CHAPTER IV
ASSISTANT PILOT
A small and well-worn automobile was parked near the great hangar on theGoodlow lot. On the bent and sagging running board sat its owners, DavidEllison and Red Ryan. Over three years had passed since the day Davidhad been enrolled as a student in the Goodlow school for apprentices;three years of hard and often discouraging work, but the work haddeveloped him. He was no longer a diffident boy. Manhood sat easily onhis broad shoulders. Looking at him, Red Ryan's honest and loyal heartswelled with pride. He wondered if David had the least idea of his ownsuccess. Ryan knew--knew what the other fellows were saying, knew howthe officers and pilots talked sometimes, while they stood watching histrained fingers making magical repairs on some weak or broken part. Itnever occurred to Red that his own uncanny cleverness had set him apartas the best mechanic on the lot. His thought was all for David--David,only twenty-two, and gosh-a-mighty, what he didn't know aboutdirigibles! What he hadn't already done with 'em!
Right now David was gazing lovingly through the open doors of the hangarat the vast silver shape rapidly approaching perfection and completionunder the hands of its pygmy workmen. The vastness of the place, and theship's tremendous bulk seemed to deaden the noise of hammers and bolts.She seemed to float there in the hangar. To David she seemed alreadyrestless to be away. He imagined a ripple of light down her silver side;a stir, as though she could no longer wait, but would break away andslip through the great door to be off alone into the infinite troubledtides of the sky.
Red followed David's entranced look.
"Ain't she the cat's whiskers, just?" he enquired lovingly. "Say, if shemakes good on her trial flight, I'm just goin' to lay right down there,front of everybody, and cry, or pray, or swear, I dunno which."
"A little of each, perhaps," said David, snapping out of his dream."I'll be right with you, bully boy."
"You know, David, they have told you off to do a lot of important workon that ship. I don't believe you appreciate the fact. All the fellowsare talking about it."
"Applesauce!" David retorted, laughing. "Everyone in the senior classhas had his share."
Red hitched closer to David's side.
"The other day," he half whispered, "I was flat on me back under atarpaulin in the far corner of the baggage room up in the hull,installing some wiring that's to lead down from the observer's seat onthe top of the ship. The other fella had to go clear over to thestorehouse for some wire. So I laid there tryin' to think out a simplerand safer installation. I don't like it the way it is, Dave. Too muchdanger during storms. Well, whilst I'm there, along comes Colonel Porterand himself."
"Who is himself?" asked David.
"That big bug; the papa of us all."
"You don't mean Mr. Hammond?" said David.
"You got it. That's the bird!"
"But what the devil is he doing here now? I thought he was in New York."
"I'm the boy to tell you," said Red, joyfully. "My brother, thechaplain, used to tell me, 'Red, never eavesdrop; 'tis a mean andunmanly trick, unworthy of a good Christian b'y; but so be you do chanceto hear anything, give it strict attention, and be sure to get thestraight of it.' So I did. They come teeterin' along the catwalk, andstop opposite me. You know the Big Fella's quick and light steppin' as acat, for all his size. Ladders and catwalks are pie for him.
"'What's bein' done here?' says the Big Fella.
"'Some wirin',' I heard Colonel Porter answer. Then there was somelittle talk or other that I don't just remember."
Red wouldn't tell what they had said at that point, but it glowed warmlyin his honest heart; payment in full for many hours of grilling toil.Colonel Porter had explained the wiring, and had added,--
"We have the cleverest young mechanic in the school that I have evercome across. I believe he could make every part and assemble any knownengine, after an hour's study. Name's Ryan."
Mr. Hammond had grunted.
"Hang on to him. He may be useful a little later on."
"Well, then what?" asked David, impatiently.
"Oh!" said Red. "Well then, 'What sorta mechanics you got?' asks the BigFella.
"'So-so,' says the Colonel.
"'Only so-so?' growls Big Stuff. 'Better bounce 'em; the quicker thebetter.'
