CHAPTER IV
THE END OF THE "DARTAWAY"
"Quit college? Oh, Dick, do you want to do that?"
"Not exactly, Dora--and yet I don't think I am exactly fitted for aprofessional career. That seems to be more in Tom and Sam's line. Ilike business, and I'd enjoy getting into something big, somethingworth while. I think I could handle those matters, if father wouldonly let me try. And then there is another thing, Dora," went on theyouth, looking squarely into his companion's face. "Perhaps you canguess what that is."
She blushed deeply.
"What?" she whispered.
"I want to marry you, and take you some place where I know you'll besafe from such creatures as Crabtree and Sobber and Larkspur--and Iwant the right to look after your mother, too."
"Oh, Dick!" And she clung tightly to his arm.
"Aren't you willing, Dora?"
"Yes." She looked at him frankly. "Yes, Dick, whenever you say."
"And your mother----"
"Mamma depends upon me in everything, and she has told me to do justas we thought best."
Dick gave a swift look around. Nobody was in sight at that moment. Hepressed Dora to him.
"You best and dearest sweetheart in all the world!" he cried, in a lowtone. "Then I can depend on you? We'll be the happiest couple in thewhole world!"
"Indeed, yes, Dick!" And Dora's eyes fairly beamed with happiness asshe snuggled closer to him. "But about your father," she continued, amoment later. "I am selfish to forget him. Then he is not so well?"
"He is fairly well, but he gets a bad spell ever so often, and then toattend to business is out of the question. But that isn't the worst ofit. He has gotten tangled up in some sort of financial scheme withsome brokers in New York City and it is worrying him half to death. Hehas told me something about it, but I don't know half as much as I'dlike to know."
"Then you must find out, Dick, and help him all you possibly can,"declared the girl, promptly.
"I'm looking for a letter from home every day--I mean one tellingabout these financial affairs. As soon as it comes I'll know what todo."
All too soon the boys' visit to Hope Seminary had to come to an end.Sam and Tom returned to the biplane and gave the motor a brief"try-out," which noise reached Dick's ears just as he was trying tobreak away from Dora. He gave her a last hug and a kiss and then ranto join his brothers.
"The best of friends must part, as the hook said to the eye!" sang outTom, merrily.
"I believe you are anxious to leave us!" returned Nellie, teasingly.
"Sure thing!" he retorted, promptly. "I planned to get away an hourbefore I came." And then she playfully boxed his ear, at which hechased her around the biplane and gave her a hearty smack just belowher own pretty ear.
"Tom Rover!" she gasped. But, somehow, she looked pleased,nevertheless.
"All in the family!" sang out the fun-loving Rover, coolly. "As thelady said when she kissed her cow."
"Who is going to run the Dartaway back?" questioned Sam. "I think it'smy turn at the wheel."
"It's rather dark, Sam," answered Dick. "But you can try it--if youwant to."
"All right--I think I can see as much as you or Tom," responded theyoungest Rover. "If I get off the course, and you find it out, let meknow."
Darkness was settling down when the boys finally bid the girlsgood-bye and flew away. "Beware of old Crabtree!" sang out Dick.
"We'll watch out!" answered Nellie.
"Indeed we will!" came from Dora and Grace.
"If you catch sight of him, have him arrested!" yelled Sam, and thenthe biplane sailed out of hearing.
Sam knew how to handle the Dartaway almost as well as did Dick andTom, and as there was but little wind, and the flying machine appearedto be in good condition, the others did not doubt but what Sam wouldmake a fine flight of the trip.
"Keep a little to the south," called out Dick, after Hope had beenleft behind and when they were sailing over some broad fields. "If youdo that you can follow the old turnpike for quite a distance."
"I thought I'd run for the railroad tracks," answered the lad at thesteering wheel.
"You can do that later--after we pass that big farmhouse with thefour barns."
Running along in the air is a different proposition from running onthe ground, and the air-man has to be careful about the lay of theland below him or he will soon go astray from his course. The earthlooks altogether different when viewed from the sky from what it doeswhen looked at from a level, and when an air-man is five or sixhundred feet up he has all he can do to make out what is below him.
It had begun to cloud up a little and this made it darker than ever.After following the turn-pike for nearly two miles, Sam veeredslightly to catch the railroad tracks and the gleam of the signallights.
"I can follow the lights best of all!" he shouted, into Dick's ear."It's too dark to see the road."
"All right, follow the railroad right to Ashton," answered the oldestRover boy, naming the town that was the railroad station for BrillCollege.
The cloudiness increased rapidly, and long before Ashton was gained itcommenced to blow, gently at first, and then stronger and stronger.Evidently a storm was in the air.
"We are going to catch it!" was Tom's comment.
"Oh, I don't think it will storm just yet," returned Sam.
