The Airplane Boys among the Clouds

by John Luther Langworthy

  CHAPTER III

  THE MEN IN THE TOURING CAR

  When Andy Bird, wet through to the skin, arrived at the fisherman'sdock a little later, he found quite a crowd awaiting his coming.

  The small urchin, Tommy, had apparently not suffered seriously from hisimmersion in the waters of Sunrise Lake. Perhaps he was to some extentaccustomed to tumbling overboard; though this time the consequencesmight have been most serious only for the lucky presence of the Birdboys near by, intent on trying out their new hydroplane.

  Tommy's mother managed to thank the rescuer, after a fashion; but Andywas a modest lad, and made light of his recent adventure.

  "Don't mention it, fellows," he laughed when Larry and Elephant startedto lavish praise on his head. "I'm thinking of sending in anapplication to become a member of the Life Saving Corps on the GreatLakes, you know. And this was just the finest chance ever to try howthings worked. Besides, some day Frank and myself may have to take aheader from an aeroplane, and it's just as well to know how to drop."

  "Well, all I can say is, that you did it as well as any expert,"observed the occupant of the tonneau, who had given the name of Mr.Marsh.

  Andy looked at him, noticing for the first time that strangers werepresent.

  "Thank you, sir," he said, blushing a trifle, for he was as yet hardlyaccustomed to praise, and quite unspoiled. "But there comes Frank withthe machine. Did you see us rise from the lake, fellows?"

  "Did we?" exclaimed Elephant, with his face beaming; "well, I shouldsmile we did now. It was the greatest stunt ever. I thought at first,Andy, something had happened to your new biplane; but these gentlemenknew all about such things, and they explained to us what you meant todo."

  Andy at this stole another side glance at the occupants of the bigtouring car. Noticing this, Mr. Marsh hastened to remark:

  "Well, that is putting it rather strong, my boy. We've been interestedin several aviation meets during the last year, and keep posted as towhat is new along those lines. Plenty of people know abouthydroplanes, and such things. And so this represents the last thing inyour work, does it? I must say you are a credit to your teacher,whoever he may be."

  Frank, who had landed close by, heard these words, as possibly thegentleman intended he should. But he was too much interested in othermatters to pay any particular attention to the flattery of passingtourists.

  "How did Tommy come out of the accident?" he asked.

  "All right, I guess," laughed Andy Bird, his cousin. "His ma hascarried him off into the house, to fill him up with cake, or bread andmolasses. He didn't swallow more than a pint of water."

  "Lucky Tommy!" observed Mr. Marsh.

  "You made the drop in fine shape, Andy," Frank went on, still keepinghis face turned toward his chum, as though not really caring to enterinto conversation with these unknown gentlemen, who seemed to be sowell posted on things aeronautic.

  "It was a peach of a dive!" exclaimed Elephant, enthusiastically.

  "And since you're wringing wet I don't think you'd better go up with meagain right now," Frank continued. "Hike for home, and get into somedry duds. I'll knock around for a spell, to try out a few more stuntsI have in mind."

  Truth to tell Frank was eager to get his new hydroplane away from thosesearching eyes of Mr. Marsh. They gave him a queer feeling, which ofcourse he was quite unable to understand.

  During the preceding summer, when the Bird boys were using themonoplane they had put together so successfully, it chanced that theyhad quite a serious adventure with a couple of thieves who had robbed ajewelry establishment, and were trying to get out of the country, wherethe roads were being closely watched by the police.

  On this occasion one of the rascals chanced to be a man named JulesGarrone, who, over across the water had been something of an aeronautand aviator. Conceiving the brilliant scheme that if the monoplane ofthe Bird boys could only be stolen he and his companion could easilyelude their hunters, he had given Frank and Andy lots of trouble beforefinally falling into the net.

  That was one reason why Frank felt rather cool toward strangers whomanifested undue interest in his work. He was of an inventive turn ofmind, and believed he had several new features connected with thishydroplane that as yet were, so far as he knew, novel to the science ofaviation.

  And those keen eyes of Mr. Marsh gave him an uneasy feeling.

  "Your biplane seems to be built especially for two?" remarked thatgentleman, as he watched Frank swing the machine around, with the helpof the willing Larry and Elephant.

  "Yes, sir," replied the boy, promptly. "Andy and myself always hunttogether. We are called the Siamese Twins, because we won't beseparated. Where one Bird boy is found you can make up your mind theother isn't very far away. Once on a time they got to calling meSmoke, and Andy, Fire; but we just wouldn't stand for that."

