CHAPTER XX
THE RIVAL AVIATORS
"It's what I call a blooming shame, that's what!" declared Andy."Here's the day of the big race come along, and it's within an hour ofthe time set for the start from Bloomsbury high school campus; and themeasly old weatherman has to dole us out a 'probable rain' sign. Goingto upset all our calculations sure; and disappoint all those finepeople over in Hazenhurst."
"That's where the shoe pinches, Frank," spoke up Larry. "He's justthinking about one pretty little girl who will be waiting to wave herhandkerchief when the hero of the bulldog scrap comes whizzing aroundthat old liberty pole."
"Am I?" demanded Andy, indignantly. "Just you take a look yonder atthe western horizon, and tell me what you see there?"
"A low down bank of clouds, that's a fact, Andy," replied the other,candidly. "But only for this race business you wouldn't take anyparticular notice of that same. You remember it looked just as bad theother day, and petered out without ever giving us a drop of rain."
"Yes, that's so, Larry," observed Frank. "I've been watching thoseclouds for some little while now. They don't seem to be climbing up,as far as I could see."
"But I sure saw a little something right then, that may have beenlightning," put in Elephant.
"I reckon you did," Frank admitted, "for I saw it, too. One thingsure, there's going to be no trial for elevation today. Nothing couldtempt me to bore up thousands of feet, with a dark storm threateningbelow. Even if we escaped the wind, we might be kept up there untilnight came on."
"Excuse me, if you please," remarked Andy, with a shudder. "It's badenough up there on a bright, sunshiny day, let alone night, with astorm howling below. The judges won't allow of such a thing. We'llput off altitude until a better day."
"Percy will be mad, though," said Elephant. "He just hates to give in;and if they let him have his way he'd defy you to make the trial, nomatter what the weather."
"Well, that's why I made sure there were sensible men on the jurythat's going to decide this race," Frank remarked, confidently. "Ihappened to remember what a hot-head Percy is. While I'm ready to meethim in any reasonable test, to prove which of our aeroplanes is thebetter, I don't want to act like a crazy aviator. There's dangerenough, goodness knows, at the best, without taking chances that nosensible person would consider."
"Is everything all ready, Frank?" asked the other Bird boy.
"I believe so. Wait till I lock the shop, and then we'll take a littlespin before heading for the campus, just to warm the engine up."
"There's nothing lying around, is there?" asked Andy, anxiously; "incase a fellow took a notion to break in here while the circus is on intown, and everybody interested in our biplanes?"
"I've made sure of that," smiled his cousin; adding significantly: "Isuppose you're thinking of Mr. Marsh right now?"
"That's who I am," came the prompt reply. "Don't you see how he wouldhave loads of time to get in and rummage around, while all of us wereoff--even Colonel Josiah is bound to be at the high school buildingthis p. m. Perhaps Mr. Marsh had that game in mind when he asked somany questions about the race."
"Oh! you suspicious chap," laughed Frank. "But rest easy, Andy, Mr.Marsh could look a long while through here without discovering any signof my experiments; or at any rate, what success I had met with in thesame. If he goes to all the trouble to get into the shop he'll havehis work for nothing."
"And I'm going to make it a point to keep an eye out for that samegent," declared Larry, positively; "and if he vanishes from the campusjust you make up your mind your Uncle Larry will be camping on histrail. I'd just like to see him breaking into a private building, nomatter if it is only the workshop of two boys. Let him try it, if hewants to see what nice quarters Chief Waller has in the Bloomsburylockup. You hear me?"
"After you give us the shove-off, boys, get on your wheels and hike forthe campus. We expect you to be there to start us in the race.Something depends on a clever get-away, you know," Frank observed, ashe locked the door, and put the key in his pocket.
A short time later the biplane rose swiftly, like a hawk that had beenstartled, and began to mount upward in gigantic circles, the faithfullittle Kinkaid engine throbbing with the regularity of heart beats.
As directed, no sooner had Larry, Elephant and Nat seen the Bird boyswell off, than they mounted their waiting wheels, brought over for thisespecial purpose, and started for town.
Anybody could see without trouble that Bloomsbury was in the throes ofa tremendous excitement that afternoon. People abandoned their housesin crowds, and flocked toward the campus of the high school, whichseemed to be the hub of a vast wheel, the squads of citizens taking thepart of spokes, all headed toward the common center.
And nearly everybody seemed to be turning around, to observe thebiplane which was plainly visible, as Frank and Andy warmed the engineup for speedy use. All sorts of remarks reached the three boys, asthey slackened their pace, once inside the limits of the town. Thevast majority of the crowds seemed to be in favor of the Bird boys;though of course there were some who sympathized with the opposition;not because they cared so very much for Percy and Sandy, as of a desireto be on the other side of the fence. Some boys are built that way.They call it "taking the weaker part" but in reality it is a spirit ofcontrariness that pushes them on.
And when they reached the vicinity of the campus Larry and his comradeswere astonished to see the multitude that had gathered to witness thenovel event. All sorts of vehicles were parked in the nearby sidestreets, from big touring cars, and little electrics, to farm wagons;and even a hayrick, on which a dozen country people had ridden some tenmiles, with a desire to witness the miracle of the twentieth century,the flying boys of Bloomsbury.
"Oh! my! where do they all come from?" gasped Elephant, as he lookedaround at the sea of faces.
