CHAPTER XV
THE PARACHUTE GARMENT
“Oh!” said Dave Dashaway simply, in a transport of delight.
There was a creak, a hum. Its even keel protected by two hangar menwaiting ready for the task, the _Aegis_ moved forward on its rubber shodwheels revolving on ball bearing axles in a soft, lifting glide that wasindescribable.
The monoplane progressed in a straight line for perhaps forty feet. Thenit took a straightaway flight.
Dave knew nothing of the mechanism of the plane. His eyes were fixed ina fascinated way on the aviator. With supreme faith in the expertness ofthe man guiding the frail yet sturdy craft, Dave did not experience asingle qualm of fear. To every move of the skilled hand of the airmanthe splendid construction responded instantly. Dave had just one vividsense of air sailing, safe and ecstatic, as the _Aegis_ arose like anarrow to what seemed dizzying height. Then it began gracefully circlingthe aviation field.
Dave sat so near to the airman that he had him in full view. He couldcatch his every word and movement.
“Just feeling the air,” yelled Mr. King. “She’s prime. Now then, slipthat strap across your waist.”
“I shan’t fall out. I’m holding on tight,” yelled back Dave, hisutterance coming in little gasping jerks.
“Never mind. Do as I say. That’s it. Now I’ll tell you something.”
“Yes, sir,” nodded Dave attentively.
“Start in the teeth of the wind, always. I’m feeling it now,” and theexpert bent a cheek to one side. “It’s a ten mile zephyr. That’s easy.”
The aviator did no fancy or trick air sailing. He kept widening hiscircles and increasing his speed. With a swift movement he took alateral dart over towards a hill, passed beyond it, made a sharp turn,and then another ascent.
Of a sudden there was a dip. The hand of the aviator moved quick aslightning to the mechanism controlling the elevator.
“Whew! we struck a hole that time,” he exclaimed.
“A hole?” repeated Dave vaguely.
“Yes, a hole in the air. That angle I turned was too sharp, but luckilythe elevator was neutral. It’s too gusty. We’ve got to volplane.”
Now came the crisis. Dave was nearly thrown out of the seat as a straywind gust caught the tail of the plane. The machine was nearly thrown upperpendicularly. Dave was not alarmed, but he was thrilled and excited.He could tell from the face of the aviator that Mr. King was working outsome delicate problem of balance and adjustment. Abruptly the machinerighted and sailed downwards on a sharp slant.
“We’re coming down pancake. Lucky for us,” spoke Mr. King in a tone ofvoice decidedly strained. “If we hadn’t, we would have scraped a wing,sure as fate.”
They were now directly over the field. Dave made out the motion picturegroup.
“Mr. King,” he said, “I think the manager is waving a flag.”
“Then it’s our signal. We’ll cut the circle next whirl around thecourse. Everything in place below there?”
“I think it is,” replied Dave, glancing down. “The convict is ready forus, I am sure.”
The airman had superb control of his machine. He had descended to a onehundred foot level, and narrowed the circles as they got directly abovethe spot where the man dressed in convict garb was seated. The latterwas watching for them. Near by two prison guards were walking up anddown. Dave had tied one end of the rope to the arm of the seat heoccupied. The other end, weighted, was coiled up in his lap.
“Now,” ordered Mr. King, slowing up and directing the machine not thirtyfeet above the ground.
Dave dropped the weighted end of the rope. The convict threw down hishammer and grasped it. Bang! bang! went the rifles. The convict clungon, starting a seeming flight skywards. He let go five feet from theground, and that section of the motion picture was cut off.
Mr. King made a quick close landing. They had to roll fifty feet overthe course to escape a collision with a biplane just getting ready for aflight.
The motion picture manager came up to them smiling and pleased.
“That was first class,” he said. “We got the basis for one-half dozenairship scenes, Mr. King. See here, this gentleman has made aproposition to me that strikes me right. He wants to talk it over withyou.”
The airman turned to find himself facing the old inventor. Dave noticedthat the latter was full of some excitement.
“Mr. King, you can do me the biggest favor of my life,” declared Mr.Dixon earnestly.
“Indeed—how is that?” asked the aviator.
“My parachute garment, you know. You said you would take up the matterwith me this afternoon.”
“I know I did, and so I will.”
“I want you to anticipate that.”
“In what way?”
“I was talking to the motion picture man here, and he made a newsuggestion to me. You know how anxious I am to get my invention beforethe public. It would about make me to have a test made to-day, and thetrial photographed, and my invention be shown all over the country inmoving picture shows.”
“That is quite an idea for a fact,” agreed the airman.
“Can’t it be arranged?”
“Yes, here,” broke in the manager. “I have thought out quite a littlescheme. If I could get a picture of some one jumping from an airship itwould be a thrilling and a genuine novelty. You see, I could work inquite a story.”
“How?” asked Mr. King, getting interested.
“Well, that man over yonder with the torpedo monoplane says he’ll joinin for a consideration. Your airship is supposed to contain a fugitivefrom justice, bent on escaping by the air route. The torpedo monoplaneis a sort of police aircraft, in pursuit. Work up a regular chase. Thecriminal springs from your monoplane just as the pursuer is about toovertake you.”
“I can see quite some pretty play possible,” said Mr. King. “Have youfound one ready to risk his neck getting into your parachute suit?” heasked of the inventor.
“You thought you could find my man for me,” reminded the latter.
“That’s so.”
Mr. King glanced over at Dave. He reflected silently for a moment ortwo. Then he beckoned Dave aside from the others.
“See here, Dashaway,” he said, “you’ve heard what these people areputting up to me?”
“Yes, sir, I understand the situation,” answered Dave.
“There’s some money in this for whoever tries it. I wouldn’t let anovice take a risk, but I’ll say from what I’ve seen of the parachutesuit of this old fellow that it’s no great trick to take a short drop init.”
“Then why not let me try it?” asked Dave.
“You’re willing?”
“More than willing.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. The old inventor is pestering me todeath, and while I’d be glad to help him along, I also want to get ridof him. He’ll be satisfied if he can announce to airmen generally that asuccessful test of his device was made from the _Aegis_, under mysupervision. I think I’ll let you try it.”
The airman again consulted with the inventor and the motion picturemanager. A few minutes later some arrangement seemed to be agreed upon.The inventor went away. The manager proceeded over to the torpedomonoplane. When the inventor came back he had a long box under his arm.He, the airman and Dave went over to where the _Aegis_ stood. Theinventor produced his patent parachute suit from the box.
He explained how it worked as Dave put it on. Then the airman and Davewent aloft on a little run in the machine. At twenty feet, and then atfifty feet from the ground Dave jumped from the monoplane. In bothinstances he descended through the air light as a feather. He not onlylanded safely on his feet, but he did not experience the leastdisturbing jar.
While they were thus practicing for a more spectacular leap, Dave couldsee the old inventor almost dancing around with suspense andsatisfaction. The camera man was notified that the _Aegis_ was ready forits part in the pict
ure. The torpedo monoplane got aloft, and the scenebegan.
Dave by this time felt so safe, easy and at home up in the air, that hegreatly enjoyed the mock chase. It was like two immense birds in a race.The machines came pretty close together finally on a level about onehundred feet from the ground.
Dave caught the signal for the drop from the motion picture managerbelow.
“Ready,” said Dave.
“Be careful, Dashaway,” warned Mr. King.
“Here she goes,” answered Dave simply, and shot earthwards.
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