CHAPTER VI
THE CONTROL ROOM
Mr. Hammond had no occasion to worry over Dulcie's welcome. After ahearty laugh all round at her father's expense, she became, as DoctorTrigg said, "the child of the regiment." Her sunny presence raised themorale of the whole ship. Only Red groaned.
"We've got to keep topside-upside now, whatever happens," he said.
Doctor Trigg took her under his special care, muttering to Doctor Sims,"More youthful enthusiasm, my boy; more youthful enthusiasm! She wantsto fly, too, you see."
"G-r-r-r-r bah!" replied Doctor Sims briefly.
Those of the passengers who were flying for the first time watched thedistant earth with fascinated and slightly worried eyes. They seemeddisinclined to leave the windows, and ate their excellent luncheonwithout interest. By the time afternoon tea was served, however, theyapparently decided that the globe would not disappear if they failed tokeep a restraining gaze upon it, and talked gaily over the hot toast andmarmalade.
Radiograms had been sent ahead to Lakehurst, and answers received. Theywere eagerly expected, but Mr. Hammond decided that their stop thereshould be a very brief one.
Lakehurst, they found, when the ship slid into view above the field, wasat least ready with a noisy welcome. Whistles, horns and sirens tooted,screeched and moaned. The landing crew ran out to secure the ropes, asCaptain Fraine eased her gracefully down. The steps were adjusted, andthe door of the passenger gondola was opened. The passengers, warnedthat they must be on board again at eleven o'clock, stepped down, notsorry to find terra firma actually under their feet again. A group ofofficials and leading citizens welcomed Mr. Hammond and his officers,and the ship was rapidly propelled into the big hangar, where the localforce of mechanics and engineers assisted the Moonbeam's own crew in amicroscopic examination of every part. An extra amount of fuel and gaswas taken on, being stored in the place of ballast. An extra quantity ofdry ice was shipped, and all commissary stores checked up.
Time passed rapidly, and the passengers commenced to return, hurrying intaxis and on foot. Mr. Hamilton's secretary rushed ahead with a bundleof telegrams; Doctors Trigg and Sims came with their arms full of papersand magazines; a car whirled up, and the driver hurriedly approachedDulcie just as she was about to mount into the gondola and handed her agreat box from the officers of the field. Long rose stems stuckintriguingly out at one end.
"What has happened to Captain Fraine?" inquired David of Mr. Hammond asthey stood near the steps.
Looking very white, Captain Fraine approached. A couple of youngofficers accompanied him. He held a bloodstained handkerchief to hishead but managed to laugh as he saw them.
"Not so bad as it looks, commander," he said lightly.
"What happened?" demanded Mr. Hammond.
"They are doing some construction work back in the hangar," one of thestrangers explained, "and something had loosened the supports of aplatform where some boards were lying. A two-by-four slipped off, andcame down and hit the captain here, right on the head. It might havebeen pretty serious. It's too bad."
"It will be all right as soon as Dr. Forsythe puts a bit of plaster onit. Don't think of it."
"We'll get on board, and see the doctor at once," advised Mr. Hammond."Go with him, David."
Dr. Forsythe proceeded to examine the bump. It was a bad one, but theskin was only slightly broken. He stopped the bleeding, and plastered itup. Captain Fraine declared that he felt as good as new, and wentdirectly into the control room, while David returned to Mr. Hammond.
"Weren't we to pick up Walter Cram here at Lakehurst?" he inquired.
"We were," Mr. Hammond replied. "He has just five more minutes to gethere."
"Well, looks like he'd made it, at that," said David, as a taxi racedup, stopped at the gate with a jolt, and an agitated figure leaped outand hurried across the field, a suitcase in each hand. A minute later,Cram stood smiling beside them, breathless but still self-assured.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting long, commander," he saidingratiatingly.
On the stroke of twelve, with Lakehurst making all the noise it could,the Moonbeam took off, and soon after the passengers retired, leavingonly the officers in charge to watch while she started over the highsea.
Wednesday morning found everyone refreshed and enthusiastic. Dulcie'sLakehurst roses gave the salon a gala appearance. Below them theAtlantic lay as smooth as a floor, the bright sun glistening on itssurface.
They had been flying very low. Two liners passed beneath them, andsaluted with puffs of fleecy smoke. In return the ship majesticallyinclined her silver nose in a triple dip.
Later they gained altitude smoothly, and reached fifteen hundred feet.Now little fleecy clouds met them and broke like foam on the prow. Theair was clear, the sun blinding. The passengers accepted the newenvironment with ease. They read, slept, or wrote letters filled withdetailed descriptions.
David found it hard to absent himself from the control room for morethan a few minutes at a time, although with Captain Fraine in commandand Lieutenant Florsheim as second pilot, David had actually no more todo than an observer, except for his turn at the wheel. Mr. Hammond camein often, too. On one of his visits his eyes were attracted to CaptainFraine as the young man pressed his palm to the top of his bandagedtemple.