"Thank goodness," remarked Larry, "Chief Waller is on deck with all hisforce, to keep the crowds back. Only for that how would the aeroplanesever get started?"
"L-l-look y-y-yonder!" said Stuttering Nat, pointing, as he stoodbeside his wheel. "T-t-there he is, f-f-fellows!"
"You mean the mysterious Mr. Marsh?" echoed Larry. "So I see, and hisfriend the great editor is with him too. If I get a chance to have afew words with that Mr. Longley I'm going to ask him just why it is wehaven't received a copy of his paper containing the account of Jules'capture. He didn't keep his promise to me, and I don't like that wayof doing things."
"There's Percy with his biplane over yonder, holding a levee," remarkedElephant.
"He looks as happy as a clam," said Larry. "You know his way, fellows?Ten to one he's dead sure he's got this race clinched already. See himshake hands with Bessie Clinton! I can just guess how he's saying whathe means to do to Frank and Andy. Huh!" finishing his sentence with asnort of disgust.
"The feller that crows last crows loudest," observed Elephant.
"Well, you ain't got that just correct, Elephant," remarked Larry,letting his frown disappear in a grin; "but it means the same thinganyhow. Let's find a place to stack our wheels, and get around. TheChief will let us go inside the lines, for he knows we belong toFrank's crowd, and are needed in the push-off."
Just as Larry had said the big police head met them with a warm smileof welcome. His sympathies were positively with the Bird boys, thoughhe would do his duty impartially as he saw it. But Larry and hisfriends had brought him a piece of rare good luck in the capture of theescaped convict, and for this alone the Chief had a warm feeling in hisbig heart for them all.
Presently a cry went up.
"They're coming! The Bird boys are headed this way, fellows! Get backeverybody, and give 'em plenty of room to land! Move back! Make waythere!"
The police assisted in driving the dense crowds still farther away fromthe open campus, where the aeroplane would be likely to drop underFrank's clever manipulation of the levers.
It happened that the big campus of the high school was
entirelydestitute of trees, being in reality a wide field, on which many of thetown sports took place from time to time. In this way it offered avery good starting point for an affair of this sort.
Every sound was hushed as the biplane circled the field, like a birdseeking a favorable spot on which to alight. Then Frank headedstraight for the vacant place, left on purpose for the second aeroplane.
When he landed and, after running a short distance on the green, cameto a full stop, a storm of cheers broke out. Evidently the Bird boyshad a host of warm adherents among the attendant crowds.
Frank did not allow himself to pay the least attention to the shoutinglookers-on. They would never see him bowing and scraping before therace had even been started, like Percy had done. Time enough for allthat later on.
"Look at him, would you?" said Larry, indignantly, as he joined theyoung aviators. "Percy thinks all that shouting was for him. See himwaving his hand and laughing! Why, he's being crowned with the wreathof victor already, in imagination! Bah! he makes me tired, that'swhat!"
"Don't pay any attention to him, Larry," smiled Frank. "I think hedoes that on purpose to make some of us mad. Percy generally has areason in everything he does. He's a sly one. It seems to give him aheap of pleasure, and I'm sure it doesn't hurt us one little bit. Lethim have his fun."
"Well, perhaps he's smart enough to know this is the only chance he'llget to listen to the cheers," remarked Andy, grimly; "for when the gameis over Percy is only going to be found among the 'also rans'!"
"That's it," crowed Larry, gleefully.
But Frank said nothing. If he believed that he would have an easything of it, and leave his rival far in the lurch, he gave noexpression to such views.
"Here come the judges," remarked Elephant; "and they're going toexplain just what the conditions of the race will be. Yes, Percy hasquit laughing. He looks sober enough right now. Listen to what JudgePerrine says, fellows."
The judge had gained a spot between the rival biplanes, where he couldbe easily heard. Then he started to explain just what the committeehaving the race in charge had decided the rules should be.
In the first place, he remarked, it would be utterly suicidal for theyoung aviators to think of trying for height on such a threatening day.That would be left until the second afternoon, to be settled then, ifboth parties were agreed.
After that he went on to state how points were to be given for expertmanagement of the aeroplane, as seen from the start and return; alsofor speed. The time of reaching the liberty pole at Hazenhurst was tobe taken there by a member of the committee sent over for that purpose.After leaving that town the rival biplanes were to circle the peak ofOld Thunder Top three times, and last of all make a landing on thecampus.
"Any questions, either of you, before the word is given to start?"asked the gentleman in charge of arrangements, after he had finishedreading his rules.
Neither of the contestants evidently had anything to ask. They knewwhat they had to do only too well; and both were like restive horses,awaiting the tap of the bell, or the crack of the pistol, to be off onthe jump.
That vast crowd surged and swayed, everybody wishing to see the start,which would prove a novel sight to many of the country people at least.Once the aeroplanes had soared aloft, their flight could be watchedwithout trouble.
Frank and Andy had mounted to their places; and an air of expectancyhung over the broad campus. After they had left the earth it would bea straightaway course for both contestants in the direction ofHazenhurst.
"Are you ready?" asked the starter, in loud voice.
Both replied in the affirmative.
"Then go!" and with the words the judge fired a pistol into the air.
Instantly the whirr of the motors was heard, and with a rush along theground the contesting biplanes started upon the long race!