A PRODIGY IN AERONAUTICS
San Diego Bay is always interesting, with its shipping from all
ports of the world, but on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon there was
no prettier sight among the scattered craft than the trim yacht
_Salvador_, lying at anchor just north of the ferry path. The
Kane-Cumberford party found a small launch awaiting them at the pier,
which quickly took them aboard the big white yacht, where Madeline,
attired in appropriate sailor costume, cordially welcomed them.
"This affair is fully as great a novelty to me as it must be to you,"
she explained, as they cast admiring glances over the decks. "I bought
the boat of an Englishman several months ago, with the understanding
it should be delivered to me here; but I only arrived to claim it the
day before yesterday. It has a crew of seven, besides the chef, who,
I must admit, is my own selection, as I feared to trust the English
taste in cookery. The English crew, however, seems capable and every
man jack wants to stay with the boat; so I've agreed to keep them. I'll
introduce you to the skipper presently. He rejoices in the title of
'Captain' and has quite awed me with his superior manner and splendid
uniform. But I'll introduce you to the creations of my chef, first,
for dinner is waiting. Forgive Monsieur Champetre, if he falls down
occasionally; he is as unused to the kitchen--or is it scullery? Oh, I
know; the 'galley'--as I am to the cabin."
Really the chef needed no excuses, and after the meal they made
a thorough inspection of the beautiful craft, peeping into the
state-rooms, the men's quarters and even into the sacred galley.
Everyone aboard, including the big, bluff skipper, was so proud of the
boat that he delighted to have it exhibited, and when it was understood
that the slim, beautiful young lady guest was the famous Flying Girl
the deference shown Orissa was amusing.
"I had intended to test the _Salvador_ to-morrow and make a short run
to sea in it," said Madeline; "but I am so eager to witness the aërial
exhibitions that I shall postpone the voyage until later. My yacht is
permanent, but this Aviation Meet is temporary."
The visitors returned to their hotel early in the afternoon, for
Orissa and Sybil had still a few preparations to make for the
morrow's trip, while Steve and Mr. Cumberford decided to pay a visit
to the aviation field, to which both the Kane Aircraft and the Kane
Hydro-Aircraft had been removed by the mechanicians in charge of them.
Chesty Todd's labors that Sunday evening were perhaps more onerous than
those of the others of his party, for he had to meet an aggressive band
of newspaper reporters and load each one to the brim with material
for a double-header next morning. Having served as a journalist--and
an able one--himself, Mr. Radley-Todd understood exactly the sort of
priming these publicity guns required.
The home of the Kanes was a delightful orange ranch near Los Angeles,
where the blind mother of Stephen and Orissa--their only parent--lived
surrounded by every comfort and devoted attendants, while her boy and
girl were engaged in the novel and somewhat hazardous exhibitions of
the new Kane Aircraft. Orissa had remained at home with her mother
while Stephen was perfecting his latest machine at San Diego, and
had not left there until it was necessary to prepare for the Meet,
in which she had engaged to take part. Mrs. Kane, perhaps because
of her blindness, seemed to have little anxiety on account of
her daughter's ventures, although at the time of Orissa's first
flights her nervousness had been poignant. Assured of her girl's
skill and coolness, the mother had come to accept these occasions
philosophically, as far as the danger was concerned, and she was
naturally interested in Steve's inventions and overjoyed at the
financial success which Mr. Cumberford's business ability had already
insured the firm.
This Sunday evening Orissa wrote a long letter to her mother, telling
how perfectly her brother's new machine worked, and assuring Mrs. Kane
of her confidence in winning new laurels for Stephen on the morrow.
"The latest engine, made for the Hy, is more powerful than were
the others," she added, "but its operation is practically the same
and while the combination of boat and aircraft necessitated a more
complicated arrangement of the control, I have easily mastered all the
details and could take the whole thing apart and put it together again,
if obliged to do so."
The girl slept peacefully that night and neither she nor Sybil were in
the least nervous when they went to the aviation field, overlooking the
sea, after an early luncheon on Monday.
They found the Kane Hydro-Aircraft reposing majestically in its
hangar, in perfect order and constantly surrounded by a group of
admiring and interested spectators. The little band of professional
aviators present at the Meet welcomed Orissa very cordially, for every
one of them knew and admired the brave girl who had so often proved her
ability to manage her brother's machines.
The grand stand was packed with spectators, and long rows of
automobiles lined the edge of the enclosure reserved for the exhibitors.
The "Kane Event," as it was called, was early on the program of the
day, for it was understood that the flight over the ocean and the
voyage back would consume much of the afternoon. Many had brought
binoculars and other powerful glasses to watch the Flying Girl and her
chum during their progress.
Sealskin Island lay a little to the south of the aviation field and
was one of a group of barren rocks jutting out of the sea and plainly
visible from the mainland. The Coronado Islands, which have little or
no value, belong to Mexico, as the Mexican boundary is only twelve
miles south of San Diego, and this group, although not appearing to be
so far south, is below the line claimed by the United States. Therefore
Orissa's flight would be in a southwesterly direction and most of her
journey made in plain view of every spectator.
As the "Hy" was run out to the center of the field Steve said to Orissa:
"I've anchored an aluminum chest just back of your seats, at the
suggestion of Mr. Cumberford. In it are all the tools you could
possibly need in case of emergency, a couple of warm blankets to use
if your return trip proves chilly, and enough 'lunch'--which I think
Sybil pleaded for--to last you both a week. The chest enables you to
carry all this safely and comfortably, and it won't be at all in your
way. Personally, I think such a precaution wholly unnecessary, but Mr.
Cumberford is a good deal of an old woman where Sybil is concerned
and it is easier to give up to him than to try to argue him out of an
idea. Take the trip easy, Ris; we don't need to make time. What we want
to demonstrate is the practicability of the machine, and we ourselves
already know that it is thoroughly practical, and we therefore ought to
be able to convince the world of the fact."
Orissa nodded.
"How about gasoline?" she asked.
"Both tanks are filled. There's enough to run you a hundred miles in
air and fifty miles in water, which is far more than you will require.
Be gentle with the steering gear; it is such a long connection that it
doesn't respond as readily as the old one, and I guess I've made the
rods a trifle too light. I mean to rig up a more substantial device as
soon as I get time, but this will do you all right if you don't jerk
it. Put a little more strength to the wheel and turn it gradually,
that's all."
"I understand," she replied. "Are you ready, Sybil?"
"Waiting on you, Ris."
"And I think the crowd is waiting on us."
The band was at this moment playing its loudest and most stirring
tune and as the two venturesome girls, dressed in appropriate aërial
costume, appeared on the field, wildly enthusiastic shouts rose from
ten thousand spectators. Chesty Todd had decorated the braces of the
machine with bunches of fresh violets and the aluminum and nickeled
parts shone gloriously in the sun.
"Be good, Sybil," said Mr. Cumberford. "Take care of her, Orissa."
The girls laughed, for this was the old gentleman's customary parting
warning.
"All right, Ris," said Steve.
She applied the power and one of the mechanicians gave the propeller
a preliminary whirl. Then Orissa threw in the automatic clutch that
started the machine and it ran forward a few feet and promptly rose
into the air. A moment later it was speeding straight out to sea, at an
altitude of a hundred feet, and the wonderful voyage of Stephen Kane's
new Hydro-Aircraft was begun--a voyage destined to vary considerably
from the program mapped out for it.