CHAPTER VIII
THE RIVAL AIRSHIP
“A rival in the field?” said the young aviator, with a good deal ofinterest and curiosity.
“Yes,” nodded Mr. King. “It isn’t that I didn’t expect it. We have noexclusive patent on building an airship and trying to cross theAtlantic. We do want to know what we have to fight against, though.”
“Yes, it is always best to find out what your competitors are doing,”agreed Dave.
“Well, there are several we have run down and dismissed from our minds.Two-thirds of them are cranks seeking notoriety. Some of the others areinventors who know all about mechanics, but nothing practical concerningaircraft. It would amuse you to go over some of the wild schemes theyare getting up. One proposition has kept me busy thinking.”
“What is that, Mr. King?”
“You remember a man named Davidson?”
“Why, certainly,” responded the young aviator at once. “He is the fellowthey ran out of the Springfield aero meet.”
“That’s the man,” assented Mr. King, “an unscrupulous trickster. He hasbeen tabooed by all legitimate airmen, but he has bobbed up again withhis old-time nerve and audacity. Look there.”
The aviator selected a bunch of newspaper clippings from a drawer in hisdesk, and pushed them over to his young friend.
Dave scanned them rapidly. An item hinted mysteriously at a grandexploit in aeronautics about to be undertaken by the “celebrated”airman, Roger Davidson. A later article purported to show thepossibility of sailing a dirigible balloon across the Atlantic.
A column story followed. It referred to the great interest in theinternational exploit, and named the rich prize ready for the successfulcompetitor. It was understood that Roger Davidson was preparing to enterthe race, and a superb aircraft was being built for him at an aero plantat Senca.
“I suppose you remember that Jerry Dawson and his father were in theemploy of Davidson for a time, Mr. King?” observed Dave.
“I recall it perfectly,” nodded the aviator.
“And Jerry being here to-night shows they are together again.”
“It looks that way. As long as they only try to steal our thunder Idon’t so much mind,” remarked the airman. “It may be the start forsomething worse, you see. I am tied up here with Leblance. I want you toferret out the Davidson crowd and find if they are really up tosomething.”
“I can do that,” assured the young aviator, confidently.
“None better, I know. Get their line-up, Dashaway. Find out if they arereally in earnest, or only jockeying for notoriety, or fleecing somegullible promoter.”
“All right,” agreed Dave; and that settled it with Mr. King, who hadfull confidence in the shrewd wits and fidelity of the boy he had taughtto fly.
Dave was to start for Senca the next evening. He passed a gloriousmorning at the aerodrome. The French inventor was one of the mostinteresting men he had ever met. Leblance was all business, but veryenthusiastic and optimistic in his work. He took a fancy to Dave, andtold him things about transatlantic aircraft and airmen that were partof an actual education to the young aspirant for aeronautic honors.
The construction of the _Albatross_ had progressed far enough to show apractical form and substance. No expense was being spared. The men underLeblance were experts in their line, and Dave was amazed at the detailsthey were working out.
“It’s money well invested,” declared Mr. Dale, “if it only serves toproduce the most perfect airship ever built.”
“Why, if they put all the things in the _Albatross_ they count on,” saidDave, “it will be like a trip on a high-class ocean steamship!”
“Wait till she’s done, my friend,” observed Leblance. “We shall see—andwe shall cross the Atlantic; oh, never fear.”
Grimshaw and Hiram put in an appearance by noon. The latter went wildover the _Albatross_. He believed implicitly in Dave, and the youngaviator believed in the giant airship under construction.
“If they let me go on that trip,” said Hiram, breathlessly, “I’ll be theproudest and the happiest fellow in the world.”
“You are going, if any of us do,” promised Mr. King, and the delightedHiram moved about as if he was treading on air.
Mr. King went down to the train with Dave.
“Don’t run into any danger, Dashaway,” he advised. “You are going todeal with a wicked-tempered crowd, remember that.”
“I shall remember,” promised Dave; “and profit by your warning.”
Hiram was rather lonesome over the absence of his friend the next day.The ensuing one he got restless and anxious.
“I tell you what,” he said, confidently to Grimshaw the next afternoon;“if Dave don’t show up soon, I’m going after him.”
“Dashaway knows how to take care of himself—trust him for that,”insisted the old airman.
“Well, I can’t stand this worry. If he don’t come by to-morrow, I’mgoing to look him up.”
Grimshaw said nothing to this. He was, in fact, also a trifle disturbedover the prolonged absence of Dave. His grim face relaxed into genuinerelief and gladness that evening, as, just after dusk, the young aviatorbroke in upon the airship group.
Dave was brisk and cheery as usual, and all hands gave him a cordialgreeting. Mr. King and Leblance were eager to hear his report at once.
“Well,” said Dave, “I’ve found out about all there is to discover downat Senca.”
“Does it amount to anything?” inquired the aviator.
“That’s for you and Mr. Leblance to say.”
“Run across that fine specimen of humanity, young Dawson?” askedGrimshaw, in a kind of a growl.
“He had been sent to New York for some balloon material,” explainedDave, “so I got along finely, for Davidson doesn’t know me by sight.Sure enough, they are building a dirigible balloon,” continued Dave.“They’ve found a backer who has put up several thousand dollars. Theytalk big of how sure they are of reaching Liverpool in a week’s time,”and Dave smiled.
“What are you smiling at, Dashaway?” inquired Mr. King.
“You would smile if you saw the craft they are building,” declared Dave.“To tell you the truth, I can’t get away from the suspicion that thewhole thing is what people call a fake.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I had no trouble in getting into their workroom. The way theyact, the machine they’re getting up—well, I almost made up my mind thatDavidson is doing all this to get some of the promoter’s easy money. Ifthe _Dictator_ ever sails a hundred miles, let alone a thousand, it willbe doing well.”
“What kind of a craft is this _Dictator_?” inquired Leblance, withprofessional interest.
“I’ll show you,” said Dave, feeling in his pocket. “The fact is, I gavethose fellows tit for tat.”
“As how?” questioned the curious Hiram.
“Well, they stole a photograph of the _Albatross_. I had the chance todraw a picture of the Dictator, and here it is.”
The young aviator produced a paper roll from his pocket. Dave was anatural draughtsman. As he spread out the paper a well-traced penciledoutline was revealed.
“Let me see it,” spoke Leblance, eagerly. “Ah, you have done well.”
The keen eyes of the French inventor scanned the drawing intently. Then,suddenly and with great excitement of manner, he threw it upon thetable.
“Preposterous!” he exclaimed. “Nonsense! Absurd! My friend King, we havenothing to fear. The _Dictator_ is a botch, a farce. Whoever constructedit is a novice, a dabbler! That machine could not fly ten miles!”