"'Well, I dunno,' says the Colonel, lookin' wise the way he does. 'Idunno. There's one lad, now; our efficiency expert spent three dayscheckin' up on that b'y, and he figured it out that the fella had savedthe company one and seven-eighths cents in a week, on insulated wire! Inwan week, mind you; Ryan's the name.'"
"You big liar!" exploded David, grinning.
"Me?" Red's sea blue eyes were wide and innocent.
"Yes, you! When you lie, you always lie in a brogue. I can always tell."
"I wonder, now, if that's a slam on my ancestry," said Red slowly. "Ifit is, I got to fight the upstart who says it. Only, can a mechanic,first-class, stoop to the killin' of a mere apprentice? If you'd onlyshut up, David; if you could only learn to be still, I'd tell you what Ibeen strugglin' to tell this hour back."
"Oh, go on; go on, for heaven's sake! Spill it if you know anything. Ineed something to pep me up. I'm going stale." David sighed.
Red laid a hand on David's arm and grew grave.
"It's about your baby up there, the ship. The Big Fella is plannin' noless than a round-the-world trip, for her maiden stunt."
"Round the world!" breathed David.
"That, and nothin' less!" affirmed Red. "Yep, by diligent listening Igot it all. I'm afraid they thought they were alone. So they talkedfree. It seems that Mr. Hammond wants an American ship that will beatthe Graf Zeppelin's time. And he thinks here's the ship. So do I. Well,Mr. Hammond is financing the trip, with a couple of others who will goalong as passengers, just for the glory."
"Oh, Lord! Red, I wish I could go with her!"
"Don't you, just? But there's not a chance. You couldn't get in on thattrip if you was disguised as a tin of biscuit. There will bemillionaires that would get into overalls and carry oil cans to get togo."
"Of course," said David. "But I can't help wishing. Wouldn't you likeit?"
"Me? Boy, I'd hang on to a rudder blade with me right hand from here toJapan, and then merely shift to the left. Like to go? Lord love me,David, wouldn't I just!"
David sat staring at the silver ship. Men scrambled about her, poppingin and out of the openings.
"Listen, Davie," said Red. "Don't let your right ear know what I'vepoured into your left. My brother used to tell me, 'Whatever you hear,me young buckaroo, keep it under your hat.' But he wouldn't have countedyou, David. 'Keep it to yourself,' says he. 'If it is trash, don'tclutter the highways wid it. If it is something worth while, lock it up,Red; lock it up, like you would a dimant, till the fella that owns itwants to use it.'"
"I won't say anything," promised David. "You certainly like that Padreof yours, don't you?"
"So-so," said Red, chuckling. "He's grand if you're dyin' I've beentold, but he's sure a murderin' cuss, so be you don't walk straightwhilst you're enjoyin' your usual health. Come on, let's go down townand have a sody."
David was not listening. He pulled a worn notebook from his pocket andcommenced to study its grimy pages.
"Come on, fella!" repeated Red. "Leap into the Rolls-Worse. I'm starvin'for a sody."
"I'm glad they used that new kind of covering, with those trickyinterwoven seams," said David dreamily, ignoring the appeal of thestarving one. "They are going to save lots of worry, Red, and it'scertain they won't give. That old blimp we tried it on with rips hereand there to give the wind a chance, you remember? The seams neverbudged. The new alloy duralumin I like too, and the longer, slimmer lineof the hull."
Red sat down again.
"Those engines! Dave, they are as perfect--Lord, I love 'em! All thetime they have been in there on the blocks, stopping and starting,stopping and starting; well, they have talked to me, David. One day agirl came
in, a sightseer; and she yelled, 'My, what a horrid noise!Isn't it just awful?' and I thought how nice it would be to tap her witha wrench, but I didn't. I let that engine answer. I tuned her up and youcouldn't hear yourself think. Oh, but they are pretty, those engines! Idon't know whether I love 'em most when they are quiet and dreamin' ofwhat they can do, or when they are goin' full speed with every partdoin' its bit, so smooth and so true that there's no words to describeit."
