His ears healedso that only a scar showed.
The diamond thief had undoubtedly smashed the window of the old hut atWayville to throw his plunder into an obscure hiding place. The je
welerwas faithful as to the payment of the promised reward. Then, when thebusiness of the meet was over Dave had gone on a little trip of his own.
The young aviator was about fifteen miles from his destination, when aswift biplane he had noticed casually, crossed for the second time infront of him and made a sudden flight aloft. Then it swung around,followed the same course the _Ariel_ was pursuing and, putting on fullspeed, got directly above him.
“That’s a queer maneuver,” observed Dave, and the words had scarcelyleft his lips when there shot down a dark object with a sputteringsparkling spot of fire in its center. It struck the tail of the_Ariel_, rebounded, descended perhaps a hundred feet and exploded inmid air.
“Meant for me!” cried Dave, “but why? Who is this new enemy——”
A yell fell upon the ears of the astonished pilot of the _Ariel_. Itproceeded from above. Dave ventured one glance overhead. He was trulystartled.
The rival biplane was in flames. The pilot had given the wheel awrench, and as the machine went hurtling down, not thirty feet abovethe _Ariel_, he tore himself from his seat and jumped.
Like a shot he struck the _Ariel_ cockpit rail, and, helpless,crippled, and apparently insensible, began to slip across the wings.Dave reached for him and pulled him into the machine.
“Just in time!” he breathed, his mind in a tumult.
Only by a dexterous movement did Dave save the aeroplane from capsizingfor his momentary inattention to the wheel and the shock of the fallingbody had nearly wrecked the machine. His involuntary passenger did notmove. The other biplane fell earthwards all aflame.
Dave had no idea as to the identity of his baffled enemy, whom hedecided must have been hurt by striking the metal edge of the cockpit.He made for the International grounds and landed directly in font ofthe _Ariel_ hangar.
“Help me get a man out,” he directed Hiram, who stood awaiting thedescent.
“What’s up now, Dave?” inquired his assistant, leaning over and lookinginto the cockpit. “Why, say—it’s Vernon!”
Dave was greatly startled. Into his mind flashed the truth. Filled withmalice and revenge because he had lost a probably rich reward forputting through his infamous plottings, Vernon had essayed a finalattack upon the young aviator.
“He tried to destroy the _Ariel_,” said Dave, “but he seems hurt. Phonefor an ambulance, Hiram.”
Vernon was, indeed, hurt. Both of his arms were broken at the wrists.He would never drive an airship again.
Good came of Dave’s care for him, miscreant as he was. The oldaccomplices of Vernon abandoned him in his wretched plight, but Davesaw that he was given the best of care at a hospital.
Vernon broke down under this kind treatment. He not only confessed hisshare in the plots of the Syndicate, but betrayed the secrets of oldMartin Dawson.
Not much of the Beresford fortune was wrested from that schemer, but atleast Bruce Beresford had the satisfaction of so working out affairsthat Dawson could no longer interfere with him or his little sister,Lois.
“You are a credit to your friends,” proclaimed Mr. Brackett, as hehanded Dave Dashaway the ten thousand dollar check that represented thefirst grand prize of the International meet.
“And what lots of them he’s got!” cried Hiram Dobbs.
“I hope I’m somewhere on the list,” modestly intimated Bruce Beresford.
“Be sure of that,” was the hearty reply. “So much so, that, when westart in for new triumphs, next season, I hope to enroll you as one ofthe crew of the _Ariel_,” said Dave.
“Fine!” cried Bruce. “That would suit me down to the ground—to becomean airman like you, Mr. Dashaway.”
“You can’t become an airman like Dave,” broke in Hiram, loyally. “Thereisn’t a man that flies who can come up to him. He’s the champion, andin a class by himself.”
“And that’s the truth,” added Mr. Brackett. “There is only one DaveDashaway.”
“Then I propose three cheers for him!” cried Bruce.
“Whoop! Hurray! That’s the talk!” burst out Hiram. And then the cheerswere given with vigor, and a “tiger” was added.
And here let us say good-bye to Dave Dashaway, Air Champion.
THE END.
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Transcriber's Notes
Small capitals are rendered in full capitals. Italicized phrases are presented by surrounding the text with underscores. Boldface phrases are presented by surrounding the text with equal signs.
frontispiece - added comma to title to be consistent with other usage of title in book original text: Dave Dashaway Air Champion
page 13 - moved dashes inside end quote original text: Maybe it’s a joke"——
page 26 - changed "maximun" to "maximum" original text: maximun span of thirty-five feet
page 34 - added period at end of sentence original text: choked out the lad by Hiram's side
page 46 - changed "manufacfacturer" to "manufacturer" original text: asked the manufacfacturer
page 65 - changed "holdng" to "holding" original text: weights used for holdng down the hay
page 69 - changed "oldtime" to "old-time" to be consistent with usage in the book original text: a group of oldtime
page 83 - added missing opening quote original text: Hello! what’s that, now?"
page 86 - changed "promply" to "promptly" original text: answered the watchman promply
page 92 - removed extraneous comma original text: who looked, so very dangerous.
page 100 - added period at end of sentence original text: it was a trick," suggested Hiram
page 108 - changed "kind hearted" to "kind-hearted" to be consistent with usage in the 1910's original text: with the kind hearted lady
page 111 - removed extraneous quote original text: "A doctor fixed up my
page 118 - capitalized sentence original text: "stay here Bruce.
page 131 - changed comma to period original text: plans," went on Hiram,
page 141 - changed "sand" to "stand" original text: alighted the nearest to the sand occupied
page 145 - changed "spell-bound" to "spellbound" to be consistent with other usage in the book original text: as if spell-bound.
page 156 - changed "offhanded" to "off-handed" to be consistent with other usage in the book original text: meant to be offhanded, but
page 158 - added missing quote original text: Mr. Brackett and Dave are saying little and thinking
page 186 - removed extraneous quote original text: "You are...thicket? "We’ll go, too. Do you see that?"
page 186 - removed extraneous "the" original text: the movements of the the fugitive
page 187 - removed extraneous quote original text: would budge it."
page 192 - changed "Dashawhay" to "Dashaway" original text: “Mr. Dashawhay has shown his
page 195 - added beginning quote original text: “You are...Dashaway,” announced the chairman of the committee, giving you a winning lead
page 197 - changed "purstung" to "pursuing" original text: followed the same course the _Ariel_ was purstung
page 198 - removed extraneous quote original text: ...he seems hurt." Phone for an ambulance, Hiram."
page 199 - changed "Dodds" to "Dobbs" original text: "And what lots of them he’s got!" cried Hiram Dodds.