"Is that troubling you, Fraine?" he inquired.
"It's really all right," replied Captain Fraine. "Just sore, and tender.The plank hit me squarely on my old wound. The place has always been alittle troublesome. Worse in stormy weather, I notice. There's a silverplate in there, and I think it doesn't fit very well. I mean to have itlooked after, sometime."
"Better not neglect it," advised Mr. Hammond.
"It really has never troubled me enough to speak of, but that boardwould have given a good crack to a harder head than mine."
"Well, don't try to stand all the watches. Make these youngsters takethat wheel. Come back with me, and take it easy."
"Thank you, sir, I will presently," said the captain. He lifted a handtoward his head again, but hastily withdrew it. David, watching him,knew how he felt.
Back in the lounge, Dulcie was being entertained by Walter Cram. He wastelling her far too much, but he didn't know it. His egotism, his sillypride, his preposterous vanity ran over his narrative like an uglystain, and through it all a slimy envy of David that puzzled Dulcie. Assoon as she could, she left him and wandered around until she found RedRyan, busy with his eternal testing.
"Do you ever stop?" she asked.
"I don't want to, Miss Hammond. I love it. Every time I try a screw ortest a wire, I think, 'Here, you beauty, you can just depend on Red, wholoves you like a sweetheart, to keep you trim and true.' And all myfellas feel the same. We just love the Moonbeam, and what you feel lovefor, turns toil into pleasure."
"What a man you are!" said Dulcie warmly. "Tell me, do you always tellthe truth?"
"I try to," said Red, looking puzzled.
Dulcie made the plunge.
"Well then, why does Mr. Cram hate David so?"
"My God!" exclaimed Red, dropping a wrench, "how did you discover that?"
"He's been talking to me, about himself mostly, and he didn't say a wordabout David that you could pin to, but he hates him poisonously."
"Honest, Miss Hammond," said Red admiringly, "you are one smart girl."
"Well, you know it, too."
"I do so," said Red, "but David doesn't. Not he! He's got more brainsand better, than anyone I know, but no common sense when it comes toside-steppin' a rattler."
"But why? What's the answer?" demanded Dulcie.
"How long have you known him?" hedged Red.
"Cram? Oh, two or three years. I used to go down to Princeton for dancesand whatnot. That's where I first heard of David. The three men whodragged me around to rabbles were friends of his at prep school."
"Yeah, Butter Brown, and Len, and Smithy?"
"Right first time,"
said Dulcie. "David has told you. Well, Wally triedto give me a rush. Gee, he was a wet smack! And he wouldn't take hints.I was bored to tears, and the boys all offered to take him off and killhim. But all that doesn't explain why he has it in for David."
"Visibility increasin'," commented Red. "David doesn't just shun you,Miss Hammond. That wouldn't just please Wally. But that's only part ofit."
Speaking in a low tone, he told her how, almost four years ago, Davidhad passed his entrance exams to the pilots' school, while Cram hadfailed. He told her a great deal about Wally, as man and boy.
"He's not as bad as I make out, perhaps," he finished, "but even as aboy Wally always magnified every slight or injury to Mr. Walter Cram,and retaliated on a big scale."
"I think it's a shame!" cried Dulcie. "It makes me have a horridfeeling."
"Well, we'll just keep an eye out, and see what we see," said Red as hewent off in search of a possible loose screw.
Dulcie liked Red. She liked his bright smile, and the twinkle in hisblue eyes. She didn't care who he was, or whence he came. He was sotrue, so merry, and so unassuming that he could be any man's friend.Yes, she liked Red, and she liked David. She certainly did like David.
During the lunch hour the Moonbeam sped smoothly along at an altitude ofone thousand feet. Dulcie declared that it was like being on an oceanliner, only nicer. She proved a joy unspeakable to the young reporters,the professors regarded her with apparent curiosity, and even Mr.Hamilton induced her to talk to him a while. Tea-time was one of thepleasantest hours of the day. No one suffered but Koko, the little dog,who stuffed on cakes, and groaned for hours afterwards.
That night the company dispersed very early. The altitude, the crispuntainted air and the novelty combined to make everyone sleepy. Mr.Hammond was in the best of spirits. Tail winds had helped them on, theyhad used all the engines, and were already three hours ahead of theschedule of the Graf Zeppelin.
Thursday morning, the seventeenth of June, found the ship sailingserenely along over a floor of heavy clouds. The sun shone brightly, andthe air was even, but there was a low humming in the wires thatdisturbed David. He found Red in his cubicle, and told him that helooked for a storm.
"Well, I've a prickling in my thumbs, too," said Red. "And when itcomes, it's going to be a wow. I think I'll take a look over the oldboat and see that everything is ship-shape."