"You are a sentimental Irishman," said David.
"I'm an Irishman that wants a sody," said Red.
"They will be putting the last engine in place this afternoon, won'tthey?" asked David.
"Yes, and I've got to be here. Then she will be practically finished.Just woodwork to wipe, and furniture to dust, and beds to make. Soundslike a housewarming."
"Did you know that they have named her?" asked David.
"No. I thought she was the Silver Ship."
"Of course, but she has to have a sort of given name, like theShenandoah, poor girl, and the Dawn, and the Sun God, and the rest. Iheard Mr. Hammond's daughter named her. She's the Moonbeam."
"That's all right," said Red approvingly. "I give the girl credit. TheMoonbeam! Faith, it grows on me, Davie. Moonbeam!"
"I like it," said David. "Pretty, and easy to say, but not silly."
"Well, here's wishin' her all the luck in the world," said Red. "And thesame to us. They just got to let me go when she takes her first try-out.I'd no sooner let those engines out of my sight first off than I'd usean umbrella for a 'chute."
"Better not let the engine crews hear you, you conceited devil! Theythink they're pretty kippy themselves."
"Good lads, all," admitted Red. "What they don't know about enginesscarcely needs to be known, but it don't matter what you do, David, youhave got to put something beside knowledge in your work. It's like thoseold fellas who used to put human blood in their cauldrons of metal whenthey made their church bells. They thought it made the bells soundsweeter. And so it did, so long as they thought so. You can't say yourengine is a fine old piece of bits and parts. You've got to love it. Youremember last summer, when we flew east? I ran over to Providence to seemy brother. Well, one night I wandered into the engine room at Brown &Sharpe's, and the chief engineer showed me his engines. Gosh! there weretunnels full of them. And he went along with an oil can and a bit ofwaste, rubbin' a bit here and a bit there, where God knows it didn'tneed it, pretending to oil; just loving them." He jumped up. "Honest,Dave, you've no heart! Come on! I've just got to have that sody--orperhaps I didn't mention it before?"
He took a step around the aged car, and stood staring.
"Come here!" he said. "See Mr. Hammond over there? Do you see who iswith him? Or is he, maybe, all alone?"
David looked.
"Don't know the chap with him," he decided.
"Look again," begged Red. "Don't you know that strut, and those skinnylegs, and that face? Think, man, think!"
"Never saw him," declared David.
"Never? Well, listen here; may the Saints lead him off this lot,immediate! If they don't, there's cloud banks and rain and hail aheadfor you and me. That's Cram!"
"So it is!" said David. "Well, what of it? He has no grudge against us."
"Hasn't he, then? Didn't you pass your exams, three years ago, anddidn't he fail? Watch out, me lad! He hasn't changed his spots in threeyears. I know him, and all his breed."
"Don't be so suspicious," said David, watching the trim, thin figureslowly approaching. "Honestly, Red, why do you let that man get yourgoat? You never act like that with anybody else, no matter what theydo."
Red shrugged. "Dunno!" he said. "My brother holds that every man has hisown particular devil to torture and tantalize him. I feel shame, Davie,but Walter Cram seems to be my own little devil. I have got to have twosodies, now. I'm that upset."
Cram, for it was he, glanced idly at the passing roadster but did notrecognize the occupants. The years had made little outward change in hisappearance. He was taller, still thin, and moved with nervous alertness.He wore glasses, and they disguised the shadows under his eyes; violetshadows, that hinted of escapades that he would not care to publish. ForWally Cram, the man, was still as devious as Wally, the boy. Strangelyenough, the one fever that burned in his blood, his one dream, his soleambition, was based on an overwhelming vanity.
Without the ability to achieve the eminence he aspired to, he longed fora foremost place in the public eye. In his thoughts all heroes wore hisown features. Lindbergh, winging his lonely way to France; Byrd,exploring a frozen world; Andrews, forcing the Gobi desert to speak anarticulate language of past aeons--Cram wanted what they had, but he hadgrown into a lazy man, incapable of sustained effort.
