AN AEROPLANE CHASE
"Here it is, and everything seems all right!" remarked Andy as they
reached the field, and found the hydro-aeroplane just where they had
left it.
"Yes, no one has disturbed a thing, which I think is lucky for us,"
Frank went on to say, as he proceeded to put back the small part he had
taken away with him, and thus place the machine in perfect condition for
business.
Andy moved about, looking to see that all obstacles threatening to
interfere with a successful launching were removed from in front of the
waiting aeroplane.
So minutes passed, until at least ten had crept by since their coming.
Frank had everything tuned up, and knew of not the least chance where he
could improve the conditions of planes or motor, for all seemed to be as
nearly perfect as they could be made.
Both boys cast frequent glances aloft, and as a rule toward that
particular quarter where they presently expected to see something
moving. They were keyed up to a pretty lively pitch of excitement,
though Frank did not show it half as much as his younger cousin, who was
always affected this way.
Then suddenly Andy called out:
"There she rises, Frank! Oh! look at them boring up, will you, in that
corkscrew spiral way! Tell me that Casper Blue doesn't know his
business; Perc will never get as much out of his biplane as that old and
experienced aviator means to. Are we going to follow suit, Frank?"
"Get aboard!" came the prompt answer; and it was almost laughable to see
how nimbly Andy obeyed this order.
Frank lost no time in starting, and they went away with a rush, passing
over the abandoned field that was now given up pretty much to thistles
and burdocks, with a sprinkling of iron-weeds.
It was rather rough sledding, to be sure, and as the bicycle wheels
pounded over the turf the boys had to hold on to keep their seats.
But when sufficient momentum had been acquired, Frank elevated the fore
plane, and immediately there was the greatest relief felt; for they
began to rise in the air, and all that terrible bumping stopped for
good. The change was wonderful, and it felt as though they were gliding
on velvet.
"We're off!" exclaimed Andy, exultantly.
Frank said nothing. He did not possess quite the same sanguine nature
that his cousin had. Andy seldom allowed thoughts of possible disaster
to annoy him, but on the other hand Frank was always trying to head off
trouble.
He realized that with this launching of their new hydro-aeroplane they
would be entering upon an extra hazardous game, the outcome of which no
one could foresee. The two men whom they expected to follow must be
desperate fellows, who would resort to almost any hazard rather than
allow themselves to be caught.
And it was not an amateur aviator like Percy Carberry who was opposed
to them now, but one who had had long experience in the art of
harnessing a flying machine to do his bidding.
Once they left the ground behind them, Frank started to spiral upward
much in the same way the others had done. One thing he was glad of, and
this was the presence of Andy alongside. Casper Blue might be a daring
air pilot, but with his companion a perfect greenhorn in all that
pertained to the art, he would be more or less handicapped. A sudden
incautious movement on the part of the novice might prove the undoing of
the precious pair.
Once they had risen to a certain height, and the aeroplane was turned so
as to follow the other air craft, which was speeding away, headed
directly into the north. Of course, those aboard must know that they
were being chased. They could not have failed to see the hydroplane, (as
it is generally called, though the true word to cover it would be
hydro-aeroplane) even before it left the field, once they started to
ascend.
"Well, we're off at last!" commented Andy, in a satisfied tone, when the
course had been taken, and they were following directly after the
fugitive air craft.
"And let's hope we'll come out of this adventure as luckily as we have
on other occasions," remarked sober Frank.
"Wonder if Perc happens to be looking this way right now," Andy went on
to say. "Chances are, that he's got his old field glass leveled, and is
searching the heavens right along, in hopes of locating his lost
machine. And say, if he does glimpse this fine parade right now, can't
you see him turning green with envy to think of another glorious chance
coming to the hated Bird boys. Oh! my, oh! me! but it would be gall and
wormwood to Perc. Just as like as not he'd take a fit!"
But Frank was not giving any time to such thoughts as these. More
serious affairs engaged his attention. When once he left the firm
footing of the solid earth, and invaded the upper currents where up to
lately man had never traveled, save in a drifting balloon, he always put
levity aside, and paid strict attention to business.
The panorama below them was constantly changing, and the boys could not
but admire the pictures thus presented to their gaze. No matter how
often one may go up a thousand feet or more above the earth, it is next
to impossible to weary of the wonderful scenes that keep passing
constantly in review as the buzzing motor keeps carrying the aeroplane
along over plain, valley, hills, forests, rivers, and villages or towns
that chance to lie in the route.
To Andy it was all somewhat in the nature of a grand picnic, for his
nature was not one to contemplate peril at a distance. Had he and Frank
just come out for an hour's spin he could not have shown more delight,
as they went whirling through space, with that rival flier a mile or two
ahead.
