A NEW FRIEND.
"Frau Schmidt is certainly a nice old lady," said Chester.
"She certainly is," agreed Hal. "If it wasn't for the fact that I
wanted to get out of the country so badly, I wouldn't mind spending a
few weeks here."
"Nor I; and Fritz is a likable fellow."
"He sure is."
The boys had spent two days in the Schmidt home when this conversation
took place. In Frau Schmidt they had found a lovable and motherly woman,
well along in years.
She had made them welcome from the first, and had set before them the
best she had. Their room was next to that of her son, Fritz, a young man
probably six years older than Hal.
Now, Fritz was of a mechanical turn of mind, and all day and well into
the night he was at work in his shop behind the house. From bits of
conversation, the boys gathered that Fritz was engaged in the task of
building an aeroplane, and they were greatly interested.
The fact that no one was allowed in Fritz's workshop unless he
accompanied them, and the additional fact that at night two soldiers were
stationed at the door at first caused the boys some surprise. However,
Fritz had explained:
"You see, the government has taken over all aircraft in process of
construction, no matter how crude and amateurish, and has appointed a
commission to investigate all patents. Of course, it was known that I
was building an airship, and, as a result, I am working under
government orders.
"If my craft should come up to expectations it will mean a great deal to
me, and I probably shall either be put to work building more, or, better
still, be made a member of one of the aeroplane corps."
"Yes," said Chester again, "Fritz is a fine fellow. Do you suppose his
aeroplane will be a success?"
"I don't know. For his sake, I hope so. As he says, it means a whole
lot to him."
"So do I. And I will bet Fritz would be of great help to his country. He
is a pretty shrewd chap."
"You bet he--Hello! What's that?"
A sudden cry had come from the direction of the kitchen, and the sounds
of a struggle followed.
"Come on!" shouted Chester. "Somebody is in trouble!"
The two boys ran madly around the house.
Dashing through the door into the kitchen, a terrible sight met
their eyes.
Huddled into a corner was Frau Schmidt, and over her, with a naked
knife, stood a man, ragged and unkempt. A second man was ransacking the
drawers of a dresser in the room beyond. The boys could see him through
the open door.
Just as they dashed in the door, the man with the knife snarled in a
low voice:
"Give me the key to the workshop, I tell you. We mean business!"
"You mean business, do you!" shouted Hal, striding toward him.
"Well, so do I!"
The man turned at the sound of Hal's voice, and, with upraised knife,
awaited the lad's attack.
"You cowardly ruffian!" cried Hal, "to attack a defenseless old woman!"
As he spoke, he leaped upon the man, dodging the blow the latter aimed at
him with the wicked-looking knife. Before the latter could recover his
balance, Hal seized the arm that held the knife.
A sharp twist and the knife went spinning across the floor. Both leaped
for it, but Hal was quicker than his opponent, and placed his foot upon
the weapon. With a snarl the man sprang upon him.
Chester had entered the room upon Hal's heels; and, as his friend jumped
for the first intruder, Chester rushed at the man in the next room. The
latter heard him advance, and, stepping back, picked up a chair, which he
brandished over his head. Taking a rapid stride forward, he swung his
improvised weapon at Chester's head.
Chester avoided the blow with a quick, backward leap, and the chair was
smashed to fragments against the door. Then Chester jumped forward and
closed with his opponent.
With a rapid movement he placed his knee behind the other's leg and
pushed suddenly. The man went over backward, with Chester on top of him.
As the intruder fell, his head came into contact with the sharp
projection of the bureau, and when he struck the floor he lay still.
Chester rose to his feet.
As Hal's opponent sprang toward him, the lad stepped in close and
delivered a stinging short-arm blow over the other's heart. He staggered
back, and, as Hal took another step forward, Chester, having disposed of
his adversary, threw his arms about the man from behind, and bore him to
the floor, where both boys piled on top of him.
While the three were struggling on the floor, a voice from the doorway
exclaimed:
"What is going on here?" and Fritz rushed into the room.
He took in the situation at a glance, and, rushing forward, lent a hand
in subduing the boys' opponent.
The struggle was over quickly, and, seizing a strong rope, which hung
from the wall, Fritz soon had the two men safely bound. Then he turned to
his mother, who still sat huddled on the chair, where she had been when
the boys entered the room. The excitement had been too much for her, and
she had fainted.
