CHAPTER VII
WHO'S AT THE WINDOW?
The making of a big airplane is a good-sized job. Especially is thisthe case with the first airplane made up from new plans. And when thejob has to be done by no more than three young men, it becomes anunusually formidable task.
The loss of the blue-prints did not hold up the progress of our friendsin the least, as it was only the matter of fifteen or twenty minutes'work for Paul to make a new set from the tracings he had at home; butthere were unexpected difficulties met here and there in theconstructive work, as is always the case in large mechanicalundertakings of an original nature, besides which the young buildersran into the usual delays caused by slow deliveries of parts andmaterials from distant dealers and manufacturers; and sometimes therailroads were tardy in transporting shipments.
All in all, the summer slipped away only too quickly, and it came timefor Paul and Bob to go back to school again with Sky-Bird II not morethan half finished. It is true that the long fuselage of the craft wasdone, with its graceful curves and splendid, roomy, enclosed cabin,accommodating five persons; but all concerned were a littledisappointed that more progress had not been made. Mr. Giddings hadbeen quite a frequent visitor at the fair-grounds all through thesummer, lending a voice of encouragement throughout the operations. Helooked really concerned, however, when Paul and Bob had to return toClark Polytechnic Institute for the new term of study.
"This is rather hard on us, isn't it, boys?" he observed, with a lightlaugh in which he unsuccessfully tried to conceal his anxiety. "Herewe are with a half-completed airplane, a race staring us in the facefor next summer, and two of our workmen snatched away for the wholewinter by the inexorable demands of school life, leaving only one lonefellow to finish the job."
"We'll be able to work Saturdays, dad," ventured Bob, trying to wedge alittle bit of cheer into the gloomy prospect.
"And evenings. I'd be willing to work after supper every night for acouple of hours," proposed Paul.
"You won't do any such thing," came the firm answer. "While you are atschool you two fellows need your evenings for rest and study, and yourSaturdays for the school-team sports. Only when there isn't a game onin which you are a contestant will I allow you to help John on themachine--even if it isn't finished for five years. I have beenthinking this situation over for some time, for I have seen it coming,"went on the great publisher after a moment's pause; "and I have come tothe conclusion that the best thing I can do to hustle our ship along isto call in another workman on the job, some chap we can trust and whoknows how to handle tools. In fact, if he were a regular airplanemechanic it would be all the better."
John Ross spoke up at once. "Mr. Giddings," he said, "I think you havethe right idea. Bob and Paul can't help me much from now on, and if wetake that trip around the world next summer this machine must be donesome weeks ahead, so that we can have a chance to test her out and tuneher up. Now, it happens that Paul and I have a cousin--Tom Meeks--whois about my age and who flew in the same squadron with me over on theFrench front during the war. I will vouch for Tom's ability as amechanic and flyer, also as to his trustworthiness. It happens mymother just received a letter from Tom's folks in Illinois the otherday in which she said the factory had closed down in which he wasworking and he was out of a job."
"And you think this Tom Meeks would be willing to come up here, then,and help you this winter for the salary I am paying you?" questionedMr. Giddings with interest.
"I think he would, sir."
"Then write to him immediately, and tell him to come right on."
In less than a week a strapping big young man, suitcase in hand, gotoff the train at the Yonkers depot, and was warmly greeted by hiscousins, Paul and John Ross, who then introduced him to Bob Giddings.Bob had been so eager to see the new helper on the airplane that hecould not wait for a later meeting with him. He took instant liking tothe jolly newcomer, who seemed to be ever smiling, and after a shortexchange of conversation with him hurried home to tell his father whata splendid fellow Tom Meeks was.
Tom was domiciled in the Ross home, to which he had been a visitor inother years, and of course for the rest of that evening was kept busyvisiting with Mrs. Ross and looking at the numerous miniature airplanesof Paul's. His praise of the little Sky-Bird, and particularly of thedrawings of Sky-Bird II was very strong, and when he went to thefair-grounds the following morning with John and actually saw what afine-looking ship the big craft was, he was stumped for words toexpress his full admiration.
