"Avast stunting!" declared Fosterdyke. "Let's get on with it. Full
speed to Gib."
Everyone on board realised that every minute was precious. With her six
motors running "all out" the "Golden Hind" quickly worked up to her
maximum speed of 180 miles an hour. At that rate the petrol consumption
was alarming, but Fosterdyke faced the fact cheerfully. While he was
obtaining the necessary certificates and making an official declaration
to the authorities at Gibraltar, the airship could replenish her
somewhat depleted fuel tanks.
But Sir Reginald had not taken into account the vagaries of red tape and
petty officialdom.
At 11 A.M. the "Golden Hind" sighted the historic Rock. Five minutes
later she slowed down and turned head to wind off the west side of the
fortress. With the assistance of a dockyard mooring-party, a stout
galvanised steel wire was lowered from the bow compartment of the
fuselage and secured to a large mooring buoy off the Detached Mole.
Then with sufficient gas in her ballonets to keep her buoyant the
"Golden Hind" floated head to wind at 50 feet above the Bay of
Gibraltar.
Almost before the mooring operations were completed the water in the
vicinity was crowded with boats of all sorts, sizes, and descriptions,
while the water-front was packed with a dense concourse of interested
spectators, representatives of the umpteen nationalities to be found
living on the few square miles of thickly-populated rock.
"Nothing you want ashore, I suppose?" enquired Fosterdyke as he prepared
to descend a wire ladder, the end of which was being steadied by a
couple of bluejackets in a picket-boat.
"Thanks, no," replied Kenyon.
"That's good," continued the baronet, fervently. "Hate having to
execute commissions. Not that I don't like obliging people, but I'm so
deucedly forgetful. Right-o; stand by. I'll be back in less than a
couple of hours, I hope. Come along, Bramsdean."
Agilely Fosterdyke swarmed down the swaying ladder, followed at a safe
distance by Peter, who carried a parcel of documents and a Mercator's
chart on which the proposed route was marked for the benefit of the
International Air Committee's representative and also the "Competent
Military Authorities" of the various garrisons where the "Golden Hind"
was scheduled to land.
Peter Bramsdean had plenty of experience of petty officialdom at the Air
Ministry. He well remembered the time--running into hours all told--of
weary waiting in draughty corridors until it pleased certain individuals
holding high places to signify their condescension (conveyed by a pert
damsel in brown overall and a pigtail tied with an enormous bow) to
receive the insignificant lieutenant.
Here it was much the same. The officials who were considered
indispensable in the matter of signing various documents were "out to
lunch."
A look of horrified amazement overspread the features of the minion to
whom Fosterdyke suggested that time would be saved by sending for them.
The British Empire might totter; the chance of winning fame by being the
first airman to fly round the globe be lost; but by no possibility must
such trivial details prevent officialdom from having its lunch--a
movable feast occupying normally from one o'clock till three.
"Hang it all, Bramsdean!" exclaimed Fosterdyke explosively during one of
the numerous periods of forced inaction. Clearly the usually unruffled
baronet was showing signs of annoyance. "Hang it all! It was ever
thus. Petty hirelings whose one idea of efficiency is to raise
obstacles and to quibble over unimportant details; those are the
stumbling blocks. For twopence I'd cut the cackle and carry on."
"And be disqualified at the winning post," reminded the cautious Peter.
"We're wasting precious time----"
"It'll be an unofficial competition, then," declared Fosterdyke. "The
honour of achieving the flight will be enough. The money prize can go
hang. Come along, let's make tracks."
"I vote we look up the Commissioner at his private quarters," suggested
Bramsdean. "After all, the 'Golden Hind' won't have refilled her petrol
tanks yet."
"'Spose not," growled Fosterdyke. "Someone's illegible signature's
required for the indents, I presume. Right-o, Bramsdean, let's rout out
this indispensable."
Somewhat to Peter's surprise the official was discovered with little
difficulty. He had just finished his lunch, and as the meal had been a
satisfying one, he was in high good humour.
"So Count von Sinzig has five hours' start, eh?" remarked the worthy
representative of the International Air Board. "That's nothing. You'll
make that up easily. The documents? Ah--yes--quite so. Unfortunately,
the seals are in my office. I'll be along there very shortly."