He commenced to put on the smooth buttonless overalls which, with feltshoes, were always worn by anyone moving about in the hull. They weredesigned to prevent any scratching or tearing of the fabric of the gasbags and air bags.
"God help the man at the head of a gang; he's every man's slave. My crewis made up of fine efficient fellas, but this trip has gone to theirheads. As soon as they saw themselves crossin' big water, they all tookout little notebooks from their kits, and commenced jottin' down'experiences'.
"An' when I said, 'You blamed lunatics, what for is that?' they told methey were 'writing it up for the papers at home'! Tryin' to be a bunchof Lindys, and Byrds, and Strassers. I simply said, 'And have Inovelists, or have I mechanics, then?'"
David laughed and asked, "Got another 'all?"
He slipped into the garment Red threw him, and together they went upinto the hull.
That afternoon the motion of the ship became a little jerky; and Davidand Red, on another inspection trip, had some trouble in making theirway over the bags, along the catwalk, and among the taut wires andspanners. Occasionally they stood listening to the talk of the ship,with its multitude of little mechanical noises which, to the educatedear, was harmonious as an orchestra.
"Singin' pretty, isn't she?" Red said finally. "Hey, there, don't thatwire just in front of us sag a bit?" He wormed his way over to the winchand pulled up the offending brace, testing it until it sang softly.
"Now for the eggs full of engines," he said, as he started back, Davidfollowing.
"Honestly, Red, all this isn't your job," protested David.
Red turned and stared deep into David's eyes. For the first time Davidsaw pin points of flame in the blue depths. He spoke, and his voicecarried a new note.
"Any job's my job, so be it's for the Moonbeam. There's going to be ablow, Dave. We're coming into wind. I have seen too many 'northers' inOklahoma to make any mistake. What I want to know is, why don't theyradio the nearest station and see what weather's scheduled ahead."
"The receiver's gone on the blink," said David briefly. "That's why theydidn't get any messages through."
"Saints keep us, that's that!" muttered Red. "Well, let's shove along. Iwant to see what the engines are doing."
They climbed down into the eggs, one by one, and Red's keen eyes tooknote of every part of the enormous throbbing engines, each controlled bytwo earnest and keen-eyed engineers. A third man sat on a small stool,always ready to stand by in case of trouble.
Later, as they entered the observation room, after removing theiroveralls, Red grunted. "Everything looks okay," he said, "but I wishMiss Hammond was at home in her own house, instead of bummin' along uphere a mile or so from anything more solid and endurin' than a stiffbreeze."
"You're right," said David. "Honest, Red, she is the nicest kid, andsuch a good sport."
"I think so," said Red. "Gosh, did you feel the car shake then? Westruck a crack in the wind. Yep, Miss Hammond is the real thing, allright. She is so nice to everybody. Why, she treats me just as good asshe does you, Dave."
"Better!" assented David, bitterly. "Gosh, there's another crack! Feelher bounce!" He was flung against the nearest chair, where he clung forsupport for a moment, until the ship again rode on an even keel. Alittle tremor ran through the Moonbeam; she rolled a little. Several ofthe passengers who were in the salon hurried to their cabins to rescuesmall articles which might be broken in the event of rougher weather.Others crowded close to the windows, watching the scudding clouds withanxious faces.
Fifteen minutes passed, then the ship raised her nose, reared in a longcurve, and swooped downward. From the galley came the sound of breakingdishes, followed by a yell of anguish from the cook. Flung into eachother's arms, David and Red executed a clumsy dance about the roombefore they could get their balance, as the ship righted andstraightened out again.
"Whew!" said Red, rubbing the back of his head where it had bumpedagainst a hook.
"Well, I don't like that so well," said David.
"I am going to take a squint at that weather chart, and then look at therear engine again," said Red. "Coming?"
"Go on," said David. "I'll join you as soon as I put on another sweater.I'm cold." He turned and went into his cabin as Red hurried forward.
David had to unpack the sweater, but he didn't hurry. He knew thatFraine was on duty. He slipped on the heavy garment, then saunteredtoward the control room. As he approached it a yell broke through themonotonous sounds of the gondola. A hoarse scream, another, and ajabbering laugh. He ran into the control room, and for an instant stoodfrozen by the sight that met his eyes.
The wheel was deserted but, caught by its stabilizing device, held theship on her course. On the floor, apparently dead, lay LieutenantFlorsheim. Just beyond him lay Van Arden, a crumpled heap face down.Captain Fraine, his face contorted in an expression of insane frenzy,held Red Ryan by the throat against the wall with one hand, while hepoised a heavy wrench for a murderous blow with the other.
At David's shout, the madman hesitated. As the iron came crashing down,David caught the wrist and deflected the blow which would have crackedRed's head like an eggshell. Then ensued an actual life-and-deathstruggle. David tried desperately to get a subduing grasp on the crazedcaptain, while Red, rallying his strength, struggled for a throat hold.