Then while John and Tom went industriously to work, Paul and Bob rodeaway to Clark Polytechnic in New York with Mr. Giddings. Just beforestarting into the city that morning, the newspaper man had met Tom, andthere was little doubt that he was well pleased with this addition tohis force of workers. Of course Paul and Bob were sorry to have tointerrupt their labors on Sky-Bird II, but there was no help for it,and there was some consolation in the thought that undoubtedly theirinstructors would let them work on some of the airplane's smaller partsas a portion of their school mechanical practice. This suppositionindeed proved correct, and as the fall days passed they found the twostudent chums not only partaking with full spirit in the sports oftheir comrades, but also contributing in no small measure to theprogress of the work on the new airplane.
As a rule, Paul and Bob managed to stop in each Saturday for at leastan hour or so to lend some assistance to John and Tom, and when therewere no school contests on, they spent practically the entire holidayin the hangar.
The cool days of November soon compelled the boys to install a coupleof heating stoves in the big building, and after that the place waswarm and cheery throughout the working day, no matter how blustery andnippy the weather. At night the coals were carefully banked withashes, to keep up a fair degree of warmth until the following morning.
Up to this time nothing had been seen of any suspicious person lurkingaround the premises, but one afternoon late in the month, when TomMeeks was working alone in the hangar and John had gone to town aftersome bolts, Tom thought he heard a strange sound at one of the twowindows near the workbench.
Turning quickly from the wing-strut which he had been setting in place,Tom faced the window just in time to see a swarthy-looking countenance,adorned with a toothbrush-like mustache, pulled out of range. Themechanic had been informed of Bob's experience with the man who hadevidently followed him to the grounds during the summer, also of theblue-prints which had been stolen, and now as he observed thesimilarity in looks between this eavesdropper and the reported shadowof Bob, he became quite excited.
With that lack of coolness and presence of mind characterizing a morereserved temperament, the impulsive Tom rushed straight up to thewindow, and peered out. Of course he could see nothing, for the peeperhad been cute enough upon finding himself observed to keep close to theside of the building as he moved swiftly toward its rear.
Tom now seized the lower sash and tried to throw it up, so as to get asidewise view. To his disgust he found it double-spiked, and realizedthat he had put that very second nail in himself upon first learning ofthe loss of the blue-prints.
"Huckleberry pie!" sputtered Tom, using his favorite expression whenexcited.
He whirled about and started for the door of the building. On accountof the extensive size of the structure it was quite a little way tothis. To make matters worse Tom dashed forward in such haste andflurry that he did not watch his step very closely; when he was abouthalf-way to the door, his toe caught the protruding leg of an innocentsawhorse, and the next moment Tom Meeks and the sawhorse were bothoverturned.
"Huckleberry pie!" gasped the big fellow. His right shin hurt likefury, but he would not stop to examine it, and covered the remainingdistance to the door in very ludicrous limping jumps. Dashing aroundthe front of the building, he reached the corner which gave him a viewof the side.
Not a soul was in sight. Not to be outdone completely, Tom hurriedalong the side of the building. As he came n
ear the rear end he saw aslender figure just clambering over the highboard fence of the field inthe rear of the hangar.
Lame as he was, big Tom knew there was no chance of his overtaking thefleet-footed and cunning stranger, so he returned to his work very muchcrestfallen in spirit.
When John heard what had happened, on his return to work, he wasconsiderably disturbed, and suggested to his comrades the advisabilityof placing a night-guard on the premises for a while at least, sincethis unknown enemy might make an effort some night to burn orirreparably damage the Sky-Bird. The others sanctioned thisprecaution, and thereafter took turns in watching, although thisvigilance was apparently all for naught, as no suspicious characterappeared.