"Isn't your signature enough?" asked the baronet.
The great one hesitated. On the one hand, he wanted to impress his
callers by admitting that his signature was "absolutely it." On the
other, years of punctilious devotion to the ethics of red tape urged him
to deprecate such a cutting of the Gordian knot.
"No, Sir Reginald," he replied. "Both are necessary. One is not
conclusively in order without the other. I'll be at the office by
three."
It was now a quarter-past two. Fosterdyke felt strongly inclined to
enquire pointedly why three-quarters of an hour would be taken up by the
Commissioner in getting from his quarters to his office.
By ten minutes past three the various documents were sealed and signed.
As the competitors were on the point of taking their departure the
Commissioner spoke again.
"I don't seem to have seen Form 4456," he observed dryly. "That had to
be obtained before you left England."
"It wasn't," replied the baronet, bluntly. "An oversight, I admit, but
you don't suggest that I return to England to get it?"
"It is necessary," was the rejoinder. "Without it the flight would not
be in order. In fact, as an authorised representative of the
International Air Board I can rule you out of the contest."
"Piffle!" declared Fosterdyke hotly. He was rapidly nearing the end of
his restraint. "This, I may observe, is a contest of aircraft, not a
paper competition. Form 4456 is not an absolute essential. Since you
require it, I presume the case can be met if my representative in
England has the form made out and sent to you by registered post. It
will be in your hands before the 'Golden Hind' completes the circuit."
The Commissioner consulted a ponderous tome, chock-a-block with rules
and regulations for aerial navigation, written in official phraseology
so confusing that it was possible to have more than one interpretation
for at least seventy-five per cent. of the complicated paragraphs.
Quoting Article 1071, sub-section 3c, the official made the discovery
that the rendering of Form 4456 could be dispensed with in circumstances
laid down in Article 2074, section 5c, etc., etc. Thereupon he rang a
bell, summoned a head clerk, who in turn deputed a junior to fetch a
certain form. When this was forthcoming a blob of sealing-wax, the
impress of a seal, and the great man's illegible signature, and the
trick was done. As far as the International Air Board was concerned the
"Golden Hind" was a recognised and duly authorised competitor for the
Chauvasse Prize.
There was still the Recognised Military Authority to be dealt with.
That official was urbanity personified. He did everything in his power
to expedite matters, but red tape was stronger than gold lace.
The loud report of a gun warned Fosterdyke and his companion that sunset
had descended upon the Rock. The gates of the fortress were closed till
sunrise.
"Won't affect you," explained the courteous official. "You can get back
by the boat from the Old Mole. I won't keep you very much longer. It
really isn't my fault."
"Gibraltar was a bad choice of mine for a starting-point," observed
Fosterdyke.
"'Fraid so," agreed the other. "Ah, here we are. Thank you, Wilson.
Where's my fountain pen? Where's---- Oh, dash it all, where's
everything? ... That's settled, then. Have a drink before you go? No?
Well, cheerio, and the very best of luck."
Armed with the necessary documents, "sealed, signed, and delivered,"
Fosterdyke and Bramsdean found themselves in the open air. Darkness had
already fallen. It was a good two miles from Little Europa Point to the
Old Mole, and not a vehicle of any sort was to be seen.
Tired, hot, and hungry they reached the spot where a naval pinnace was
supposed to be awaiting them. It was not there. A message erroneously
delivered had sent the boat back to the dockyard. Not to be done,
Fosterdyke hired a native boat, paying without demur a
villainous-looking Rock Scorp the excessive sum he demanded.
For a quarter of an hour the boat rowed about while the baronet and his
companion gazed aloft in the hope of spotting the "Golden Hind" against
the dark sky.
"She's gone!" declared Bramsdean.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Fosterdyke, irritably. "Why should she?"
Nevertheless in his mind he was convinced that such was the case.
Presently the boat ran close to the buoy to which the airship had been
moored. Both men recognised the buoy by the number painted on it. No
wire rope ran upwards to an invisible object floating in the darkness of
the night.
Unaccountably, mysteriously the "Golden Hind" had disappeared.