  "But possibly your machine may not fly quite so well with only one tobalance!"

  Was that a broad hint that he would be only too glad of an invitationto occupy the seat left vacant by the departure of Andy? Franksuspected such a thing; and made a quick reply.

  "Oh! we've got all that arranged to a dot, sir," he laughed. "I canchange my seat, and still reach every lever easily. And as tobalancing, the time has come when the aviator is going to be freed fromall that anxiety. Give me a start, will you, fellows? It's easierrising from the water than on land, because no stumps or roots get inthe way there. That's it. Good day, sir!"

  There was a whirr of the powerful little Kinkaid engine, the lightestever installed in an aeroplane, and immediately the new biplane startedto take on speed. When, in the estimation of the one who handled theflier, it has attained sufficient momentum, the planes were elevated,and like a great bird it gracefully began to mount upward into space.

  Larry was watching the two gentlemen in the car, who had been payingthe closest attention to every little detail. He saw Mr. Marsh turnhis head, and nod several times quickly to his companion.

  "As neatly done as I ever saw it accomplished," the gentleman muttered,though the sharp ears of Larry Geohegan caught the suggestive words.

  Then, after a few pleasant words to the two boys who had been fishing,the men in the touring car started off, heading toward town, and werespeedily lost to sight in a cloud of dust.

  "Let's take the short-cut, and bring up at the field where Frank andAndy do pretty much all of their practice, turning, and cuttingfigure-eights," suggested Larry, as though he had a purpose in sayingthis.

  "Oh! I guess I'm still able to toddle that far," remarked Elephant whowas compelled to work his short legs very fast when trying to keepalongside the taller Larry; and yet these two, so unlike in almostevery way, had long been known as inseparables, ready to have anoccasional little spat, yet just as quick to pour oil on the troubledwaters again.

  "There's Andy turning out," remarked Larry, after a while. "Perhaps,if you could only get going a little bit faster we might overtake himbefore he reaches home. I reckon he means to head for the shop in thefield, because I know he always keeps a lot of old duds there."

  "Sure thing," assented the dwarf, cheerfully, as he started on what wasfor him very like a run. "And it would be just like Andy to want tohelp when Frank comes along with the new biplane. Say, ain't she adandy, though? Did you ever see such a neat contraption? Guess themgents thought we had some pretty smart fellows in Bloomsbury."

  "That's just what I was thinking, Elephant," remarked Larry, "but herewe are at the edge of the old field, and Andy just ahead. See that,he's aiming for the shop in the middle of the patch, where the hangarlies that holds their old monoplane. Perhaps you could buy that cheapnow, Elephant. You know you always declared you meant to take upflying some day."

  "Haven't given it up yet, either," returned the other, doggedly.

  "Well, I advise you to think it over good and hard. Remember the fateof Darius Green. It needs a mighty active fellow to manage one ofthose tipsy, cranky machines. And if you e
ver should fall out I betyou there'd be an awful squash!" chuckled the tall boy.

  "Let up on that, can't you?" expostulated Elephant. "I'm small, but Ican get around as well as the next one. And when I get to sailingthrough the air, I expect to have wings. Then, if any accident comesalong, it's me to flap my feathers, and drop like a thistle-down. Inother words, Larry, I've got a parachute all arranged that will let medown easy; just like the fellow at the county fair, who drops from ahot air balloon."

  "Hello! now what d'ye think of that?" claimed Larry, suddenly.

  "What do you mean?" demanded the small boy. "You're the mostmysterious fellow ever. Oh! I see now, by the way you stare overyonder. Yes, it's the same two gentlemen who admired the daring of theBird boys a little while back. They must have found out where Andylives, and have run out here from town to see what sort of a hangarthey have."

  "Yes, that's right, but I don't like it, I tell you," Larry went on, ashe led the way over the fence that surrounded the field.

  "What's that?" cried Elephant. "Sure you don't suspect these two finelooking gents might be another pair of crooks like the ones that triedto steal Frank's monoplane last summer, do you?"

  "Oh! rats! You wouldn't understand if I did try to explain. Therethey go now, in a cloud of dust. Guess they saw us pointing at thecar. Come along, slowpoke, and get up with Andy," and Larry linked hisarm in that of his comrade, though he had to stoop considerably inorder to make the connection.