"Watch yourself, Sam!" cried Dick, warningly. "If the wind gets toostrong bring her down in the first field we come to."
"I will," was the answer.
They were now flying close to the railroad tracks. Presently they sawa glare of light illuminate the rails and a long line of freight cars,drawn by a big locomotive, passed beneath them.
"Wish that was going our way--we could follow it with ease," saidSam, as the train disappeared from view, leaving the landscape belowdarker than ever.
The youngest Rover boy now had to give the Dartaway all of hisattention. The breeze was coming in fitful gusts, sending the biplanefirst to one side and then to the other. They struck a "bank," and hehad to use all his wit and courage to bring the flying machine to alevel keel once more.
"Better go down!" cried Tom. "This is getting dangerous."
"Don't go down here!" sang out Dick. "There are woods on both sides ofthe track!"
Sam had been working the horizontal rudder, to bring the biplane down,but at Dick's words he shifted again and they went up.
"I'll tell you when we reach an open field," went on the oldest Rover."Say, this sure is some blow!" he added.
Another fitful gust struck the Dartaway and for one brief moment itlooked as if the biplane would be turned over. Had this occurred themachine would have dropped like a shot and most likely all of the boyswould have been killed.
But Sam was on guard, and worked his levers like lightning. As quicklyas she had tipped, the Dartaway righted herself, and then they shotupward on a long slant.
"Phew! that was some escape!" muttered Tom. "Dick, can't you see anyopen field where we can land?"
"Must be one ahead," was the answer. "I fancy----"
Dick did not finish, for at that moment came a blast of air strongerthan any that had gone before. The Dartaway spun around, left therailroad tracks, made a semi-circle, and then came back again. As itmade the final turn there was a crack like that of a pistol.
"What was that?" cried Tom. "Was it the engine?"
"No, it was one of the stays!" answered Dick. He glanced around. "Theright plane is giving 'way! Sam, let her down, as quick as you can!"
"On the tracks!" gasped the lad at the wheel.
"Yes--anywhere--before we tumble!"
The biplane was already out of control. Sam manipulated the rudders asbest he could, and likewise the ailerons, and the machine dropped inseveral wild dashes.
"The train!" yelled Tom. "Look out for the express!"
There was another gleam of light along the railroad tracks. Theevening express was approaching, running at topmost speed, to make upsome lost time.
T
he biplane was coming down swiftly. It veered towards the woodsbeside the railroad tracks. Then it took another wild turn and hungdirectly over the railroad. The boys were speechless, not knowing whatto do. The light of the express train kept coming closer and closer.
Crash! the biplane had struck the earth, directly beside the railroadtracks. One end of the machine rested across the rails, the other endhung in the bushes bordering the tracks.
As they struck Tom and Dick were thrown out--the former into thebushes and the latter on the tracks. Sam kept at the wheel, the forceof the intact smashing the landing wheels beneath him.
For the instant all three boys were too stunned to do anything. Then,as the gleam from the express train came closer, Tom let out a wildcry.
"Jump! Jump for your lives! We haven't a moment to lose!"
"Dick!" screamed Sam. "Save Dick! He is on the tracks!"
"Where?"
"There!" and Sam pointed with one hand, while he clambered down fromhis seat. The seat was broken and his coat got caught in thesplinters, and it was several seconds before he could release himself.
Tom looked to where his brother pointed and saw Dick lying in a heap,face downward. The fall had been sufficient to stun him and he wasthus unable to help himself.
Tom did not hesitate over what to do. Dick was very dear to him andnever for an instant did he consider the risk he was running in goingto the rescue. He made a flying leap from the bushes to the tracks andtook another leap to his brother's side.
"Get up, Dick," he yelled. "Here, let me get you off the tracks! Thetrain is coming!"
Only a faint groan answered him. Dick was still too dazed to think orto act.
Tom caught hold of his brother and raised him up, and commenced todrag him to the other side of the tracks, away from the wreckedbiplane. As he did this there came a shrill warning shriek from thelocomotive whistle. The engineer had seen the obstruction on thetracks and had put on brakes, in a vain endeavor to stop the express.
As Tom commenced to haul Dick across the tracks, Sam came bounding tohis assistance, the shreds of his torn coat flapping behind him. Hecaught his big brother by one arm.
"Hurry!" he yelled, hoarsely. "The express is almost here!"
Both boys made a wild leap to the edge of the railroad, dragging Dickbetween them. Tom got his foot caught in the rails and almost pitchedheadlong. They fairly fell into the bushes, and Dick went down withthem.
Then the express thundered up, the whistle shrieking loudly and thesparks flying from the wheels where the brakes gripped them. Thelocomotive struck the Dartaway, and the next instant the biplane wassmashed to pieces, the broken parts flying in all directions!