JACK TAKES A HYDRO-AEROPLANE MESSAGE.
"Oh! murder! what a big birrd!" Jimmy was crying out.
A shadow had fallen upon the water close by, and the distant cries of
the other young motor boat boys could be faintly heard. Jack, looking
hastily up, saw a strange thing that had extended wings like a monster
bird, apparently swooping down toward the surface of the wide river.
Of course he knew that it was an up-to-date flying machine, and the
presence of aluminum pontoons under the body of the contrivance also
told him that for the first time in his life he was looking at a
hydro-aeroplane, capable of alighting on the water and starting up
again, after the manner of a wild duck.
Even as the two in the _Tramp_ stared, the queer contrivance skipped
along the surface of the Delaware, sending the water in spray on either
side. Then it seemed to settle contentedly there, not ten feet away
from the motor boat.
There was a young fellow squatted in the seat where the various levers
could be controlled. He was dressed after some odd fancy of his own,
calculated to serve in the cool air of the upper strata. To Jimmy the
vision was very startling.
"Why, say, it's a real birdman after all, Jack!" he cried, as though he
had only discovered this remarkable fact after the machine had come to
a stop close by.
The aviator laughed aloud.
"What did you think it was, young fellow, an old-time roc come back to
life?" he called out; waving a hand at them cheerfully.
Jack had shut off the engine at the time he heard the first exclamation
from his teammate, and at this time they were hardly more than moving
with the ebb tide, so that in reality the boat drew closer to the
hydro-aeroplane with each passing second.
"You gave us a little start, that's all," laughed Jack. "Of course, I
knew what it was as soon as I saw the pontoons underneath. They seem
to do the trick first rate, too. Seems to me I'd like to sail in one
of those things, if I ever had the chance."
"It's a great experience, all right," replied the aviator; "but the way
things are going right now, only a very few fellows are fitted for the
work. But are you in company with those other two jolly little boats
way off yonder?"
"That's right," sang out Jimmy, determined to have his little say with
the bold navigator of the upper currents; "we're all chums, an' it's
the Motor Boat Club we do be represinting. Along the coast we're
bound, on a long cruise, by the same token."
The young fellow appeared interested at once.
"Say, that's nice," he remarked. "I bet you'll have a bully good time
of it, too. Headed up or down, may I ask?"
He sat there, as much at his ease as though on an ocean steamer,
instead of a frail little machine that sprawled upon the heaving waves
very much as Jack had seen a big "darning needle," known also as a
"mosquito hawk," do on occasion.
"Florida, by the inside route, and then perhaps along the gulf to New
Orleans," replied the skipper of the _Tramp_, in as careless a voice as
he could command, just as though a voyage that might cover a thousand
or two miles was hardly worth mentioning.
The owner of the hydro-aeroplane whistled, to indicate his surprise.
His whole manner showed the keen interest he immediately took in such a
glorious prospect; and Jack guessed instantly from this that he
possessed the true love for outdoor life and sport.
"That's simply immense," remarked the other, with what might seem like
an envious sigh. "I can see where your little crowd have a mighty fine
time ahead. Wish I could get off to accompany you; but even if I had
an invite, my contracts with the company would not allow me. But later
on I am to give some exhibitions in the South; and wouldn't it be
strange now if we happened to meet up with each other again?"
Jack rather liked his looks, and of course immediately expressed the
hope that circumstances might throw them together again some fine day.
"I'd be glad to see more of you, and learn something about your
experiences, for ten to one you've seen some rough times in your air
journeys," he remarked, as he leaned on the side of the _Tramp's_
cabin, and let his wondering eyes travel over the peculiar mechanism of
the queer air and water craft combined.
"Well, rather," smiled the other, nodding his head in a friendly way,
as though possibly he had been taken just as much by the frank and
fearless face of the motor boat skipper as Jack was by his countenance
and bearing. "Might I ask what your names are, in case we ever do run
together again?"
He had a notebook and pencil in his hands while speaking, and Jack
quite willing to oblige, called off the roster of the Motor Boat Club,
with the names of the three craft included.
"This is a great pleasure to me, I give you my word, Jack," remarked
the young fellow, as he thrust the memorandum book once more in his
pocket. "Never dreamed of such good luck when I took a notion to swoop
down, and see what three bully little craft were doing, headed for
Delaware Bay. Going all the way to Florida, you say; and by the inside
passage, too? I wonder, now, would that happen to take you in the
neighborhood of Beaufort, North Carolina?"
An eager expression had suddenly flashed across his face, and Jack saw
his eyes sparkle, as with anticipation; though for the life of him he
could not understand just why this should be so, unless the said
Beaufort happened to have been the home port of the hydro-aeroplane
flier, and the mere thought of their being in that vicinity gave him a
homesick thrill.
"Why, yes, I remember that I've got Beaufort marked on the chart as one
of our stopping places," Jack hastened to reply. "Could I do anything
for you while there? I'd be quite willing to oblige you--er, by the
way, you haven't told us your name in return for having ours!"
"That's a fact, I haven't," he replied, quickly, but Jack thought with
just a trifle of embarrassment; "it's Malcolm Spence."
"Oh! I believe I've read a lot about your doings with one of these air
and water fliers. There were some pretty stirring accounts of your
trips in the papers out our way not long ago!" Jack exclaimed, looking
at the young fellow with considerable admiration; since hero worship
has just as strong a hold upon the human heart in these modern days as
in times of old, when knights went forth to do battle with dragons, and
all kinds of terrible monsters.