  "Why, hello, fellows!" exclaimed Andy, who now for the first timebecame aware of the fact that they had been trailing after him.

  "Just dropped around to see if we could be of any use putting the newmachine away," remarked Elephant, as if an apology were needed toaccount for their presence; but both boys had always been accountedspecial friends of Frank and Andy, and warmly greeted, though not takeninto the secrets of the shop, where mystery reigned much of the time oflate.

  "And there's Frank coming right now!" declared Andy. "I guess he madeup his mind he didn't care to put her through all her paces, with meaway. We're sure proud of this new one, fellows. Why, she works likea clock, and minds her helm better than anything that ever answered tothe call of the plane."

  "Say, did you happen to notice that car on the road over there?" askedLarry.

  "I saw one moving along in a cloud of dust; but didn't notice who wasin it. Why do you ask that?" answered the young aviator, looking athis friend curiously.

  "Oh well, it happened to be those same two men you saw, when youbrought little Tommy ashore," remarked the other, mysteriously.

  "But I thought they were headed for Bloomsbury?" exclaimed Andy.

  "That's what they said; but you see they thought it worth while to runpast and come away out here, just to take a peek over the fence and seewhat you Bird boys had in this section."

  "That's funny now," muttered Andy, who, being less keen than hiscousin, could not let suspicion find lodgment in his brain as quicklyeither. "But perhaps Frank may know who they are. He keeps prettywell posted on everybody connected with aviation meets and inventions.Marsh, he said his name was; what was the other, do you know, fellows?"

  "I heard him call the man at the wheel Longley several times, so Ireckon that must be his handle," said Elephant, who never liked beingleft out in the cold whenever there was an argument on the carpet, orin fact any talking being done.

  Frank came sailing directly toward them with considerable speed. Whenit began to look as though he might mean to collide with the lowworkshop close by, he suddenly swooped upward, and passed over theirheads, uttering a laugh as he saw how the alarmed Elephant dropped flaton his face and hugged the earth.

  Circling around, Frank cut several fancy figures with the new biplane,the hum of the twin propellers making merry music in the ears of thedelighted boys.

  Finally, as though tiring of this sport he dropped on the grass aslightly as he had a little while before nestled on the smooth surfaceof Sunrise Lake.

  The three boys joined him, and willing hands soon stored the aeroplanein the snug hangar prepared for it alongside the workshop. Then Andydodged inside to change his clothes before he got a chill; for thoughsummer had come, the air was far from hot right then by any means, astorm having cleared the atmosphere during the preceding night, andleaving it delightfully crisp.

  "I saw a car buzzing along the road while I was up, but couldn't use myglass to see who was in it. Did you notice, Larry?" Frank asked asthey stood there near the open door of the shop.

  "I was just going to mention the fact that those two men act like theyhad taken a great fancy to you and Andy," returned the other, readily.

  Frank Bird frowned.

  "H'm! I just don't like to hear that," he said. "Andy and myself havebeen working on something lately that we want to keep a dead secretfrom everybody. If we don't tell even our friends, then there can belittle chance of a leak. But I'm not inviting strangers to take a ridewith me, or visit us in our shop. Though you can come in now, any timeyou want, Larry and Elephant."

  "Sho! we wouldn't know the wing feather of a plane from one thatbelonged in the tail or steering rudder," chuckled Larry.

  "But I'm meaning to learn, Frank," put in the small chap, strenuously."It looks so easy for you fellows, knocking around up there, withnobody ever getting in your way, like on our roads, that I want to fly."

  "Well," pursued Frank, shaking his head. "I don't encourage anybody totake up the business. It's certainly the most dangerous calling goingat present; but after the Wrights have put their latest balancing ideainto general use, the number of dead aviators will drop fast. In timeit may be a fellow can hardly fall out of a well-made flying machine ifhe is the most reckless aviator going."

  "Hear that, Elephant," laughed Larry. "Hope yet that some of us commontruck may be flapping through the upper currents, and getting out ofthe wet when it rains, by sailing above the clouds. But I see somefellow coming along the road on his wheel like he had a hurry call.Looks like Nat Holmes too, and he's coming in here."

  "Funny how badly balanced that fellow is," remarked Frank. "Always ina hurry in everything he tackles; and then falling all over himselfwhen he tries to talk. He's waving his hat too like he had somethinginteresting to say. Let's hope, boys, it happens to be one of his goodhours; or we're in for a lot of gibberish Hottentot patter, I'm afraid."