"Do you think we're gaining on them?" asked Andy, after some time had
elapsed, and the country below began to get unfamiliar, proving that
they had now come beyond the range of any previous trip taken to the
northward of Bloomsbury.
"I don't know for sure," replied his cousin. "Sometimes I think we are,
and then again I'm a little in doubt. Suppose you get the glass out, and
see what they're doing, Andy?"
"Well, I'm a great one, forgetting all about that bully marine glass."
As he said this Andy hastened to feel for the article in question, which
was always kept handy, because there never could be any telling when
they might want to use it in a hurry.
"Go slow; no use rocking the boat," sang out the pilot, who was forever
cautioning his companion with regard to quick motions when seated in
such a delicately balanced contraption as a biplane. "It's a good thing
that we've got that new fool-proof contrivance that Mr. Wright invented,
on this machine right now, because only for that you'd be giving me more
than a few scares when you swing from one side to the other so quickly."
A minute later, and Andy, who had been looking through the glasses,
spoke again.
"It's a little hard to cover them steadily, because they keep rising
and dipping just like we are; but I can see that little Casper Blue, and
the man alongside of him is a much larger chap."
"Of course it's Casper who's piloting the biplane?" remarked Frank.
"Yes, and he knows the ropes, let me tell you. I don't believe there are
many professional birdmen today who can go ahead of that man. I only
wish you could take a squint through here, and watch how he manipulates
the levers, in spite of that stiff arm of his. Only for that, and he'd
still be in the harness, and doing stunts that'd have Beachy left far
behind."
"Either that, or else he'd be buried," remarked Frank, drily.
"Oh! well, the less we have to say about that the better I'll feel,
Frank. If you're going in for aviation at all you've just got to forget
all about being in constant danger; though I hope I'll never get so I'll
be reckless like Perc Carberry. But Frank, sure we seem to be picking up
a little on that crowd. And from the way they keep looking back all the
while, I guess they know it too."
"Perhaps we are," Frank went on to say, "but if I really thought so I'd
cut down a peg or two in our speed."
At that Andy set up a howl; at least he voiced his objection.
"Well, that's a queer stunt for you to do, I must say, Frank. Here we
are chasing after our game, and the very first time we believe we're
gaining some, you inform me you mean to cut down our speed. Is that the
way to win the game, tell me?"
"But we don't want to come up with them while we're booming along like
this, you understand," ventured Frank, as he gently moved a lever just a
trifle; "this sort of racing is a lot different from what you'd do on
the ground down there. Suppose we did come abreast of that biplane right
now, what good would that do us? Could we put out a hand and arrest the
yeggmen? Wouldn't it be more likely that such desperate men as these
must be, would try some sort of game looking to disable our craft, and
sending us tumbling down to our death? No, excuse me from coming to
close quarters up here with such hard cases. Honest now, Andy, if they
began to circle around as if they meant to turn on us, I'd think it my
duty to run!"
"Oh!" exclaimed Andy, "you mean you'd coax 'em to follow us back to
Bloomsbury, and then give themselves up, is that it, Frank? Oh! but
you're a cunning chap, sure you are. But on the level now, what is our
game, if it doesn't mean we're going to overtake 'em?"
"I'll tell you, Andy. We ought to keep following after them as far as we
can, and in that way learn where they drop. If we get a chance to send
down an occasional message to be sent on to Bloomsbury so much the
better. I've written several such out, and have the cord to tie them to
weights. Given a chance, when we're passing over some town perhaps we
can get one such message sent on home. Even that would tell them where
we were, and what the chances are."
"Great game, Frank! Suppose you let me have those messages, and I'll be
amusing myself getting the same ready to heave, when you say the word.
We c'n play that this is a war game, and we've been sent out to drop
bombs on the fortifications of the enemy. We've done it with rocks, and
we can throw pretty straight; so it seems to me we ought to get some
sort of fun out of it all around."
Frank told him where he could find the written messages in his outer
pocket; and for some time Andy was quiet, busying himself in fastening
some sort of anchor to each piece of paper, sufficient to carry it
earthward, despite the breeze that at the time might be blowing.
All at once Andy noticed that they were going quite slowly in comparison
with the pace they had lately been "hitting up."
"What's happening, Frank?" he exclaimed, almost alarmed lest some
accident had befallen the reliable little motor, which up to now had
never failed them, no matter how great the call upon its resources. "Why
are we slowing up? Is there something gone wrong, and must we own up to
being beaten?"
"Look ahead at the biplane!" was all that Frank replied.