"I believe they have been showing me up, more or less; but I try to
avoid those newspaper men all I can, because they stretch things so,"
young Spence modestly remarked. "That's why I come down here to try
out any new little wrinkle I may happen to have hit on. A week ago I
started off the deck of a Government war vessel, a big cruiser, went up
a thousand feet, dropped to the water, and last of all landed again in
the same place from which I started--all to prove how valuable a
hydro-aeroplane would be in case of real war."
"Yes, I was reading about that while we were on the way here, but
somehow didn't remember the name of the one who had done it," Jack went
on, while the little motor boat and the new-fangled contraption that
seemed perfectly at home in the air or floating on the waves kept
company on the tide of the river.
"Did I understand you to say that you would be willing to do me a
little favor, if it didn't put you to much inconvenience?" asked
Spence, his voice trembling with an eagerness that Jack could not help
noticing.
"Certainly we will, if it lies in our power," he answered promptly.
"They never was a more obliging gossoon in the wide worrld than this
same Jack Stormways, and ye can depind on that!" exploded Jimmy,
thinking it about time he injected his personality into the
conversation, since he did not wish to be an utter nonentity.
Malcolm Spence thrust a hand into his tightly buttoned leather coat.
When he brought it out Jack saw that it held what looked like a small
packet, which, after all, might be a letter, though it was sealed.
"I wanted to get this to a party by the name of Van Arsdale Spence," he
said, hurriedly, as though afraid that they might back out after all
from their kind proposition; "but I knew he no longer lived in
Beaufort, and I had no means of finding his present address. So,
instead of mailing it, I have carried the thing around with me for
three weeks, intending when I went South to make inquiries and send it
to his new address, if so be he was far away."
"All right, then," declared Jack, stretching out his hand promptly;
"I'll promise to do everything in my power to get it into his
possession. Failing, you must give me some address through which I can
reach you, to tell you it was no go."
"Here's my card, with the address of the makers of this machine. A
letter will always get to me if sent in their care, because, you see,
I'm under a three years' contract to exhibit this invention, and add
new ideas of my own. But I do hope you may be able to find the party.
I'd like that packet to fall into his hands as soon as possible. Too
much time has already been lost. Please keep it safe, will you, Jack?"
The skipper of the _Tramp_ accepted the little packet in a serious
manner that no doubt impressed the other favorably.
"Depend on me to do my level best for you; that's all any fellow could
promise, Mr. Spence," he said, simply, as he stowed the article away in
an inside pocket of his coat.
"Shake hands, please, both of you!" exclaimed the birdman, heartily,
stretching across the little gap that separated him from the motor
boat; "I only wish it had been my good fortune to meet up with you
earlier."
The formality of shaking hands was concluded with more or less
difficulty, owing to the fact that the wings of the aeroplane extended
far on either side, and kept the boat off; but in the end they managed
fairly well, though the eager Jimmy came near falling overboard in his
ambitious stretching, deeming it a great honor to have pressed the hand
of one about whom there was so much being printed in the papers.
"Good luck go with you, boys!" called out the young aviator, as he
prepared to once more leave the surface of the water, and soar aloft
into airy space. "Give my regards to Herbert, Josh, George and Nick,
and tell them I hope some day in the near future to make their personal
acquaintance. I'm sure you must be a jolly bunch; and what glorious
times you have ahead! And I also hope you get track of the party that
packet is addressed to, Jack; it means much to me, I tell you."
"I'll do everything in my power to find him, and give it personally
into his hands, Malcolm, I promise you. Shall I tell him how queerly
we met?" Jack went on.
"Yes, and how some blessed inspiration caused me to believe there was
more than accident about our coming together, with you just on the way
down South by the coast route. So long, fellows; and again the best of
luck to you all."
"Same to you!" called Jimmy, as he heard the motor of the
hydro-aeroplane begin to whirr, and saw the strange contrivance start
to spin along the little waves, once more sending the spray on either
side.
Then it began to rise in the air with perfect freedom. They saw the
daring young aviator wave his hand in parting as he sped away, circling
upwards until he was hundreds of feet aloft, and constantly gaining.
"Wow! wouldn't that make ye wink, now, Jack darlint?" exclaimed Jimmy,
as he twisted his neck badly in the endeavor to follow the course of
the wonderful machine that seemed as much at home in one element as the
other.
Jack made no reply.
He was bending down to start his own motor once more, and upon his face
there might have been seen an expression that told of mingled
resolution and curiosity. Yes, he would do everything possible to
deliver this strange missive that Malcolm Spence had entrusted to his
care, apparently on the impulse of the moment; at the same time Jack
would not have been human, and a boy, had he not experienced more or
less wonder as to what that same communication might contain.
But the mystery was one that must remain such to the end of the
chapter, since the deep sense of honor that always went with his
actions would positively prevent his trying to ascertain what that
sealed packet contained.
"Hey! get busy there, Jimmy!" he called out; "we're going to start
again, and make for the other boats. They've pulled up, and are
waiting for us to join them. And, believe me, those fellows are just
eating their heads off with envy, because they must have seen that we
were hobnobbing with a real birdman, who could scoot along the water as
easily as a flying-fish. All ready, are you? Then here she goes,
Jimmy," and immediately the merry hum of the motor sounded.