CHAPTER XXI
A CHASE IN MID AIR
Dave roused up, wide awake in an instant. He was about to spring tohis feet, when Hiram pulled him back with the words:
"Don't get up."
"Why not?" inquired the somewhat puzzled young aviator.
"You'll be seen."
"Who by?"
"A man who was just here."
"Do you mean that, Hiram?" exclaimed Dave in a startled tone.
"I certainly do. Look," said Hiram, pointing, and then he added:"No, the trees shut him out now. As I just said, though, we havebeen discovered."
Now Hiram arose to his feet, the danger of being seen appearing tohave passed. Dave followed his example.
"Some one was here, you say?" began Dave.
"Yes."
"Who was it?"
"A fellow who looked like some of the half breed Indians we sawfishing over near Anseton. I woke up, and he came in range clear asa picture. It was over by that thicket of pine trees. There hestood, staring at our machine, then at us. He seemed to take it inwith a good deal of surprise. Finally he threw up his hands as ifhe was making up his mind to something, and started on a run downthe hill."
"In that direction?" asked Dave, pointing due east.
"Yes, in the direction of Brantford. I tell you, Dave, he's a spy.If he ran across us accidentally then he's gone to tell his friendsabout discovering the airship."
"That doesn't follow," remarked Dave thoughtfully, "but I'm glad yousaw him."
"Yes, I think we need to keep a pretty close lookout. Say, Dave,"questioned Hiram, "if he is some friend of the Dawson crowd, and hasgone to tell them about us, what do you suppose they'll do?"
"I have no idea," replied the young aviator. "But they won't catchus napping."
Dave kept a close watch out in all directions while Hiram hurried upa quick breakfast. They got through with the meal rapidly. ThenDave went over the machine, seeing that the gasoline tanks were fulland the gearing and oiling apparatus in good order.
Two hours went by, and there were no developments that indicatedthat the visitor to their camp had been other than a straggler, withno purpose in view in his rapid disappearance. Hiram became morematter-of-fact, and guessed he had "got scared for nothing." Allthe same he kept a close lookout all of the time, particularly inthe direction of Brantford.
Dave was planning a visit on foot to that town. He decided,however, that he would wait till afternoon so as to be sure thatthere was no occasion for worry. Both lads discovered the fallacyof their theories at the same moment.
"Look!" suddenly shouted Hiram, pointing.
"I see," said Dave calmly, but under the surface greatly stirred up.
"It's the Drifter!"
"Yes."
"What are you going to do?"
"Come," spoke Dave simply, and sprang into his seat in the Machine.
Hiram hastily collected their few belongings scattered about thespot. He bundled them into the accommodation basket, and was in hisplace almost as soon as Dave.
The eyes of both of the young aviators were fixed on a rapidly approachingobject--an airship. Dave did not have to glance at its construction morethan once to know definitely that it was the stolen Drifter.
Whoever was at the levers, Jerry or his father, thoroughlyunderstood his business, Dave saw that. The aero-hydroplane camerather abruptly into view over a wooded hill top, and was rapidlyapproaching them.
"You see, I was right," said Hiram hastily. "That half breed was aspy, at least to that crowd. He has directed them here."
"All ready," ordered Dave, in a set, sturdy tone, and the selfstarter began to work.
"What is it--a chase?" fluttered Hiram.
"We'll have to wait and see. You know what kind of fellows theDawsons are. I'm not going to sit like a bird in a nest and havethem swoop down upon us, though."
"There are three--you can count them in their airship," said Hiram,shading his eyes and craning his neck.
"Four," corrected Dave. "The Drifter has a capacity of fiveordinary people, Mr. Randolph told me."
The Monarch II made a magnificent slanting rise up into the air.Dave knew the splendid qualities of the machine under his control.They included an ability for a quick light ascent. He had no ideaof the purpose of the Drifter crowd, but of course their main objectwas to capture their rival. The question was, failing in this, how,far would they go in the way of crippling or even destroying theMonarch II.
The Drifter was headed on a course directly towards the eminencewhich the boys had just left behind them. There had come up aneight hour wind about noon, and Dave knew that would be child's playmaneuvering to avoid the enemy intent on annoying or injuring them.He drove ahead at a six hundred feet level and waited for theDrifter crowd to indicate what their purpose was.
"They are changing their course!" said Hiram quickly, as the Drifterwheeled suddenly.
"They are going to try a new ascent," explained Dave.
"Why?"
"To get to a higher level than ourselves."
"Then they mean mischief?"
"I am afraid that they do," replied the young aviator.
"Maybe they are trying to scare us," suggested Hiram.
Dave was now certain that the purpose of the Dawsons was to pursue,capture or intimidate them, or drive them away. They had a superbmachine, and as they made a far lateral shoot it brought themconsiderably higher up than the Monarch II.
In fact, after one or two circles, like a huge bird swooping afterprey, the Drifter came almost directly over them.
Dave's tactics were now purely defensive and evasive. There werefive people aboard the aero-hydroplane, and they were desperatepersons. He was not surprised when an object same shootingdownwards from the Drifter. It struck one of the plane wires andthen dropped earthwards.
"Something's whipped loose," spoke Hiram quickly.
"It's one of the elevator wires," said Dave, darting a quick glanceat the spot. "This won't do."
Now it was an over-water flight with no measured course to pursue.The Drifter tried to repeat its recent tactics. Dave noticed thatthe Monarch II had become somewhat faulty in its running. He wasanxious to get away from the enemy. His main efforts were directedtowards preserving a sure balance, for once or twice there was awobble, as if the machine was hurt in some vital part.
The young aviator made out a buoy a few miles to the west. Beyondit was a little settlement. He set his course for reaching it, anddirected his full attention to the levers and the angle indicated.
The indicator was directly in front of the pilot seat. It showedpositively how the machine was flying, on the top or down bank. Itcomprised a cup with lines set about ten degrees, and gave a suresafety limit. Only the pendulum was movable. This was mounted onan arm always perpendicular, a small mirror reflecting thevariations of the pendulum.
Climbing and banking, Dave got quite a lead on the Drifter, but theaero-hydroplane kept up a steady pursuit.
"There's something the matter besides the broken wire," spoke Daveto his anxious companion. "The oil intake is dogged or one of theplanes loose. We can't take any risks."
Dave sent the Monarch II on a downward shoot. There was a singlepontoon in the center of the craft, with small tanks beneath theplanes to prevent tipping over in the water. Dave aimed to hit thebay near to the shore.
Suddenly the aircraft acted queer. It had evidently struck a holein the air. The machine seemed fairly to drop from under itsoccupants, and thirty feet from the water, Dave was lifted from hisseat and took a sudden plunge over-board.
He went under the surface and came up dazed and nearly stunned. Ashe floated, dashing the water from his eyes, he saw the Drifter, nowa flying boat, cut around a point of rocks, bearing straight downupon him.
Dave looked quickly about him for the Monarch II. To his surprise,as it scudded across the waves for perhaps a hundred feet on itsmomentum, it lifted again free of the surface
of the bay.
He made out Hiram clambering from his seat like a sailor among theriggings of a ship. He saw the machine go up on a sharp slant,clear the shore of the bay, and disappear beyond the high cliffslining it.
Then something struck him. It was some light part of the rotaryengined aero-hydroplane, the Drifter, cutting the water like aknife. His head dizzied, and the young aviator went under thesurface of the lake with a shock.