The inhuman strength of madness filled Fraine. David and Red were bothtall and splendidly muscled, yet in his frenzy he swung them about likechildren. He centered his attention on Red, who gurgled as Fraine'ssinewy hands closed for the second time on his windpipe. Lights flashedbefore his eyes. He choked, sagged, and then all at once
it was over.David had put every ounce of the strength of his trained muscles into alightning uppercut. It landed neatly on the captain's chin. He crashedto the floor beside Florsheim, unconscious.
At the door faces appeared: Mr. Hammond, Mr. Hamilton, a dozen others,among them Dr. Forsythe. Van Arden was trying to sit up. Captain Frainegroaned. Florsheim lay like dead, blood from a gaping wound on his headspreading on the floor. Red nursed his swollen neck, and David leanedpanting against the instrument shelf.
"Fraine has gone crazy, doctor," said Red hoarsely. "When I got hereFlorsheim was out, and he was trying to kill Van Arden."
"Get all three to their bunks," the doctor ordered.
A swift examination showed that Van Arden was suffering from merely aheavy blow on the jaw. All he wanted was peace and silence, and a chancefor his head to stop whirling. Florsheim was badly hurt, with a longscalp cut, and the doctor feared concussion.
Captain Fraine, on the first approach to consciousness, evinced suchsymptoms of acute delirium that Dr. Forsythe immediately gave him anopiate.
Mr. Hammond came back to the control room and took the wheel from thestill shaky David. "I will take the first watch," he said. "Dulcie hassome tea for you and Red in the salon."
Nothing loath, they walked back and sat down, as Dulcie, followed by thesputtering chef, brought in steaming tea and crackers.
Dulcie's little hands trembled as she set the cups before them. "Drinkit," she said. "It will fix your throat, Red, and set you up, David. Oh,wasn't it awful?" she quavered. "What did happen?"
"I don't know what started it," said Red. "When I got there, Fraine haddone for Florsheim entirely, and Van Arden was out. When he saw me, hequit kicking Van Arden and grabbed me. David was a welcome sight. Factis," he suddenly sobered, "he would have done for me, Davie. I never sawanything like his strength. You'd have thought I was a baby. Why, he waschoking me and trying to tap me with the wrench, all at the same time."
"Have more tea," Dulcie shuddered. "And you, too, David."
"Thanks, no. I'm all bucked up," said David, and left them to goforward.
"Take the wheel, David, while I see how Fraine is," Mr. Hammond said, asDavid came again into the control room. He patted the boy reassuringlyon the shoulder as he went back toward the cabins.
David stared out into the deepening gloom. The afternoon was nearlygone. A strange darkness was beginning to surround them. The ship wasagain running with the wind, not smoothly but very swiftly. They weremaking nearly ninety miles an hour. He hoped the wind would hold behindthem, but he felt little cross currents already. As he watched, he sawfar ahead a swirl of black tossing clouds rise from the cloud floorbelow, as though picked up in giant fragments which wove and blendedinto a thick tossing barrier.
Mr. Hammond returned.
"Well, David," he said, "it looks as if it was up to you, now. Thingsare pretty bad in there. Doc says there must be a piece of bone pressingon that head wound of the captain's or a tiny splinter working aroundinside, and that blow he got at Lakehurst about finished him. Doc hasgiven him a shot of morphine, and he is asleep. He says an operationwill fix him up.
"Poor Florsheim has a cracked skull, and needs hospital care as soon aswe can make Friedrichshafen. Van Arden is still groggy. He will be allright again in a couple of days. You will have to take charge of theship, David. It's a chance for you to show your mettle. Show what theschool at Ayre can do. I'm back of you, but while I command the ship,you steer; understand?"
David's eyes remained on the black curtain ahead.
"Yes, sir," he said. "And if those are your orders, sir, I am going tocut down now to a lower altitude, and find better weather. There's a badblow ahead. See the lightning?"
"Pretty bad, way ahead there," said Mr. Hammond, "but you must not trygoing down. Heavens, no! Don't you know that Captain Fraine was allagainst that? Go up, if you must, but not down."
"It will be safer below."
"I can't allow it, David. We have got to go by precedent, and notexperiment, now."
"It is not experiment with me," David argued, forgetting in his anxietythat Mr. Hammond was his commander. "I have done it on trial flights,and it worked perfectly." He watched the approaching cloud bank. "I havegot to do it."
Mr. Hammond's face hardened. "I forbid it," he said. "Understand?" andwithout waiting for a reply walked away, leaving David to stare at theominous clouds, now shot with countless little veins of flame.
"And I am captain and two navigators, all in one, and in full charge!"said David to himself, bitterly adding, "Like Mike, I am!"