SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY
Our hero found the gasoline tanks pretty well emptied of oil. He
realized that the “juice” on hand would not admit of a long flight.
Satisfied, however, that there was sufficient fuel to fly the _Comet_
out of its resting place and down to level ground, Dave got to the pilot
post and operated the self-starter.
The biplane arose promptly to the occasion. A little deft guiding
cleared the hill. The machine and its occupant came safely and gently to
a new landing place in a field nearby. Hiram and the farmer hastened to
the spot as Dave alighted.
“I call that purty cute,” announced the farmer, a good deal interested.
“Now then, stranger, what about them damages?”
“Just what I said,” replied Dave. “You have done us a great service and
we appreciate it. There is your money.”
“Say, you’re square and white,” declared the farmer, overjoyed at the
possession of so much cash.
“We try to be,” answered Dave, pleasantly. “Just sign that receipt, will
you? The aeroplane company will pay for this, and I want my voucher all
straight and regular.”
Dave wrote out a receipt on the back of a card and the man signed it.
Then the young aviator proceeded to the automobile.
“Can’t I help you some?” inquired the farmer, accommodatingly.
“If you will loan us a tin pail for a bit it will be of service to us,”
replied Dave. “There is plenty of spare gasoline in the auto tank,
Hiram,” he explained.
It did not take the boys long to transfer enough of the gasoline to last
the _Comet_ for a home flight. Dave arranged to fly the machine and
directed Hiram to take charge of the automobile.
It was about two o’clock in the afternoon when the adventurers reported
on the aero grounds. Mr. Brackett was delighted at their success and
Elmer was fairly overjoyed. No damage whatever had been done to the
biplane, it was found, after a careful inspection of the machine.
“I say, Dave,” spoke Hiram, as he and his chief sat eating a fine dinner
sent by Mr. Brackett from the restaurant; “there’s a good deal about
this business that puzzles me.”
“I suppose that is true,” responded the young aviator, with a slight
smile. “What principally is troubling you, Hiram?”
“Why, the whole proceeding. If somebody wanted to put us out of
business, why didn’t they sink the airship somewhere or burn it up?”
“I think they counted on the _Comet_ remaining undiscovered until long
after the other entries had started,” said Dave.
“Spite, then?” suggested Hiram.
“No, I don’t think that.”
“Then if that Vernon had anything to do with it——”
“I am satisfied that he did,” declared Dave. “His object was not to keep
Elmer from getting out of the country, though.”
“Why, what else could it be?” questioned Hiram in wonderment.
“I shall tell you later, Hiram,” replied Dave in quite a serious way.
“The fact is, there are some things about stealing the airship that I do
not entirely understand myself. When I have posted myself on those
details, I fancy I shall have a decidedly interesting story to tell you
and Elmer.”
“Say, can I ask you one question?” propounded Hiram, and then, as Dave
nodded in assent, he added: “Has that girl, and your visit to the city
and the appearance of Vernon at the Hampton Flats got anything to do
with it?”
“Everything, in my opinion,” answered the young airman, gravely.
“Humph!” commented Hiram. “A romance and a mystery, eh?”
“Hardly, Hiram,” responded Dave gravely. “It is business, pure and
simple. I will say this much to you at the present time: whatever
dealings I am having with Mr. Deane, the father of the girl you saw, may
involve all the skill and nerve the crew of the _Comet_ have at their
command.”
The young airman had given his interested assistant a good deal to think
over. Hiram, however, and in fact everybody about the place, were soon
immersed in things strictly professional. At noon the following day the
race around the world was to start. There were not a large number of
entries, but every individual contestant had his own pet machine and his
coterie of friends and admirers.
The field was a lively scene all day. The various machines made trial
flights. Then there was the packing of supplies, which necessarily had
to be of limited volume. All of the contestants in turn visited the
office of the Aero Association to receive definite route instructions.
There was a good deal of red tape to go through, credentials to secure,
and arrangements made for reporting progress to headquarters from set
points along the route.
The young aviator and his assistants spent nearly an hour over a blue
print map which had been furnished each of the contestants by the
management of the event. Hiram got out a geography and studied out the
situation in a more detailed way. Elmer, at the suggestions of Dave,
made two copies of the list of points from which the _Comet_ was to
report progress.
The boys were interrupted in this congenial work by the appearance of
one of the hangar men at the door of the living tent. He beckoned to
Dave, who at once went outside, received some message, and called back
to his friends:
“I’ve got to go to the city, fellows. Won’t be over two hours. Keep a
close watch on everything until I get back.”
“Wonder what’s up now?” remarked Hiram, speculatively. Then he went to
the door and looked out. “H’m,” he observed, “Dave has a good deal of
mysterious business on hand, it seems to me.”
“Where has he gone?” asked Elmer only casually, for he was deeply
absorbed in his work.
“To the city he said, and say, in that same automobile that brought the
young lady here day before yesterday.”
“Well, it must be something important to take Dave away from here at
just this time,” commented Elmer.
The young aviator reappeared about two hours later. The chauffeur who
had come for him brought him back. Dave came into the living tent all
briskness and cheery as usual. The watchful Hiram, however, whispered
cautiously to Elmer that “he acted as if he had something heavy on his
mind.”
The boys made frequent visits to the _Comet_ during the evening. Hiram
noticed that Dave seemed very solicitous that a double watch should be
kept over the machine during the night. He hired two extra men to spell
the regular watchmen, and gave them close directions as to their care of
the biplane.
A band of music woke up the three young airmen early in the morning. It
announced a reception to some French experts who had arrived to take
part in the international flights. Dave was out of bed first, as usual,
and bolted out of the place, anxious to see if all was well with the
_Comet_.
Hiram and Elmer began to dress. They felt buoyant and eager for the work
of the day. In sport, as Elmer finished dressing first, he made a grab
for the pillow on the cot Dave had occupied and sent it hurtling at the
head of his companion.
“That’s the last pillow you’ll see for a long time to come,” he
announced. “Hello! Why, Hiram, look here!”
The speaker stood stock still, gazing spellbound at the head of the cot
whence he had taken the pillow. Hiram, joining him, looked down like
himself in sheer, startled wonder.