She was soon revived, however, and, when she was strong enough to sit up,
jumped to her feet, and, throwing her arms around Hal, kissed him loudly.
Then she turned her attention to Chester, and repeated the operation.
"My preservers!" she cried, laughing and crying at the same time. "Fritz,
but for these two boys your old mother would now be dead."
Rapidly and somewhat incoherently she related what had occurred, and
Fritz was no less warm in his praise for the actions of the two boys.
"Those men are undoubtedly spies," he declared. "They most certainly had
designs upon my biplane, which they evidently knew had been completed. I
shall turn them over to the military authorities."
He left the house, and in a few moments returned with a squad of
soldiers, who took the assailants in charge. Fritz explained to the
officer how the two men had been captured, and the German officer
complimented the boys highly for their prompt action.
After the two prisoners had been led away, Hal bethought himself of the
remark Fritz had made concerning his biplane.
"Do you mean to say your aeroplane is ready for use?" he asked.
"Yes; I am going to make a short flight this afternoon. Would you care to
watch me?"
"Would we!" exclaimed Hal. "You can just bet we would!"
"All right, then; come on."
The two lads followed Fritz to his workshop. Inside the boys approached
the large aircraft, which rested lightly on its wheels at the end of the
speedway. The huge planes which served as wings stretched out on either
side like two great box kites, while underneath the aviator's seat the
gearing could be plainly seen.
The aviator looked at the machine with great pride, and spoke of the
improvements he had made in the propellers and in the system of power
transmission. He explained to the boys that, by this direct system, he
had gained twenty per cent more velocity; and, now that the war had
begun, he hoped to be able to prove this to the army experts.
The boys helped Fritz push the machine out into the open, and watched
intently while he tested the steering gear and tried the ignition. After
some further tinkering, Fritz finally took his seat, pulled a lever, and,
after skimming the ground for a few rods, the machine rose gracefully
into the air.
"By George!" said Hal to Chester, as the craft rose from the ground.
"That looks easy. I believe I could do it myself."
"It looks easy," Chester admitted. "But how do you suppose a fellow would
feel sailing along up there?"
"I guess it would scare me a little at first, but, just the same, I
should like to try it."
After circling around for several minutes, Fritz brought the machine back
to its starting point and, lightly as a bird it dropped to the ground.
"Would you like to take a short flight?" he asked the boys.
Chester backed away.
"Not for me," he declared. "I would lose my head sure, if I got up
there."
Hal laughed.
"You don't want to pay any attention to him when he talks like that," he
told Fritz. "I never saw anything yet he was afraid to do."
"After what I saw in the house to-day, I can well believe that," replied
the young German. "Would you like to go up?" to Hal. "You know the
machine will only carry two."
"Why, yes," answered Hal; "I would like it."
"Climb in, then," ordered Fritz.
Not without some misgiving Hal obeyed.
Once more the huge machine skimmed gracefully over the ground, and again
went sailing into space.
As the plane rose from the ground, Hal grabbed the side of the seat and
hung on for dear life. Looking down and seeing the ground dropping
rapidly away, he experienced a choking sensation in his throat.
As the machine stopped rising, however, and stretched itself out for a
straight flight, Hal's composure came back to him, and he looked around
with interest.
Then Fritz explained the mechanism of the machine to him. He showed him
how to stop, how to increase the speed of the plane; how to rise and how
to glide to earth. He also showed him how to work the steering wheel.
While they were sailing about in the air he told Hal that, if necessary,
his craft could make a speed of one hundred miles an hour for hours. He
declared it could attain an altitude of a mile. Practically the only
danger, he said, came from conflicting air currents.
After sailing around for nearly half an hour, Fritz again brought the
machine to the ground a few feet from where Chester stood.
"Great!" exclaimed Hal, as he alighted and helped Fritz roll the machine
back into the shop. "No more automobiling for me. When I get home I am
going to get an airship."
"Wouldn't you like to go up with me to-morrow, Chester?" asked Fritz, as
he locked the door to the shop.
"I believe I would," was the reply. "I guess I can stand it if Hal can."
"Then you shall," said Fritz, and the three turned toward the house,
where Frau Schmidt stood in the doorway, calling to them that supper
was ready.