Reading a newspaper in his New York hotel one day, Wally had seen anarticle that had given him a grand idea--a magnificent idea. At once hecalled his lawyers in Oklahoma City on long distance, and held aconversation with them filled with so many millions that even thetelephone operator was impressed.
A week later he was in Ayre, and walking through the lobby of the hotelhe heard a familiar voice.
"Why, Mister Cram!" it said.
"Dulcie Hammond, by all that's good!" ejaculated Cram. "What are youdoing here?"
"Looking after daddy, as usual," Dulcie Hammond laughed. "He's here inpursuit of his hobby. Perhaps I should call it a life work. You know thenew dirigible starts on her maiden trip around the world in two weeks,and naturally dad is going. He says I can't go; isn't that wet? In themeantime I am seeing that he takes his bicarb after meals, and makinghim lay off hot dogs, and pop corn and pie. Heavens, he's an unrulychild! Between times I mostly hang around the plant and watch them putthe finishing touches to the ship. Did you know that I named her? She'sthe Moonbeam."
"Fine! Why don't you go along?"
"It's to be a sort of stag party," said Dulcie petulantly. "I can't makedad understand that I wouldn't be a bother. I'll bet Lady Drummond Haywasn't a bother. I met her in New York, and she told me their trip wasjust too galumptious. And I am just as good a sport as she is, andprobably tougher, because I'm younger." She pondered. "Well, we'll see!But what are you doing here?"
"Just looking after some investments. I have stock in the Goodlow Plant,and I have just invested a lot of money in the Moonbeam; enough, I hope,to get me a berth on her round-the-world cruise. I am going out to thedrome now. Won't you come?"
"Got to do some shopping," said Dulcie. "Sorry. Oh, Wally, the ship istoo beautiful for words, even now, while she is still unfinished."
Cram laughed. "Rot! The dirigible is nothing but a balloon."
Dulcie gave him a scornful glance.
"You have a sordid soul," she said, and walked away.
That night David and Red had orders to report at sunrise for a shorttrip in the Dawn, a smaller dirigible which had been in commission for acouple of months. They went up with the usual crew, and Mr. Hammond andCaptain Fraine and half a dozen others as passengers. David, to hissurprise, was put in full charge of the ship, Captain Fraine preferringto wander around, inspecting. They were out for twenty-four hours,without stops, and David returned the ship to Ayre, making a perfectlanding at the hangar.
Red took him aside.
"Something's in the wind, fella. You didn't get to handle that ship justbecause they loved you. And there's older chief mechanics than me whomight have gone. Watch out!"
Two days later the Moonbeam was completed. The last workmen crawled outof the hull, while decorators reverently closed the door of the greatpassenger gondola. Every bag, cord, wire, seam, every bolt and screw hadbeen tested and retested. She hung aloft in the vast hangar, a beautifuland majestic thing, ready for the infinite. David gazed and gazed.
"Before I managed to ditch school," said Red unexpectedly at his side,"they read us about a place called Mount Olympus. Grand big women livedthere. Goddesses. Not real, you know, but I got an awful kick out of'em. And the Moonbeam; ain't she a goddess? Those old goddesses used topick up a mor
tal like they were nothin' and carry them off. And here's asilver ship, just waiting to gather up a load of folks, like an armfulof babies, and go soarin' out and up and away into--Oh, my gosh! thethought makes me want to yell. I want to jump on my hat, or fightsomebody."
David smiled. "I know. Pipe down, old son. Come on to quarters. I'm dogtired, and the silver ship will wait."
The following morning the ship took her maiden walk out of the hangar,and was moored to the mast. Seeing her there, automobiles began togather, street-car lines disgorged curious sightseers, and for hours abig crowd milled under the glistening shape. Toward evening the ship wasdrawn down and returned to the hangar.
