CHAPTER VIII
SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY
Our hero found the gasoline tanks pretty well emptied of oil. Herealized that the “juice” on hand would not admit of a long flight.Satisfied, however, that there was sufficient fuel to fly the _Comet_out of its resting place and down to level ground, Dave got to the pilotpost and operated the self-starter.
The biplane arose promptly to the occasion. A little deft guidingcleared the hill. The machine and its occupant came safely and gently toa new landing place in a field nearby. Hiram and the farmer hastened tothe spot as Dave alighted.
“I call that purty cute,” announced the farmer, a good deal interested.“Now then, stranger, what about them damages?”
“Just what I said,” replied Dave. “You have done us a great service andwe appreciate it. There is your money.”
“Say, you’re square and white,” declared the farmer, overjoyed at thepossession of so much cash.
“We try to be,” answered Dave, pleasantly. “Just sign that receipt, willyou? The aeroplane company will pay for this, and I want my voucher allstraight and regular.”
Dave wrote out a receipt on the back of a card and the man signed it.Then the young aviator proceeded to the automobile.
“Can’t I help you some?” inquired the farmer, accommodatingly.
“If you will loan us a tin pail for a bit it will be of service to us,”replied Dave. “There is plenty of spare gasoline in the auto tank,Hiram,” he explained.
It did not take the boys long to transfer enough of the gasoline to lastthe _Comet_ for a home flight. Dave arranged to fly the machine anddirected Hiram to take charge of the automobile.
It was about two o’clock in the afternoon when the adventurers reportedon the aero grounds. Mr. Brackett was delighted at their success andElmer was fairly overjoyed. No damage whatever had been done to thebiplane, it was found, after a careful inspection of the machine.
“I say, Dave,” spoke Hiram, as he and his chief sat eating a fine dinnersent by Mr. Brackett from the restaurant; “there’s a good deal aboutthis business that puzzles me.”
“I suppose that is true,” responded the young aviator, with a slightsmile. “What principally is troubling you, Hiram?”
“Why, the whole proceeding. If somebody wanted to put us out ofbusiness, why didn’t they sink the airship somewhere or burn it up?”
“I think they counted on the _Comet_ remaining undiscovered until longafter the other entries had started,” said Dave.
“Spite, then?” suggested Hiram.
“No, I don’t think that.”
“Then if that Vernon had anything to do with it——”
“I am satisfied that he did,” declared Dave. “His object was not to keepElmer from getting out of the country, though.”
“Why, what else could it be?” questioned Hiram in wonderment.
“I shall tell you later, Hiram,” replied Dave in quite a serious way.“The fact is, there are some things about stealing the airship that I donot entirely understand myself. When I have posted myself on thosedetails, I fancy I shall have a decidedly interesting story to tell youand Elmer.”
“Say, can I ask you one question?” propounded Hiram, and then, as Davenodded in assent, he added: “Has that girl, and your visit to the cityand the appearance of Vernon at the Hampton Flats got anything to dowith it?”
“Everything, in my opinion,” answered the young airman, gravely.
“Humph!” commented Hiram. “A romance and a mystery, eh?”
“Hardly, Hiram,” responded Dave gravely. “It is business, pure andsimple. I will say this much to you at the present time: whateverdealings I am having with Mr. Deane, the father of the girl you saw, mayinvolve all the skill and nerve the crew of the _Comet_ have at theircommand.”
The young airman had given his interested assistant a good deal to thinkover. Hiram, however, and in fact everybody about the place, were soonimmersed in things strictly professional. At noon the following day therace around the world was to start. There were not a large number ofentries, but every individual contestant had his own pet machine and hiscoterie of friends and admirers.
The field was a lively scene all day. The various machines made trialflights. Then there was the packing of supplies, which necessarily hadto be of limited volume. All of the contestants in turn visited theoffice of the Aero Association to receive definite route instructions.There was a good deal of red tape to go through, credentials to secure,and arrangements made for reporting progress to headquarters from setpoints along the route.
The young aviator and his assistants spent nearly an hour over a blueprint map which had been furnished each of the contestants by themanagement of the event. Hiram got out a geography and studied out thesituation in a more detailed way. Elmer, at the suggestions of Dave,made two copies of the list of points from which the _Comet_ was toreport progress.
The boys were interrupted in this congenial work by the appearance ofone of the hangar men at the door of the living tent. He beckoned toDave, who at once went outside, received some message, and called backto his friends:
“I’ve got to go to the city, fellows. Won’t be over two hours. Keep aclose watch on everything until I get back.”
“Wonder what’s up now?” remarked Hiram, speculatively. Then he went tothe door and looked out. “H’m,” he observed, “Dave has a good deal ofmysterious business on hand, it seems to me.”
“Where has he gone?” asked Elmer only casually, for he was deeplyabsorbed in his work.
“To the city he said, and say, in that same automobile that brought theyoung lady here day before yesterday.”
“Well, it must be something important to take Dave away from here atjust this time,” commented Elmer.
The young aviator reappeared about two hours later. The chauffeur whohad come for him brought him back. Dave came into the living tent allbriskness and cheery as usual. The watchful Hiram, however, whisperedcautiously to Elmer that “he acted as if he had something heavy on hismind.”
The boys made frequent visits to the _Comet_ during the evening. Hiramnoticed that Dave seemed very solicitous that a double watch should bekept over the machine during the night. He hired two extra men to spellthe regular watchmen, and gave them close directions as to their care ofthe biplane.
A band of music woke up the three young airmen early in the morning. Itannounced a reception to some French experts who had arrived to takepart in the international flights. Dave was out of bed first, as usual,and bolted out of the place, anxious to see if all was well with the_Comet_.
Hiram and Elmer began to dress. They felt buoyant and eager for the workof the day. In sport, as Elmer finished dressing first, he made a grabfor the pillow on the cot Dave had occupied and sent it hurtling at thehead of his companion.
“That’s the last pillow you’ll see for a long time to come,” heannounced. “Hello! Why, Hiram, look here!”
The speaker stood stock still, gazing spellbound at the head of the cotwhence he had taken the pillow. Hiram, joining him, looked down likehimself in sheer, startled wonder.