At supper an official-looking envelope was brought to David. He read itscontents unbelieving, then again perused the terse sentences.
Headquarters Aeronautical Board, Goodlow-Zeppelin Company, Ayre, Ohio.
Subject: Detail, Assistant Pilot, Moonbeam. To: David Ellison, Pilots' School, Goodlow-Zeppelin Company.
You have been selected by the Aeronautical Board of the Goodlow-Zeppelin Company to fill the position of assistant pilot on the dirigible Moonbeam, on its first trip around the world, leaving the hangar at Ayre, Ohio, at six A. M. on June 15th, 1930.
Your presence desired at headquarters, at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
George Paine Porter, Director, Lighter-than-Air Craft, Goodlow-Zeppelin Company.
David forgot his supper, forgot everything. It could scarcely be real!While he struggled with his surprise and delight, hardly believing thegood fortune that he had not even dared to hope for, he heard Red'svoice.
"Read it! Read it, fella!" he cried, and he pressed into David's hand aletter similar to his own, appointing Red as chief mechanic on theround-the-world flight of the Moonbeam. For once Red had nothing to say.The moment was too great, the news too stupendous.
David pushed back his chair; he could not eat. They went out and,crossing the great landing field to the hangar, they sat down on a truckand looked at the closed doors.
"She's in there, Dave, safe and sound! And in two weeks she will carryus away over land and sea, rough mountains and sweet valleys--round theworld, and home again. You and me, David; assistant pilot and mechanic!"
"Chief mechanic, as I read it," said David, smiling. "Well, I must wiremy mother the good news."
"That's right, and I must telegraph my mother, too, and that blackguardbrother of mine, as well. I'll just say to him, 'Your Reverence, theugly duckling has become a swan. Am startin' on a world cruise in theMoonbeam on the fifteenth of June. What's to be done about it?' Thatwill stop him all right."
"I can't think of a greater thing to have happen to us," mused David."Around the world, Red! Get it? Seeing all those countries, and meetingso many people. The first American dirigible to fly around the world!"
"Yes," said Red, "and having those blessed engines right where I cankeep an eye on them, day and night. Going full blast, and me with an earfor every beat. I'm just crazy with joy, Dave. Let's go and get a sody."
They climbed into their jointly owned and jointly loved roadster, andstarted it toward the nearest soda fountain, its fenders flapping, itsbody squeaking and rattling as though in proud defiance of its softlypurring motor--Red's "favorite child."
"We have come a good way in the past four years, Red," David bellowedover the din. "Sometimes the work has seemed pretty stiff, but I'd worktwice as hard, if possible, for what I have gained."
"Yeah!" said Red, nodding his bright head. "And sometimes I feel that itjust isn't so. All this. I'll wake up, and find myself a kid; in bedlistenin' to a worn awning rope rattlin', and a freight train grumblin'on the sidin' across the street. You know, Dave, even when I was a kidthere was something in me pushing up, and reaching out, for something Icouldn't reach or see." His voice grew bitter. "I knew a fella once whosmoked and caroused too much, and one day he went down and out. He'dnever taken anybody's advice about taking care of himself. Well, afterhis heart cracked on him, the poor devil just went around beggin' therest of his gang to lay off, and go to bed once in a while. However, oneday his poor old engine stopped, and that was the end of him.
"I was like that about school. Everybody tellin' me I ought to finishhigh school, and me knowin' better than the whole of 'em. I tell you,Dave, I'd give anything for the chance, now. Now I see what I've thrownaway. And I need it; Lord, how I need it! It means that I've got to makeit up, sweating and groaning. Night schools, and correspondence schools,and study. Because, so help me, Dave, I won't disgrace my engines.
"And it's a fact, Davie, I actually go around stoppin' kids on thestreet, and preachin' school to 'em. I say, 'Smoke if you like, anddrink if you want to be a fool; but lay off long enough to get yourselfthrough high school.' And I'm like the poor fella in Lawton. I've a darksuspicion that I'm wastin' words."