SEVEN TIMES AROUND THE CIRCLE.
Frank knew full well that he was about to start upon the most risky
thing that he had ever undertaken thus far in his whole life.
Many a skilled aviator would hesitate to take up a second person with
him in a monoplane. True, in building the machine they had figured on
this matter. And there was now a dead calm, which made matters easier
for the novice. Then again, Frank was perfectly cool and not apt to
lose his head under the most trying conditions.
He had studied these things closely. He had visited the aviation field
more than once. And while thus far he had kept the matter a dead
secret, even from his chum, Frank had himself been up in an aeroplane
for a little swing around the field at the time of his visit to Long
Island. So that if it was true that Puss Carberry had passed through
this experience he was but following in the wake of his rival.
Frank knew what must be done. He saw that Andy was fixed in his seat
and gave him last words of advice. Everything was now ready for the
start. And Frank was secretly glad that the biplane had dropped out of
sight again, because he did not wish to have his attention distracted
from the work in managing his eccentric steed of the air.
The colonel had insisted upon having a hand in the start, nor would he
be denied, so Frank had instructed him just what to do in giving the
propeller an initial swing. Several boys were hurrying into the field,
possibly Elephant and Larry, anxious to be present at the launching of
the new craft intended to soar among the clouds.
“Ready!” cried Frank, presently, as he took a firm grip on the steering
wheel and prepared to start the engine.
“Ready!” answered the old man from the rear.
“Then go!”
The engine began humming musically and as the propeller whipped around,
the monoplane started to glide away on the three bicycle wheels
designed for this purpose.
Imagine the thrill that was passing over those two lads, seated there,
as their pace increased quickly until they were really speeding along.
But that was nothing compared to the delicious excitement that came
upon them when Frank altered the position of the rudder so that the
rapidly moving machine began to actually leave the ground and ascend
in a graceful upward curve.
“Oh!” gasped Andy, whose face was white, but more through sheer
excitement than anything in the shape of fear.
If they should live to the century mark neither of those lads would
ever forget the strange sensation that nearly overwhelmed them upon
feeling themselves moving through the air for the first time, with no
solid earth to depend upon--only that rapidly throbbing engine and the
broad pinions that extended out on either side to keep them from being
dashed to the ground.
As in a dream they heard the shouts from Colonel Josiah and the boys.
The one grand thing that impressed them was the fact that their
initial start had been a splendid success, and that they were now
launched on the sea of adventure in the wide domain of the upper air as
full-fledged aviators!
“Ain’t it just grand?” exclaimed Andy, when they had ascended to
possibly a height of fifty feet or more and Frank had brought the
airship on an even keel, so that they began to circle around the field
on a level with some of the tree-tops.
“The finest ever,” replied the pilot of the craft, shortly, for he did
not mean to have his attention diverted from his business thus early
in the game.
Later on, when sailing the monoplane became second nature to them,
doubtless they could take their eyes off the front of the machine and
look around.
Frank remembered his experience in learning to ride a bicycle, and he
believed he was even now passing through just such a similar episode.
It seemed as though the slightest movement on the part of either Andy
or himself caused the delicate airship to wobble frightfully, so that
his heart stood still with dread. But by degrees he found that it
instantly righted. And the faster they moved through space the less
chance there seemed to be of these eccentric antics.
They had already made two complete circuits of the field. Frank now
managed to actually tear his eyes away from his wheel and the fore part
of the aeroplane long enough to shoot a glance downward.
How strange things looked, although they were but such a short distance
up! And how queer the earth must appear to a flier who sails thousands
of feet aloft, with the rivers and hills marked below him as on a map!
“There comes the biplane again!” remarked Andy, in some excitement.
Frank took the alarm at once.
“Keep quiet!” he urged. “Don’t twist your neck around so, Andy! And
even if they do come, we want nothing to do with them today. This is no
time for racing or any monkey-shines.”
“Or monkey wrenches, either,” complained the other, instantly. “But
they’re headed this way, all right, Frank. They mean to watch and see
what we do.”
“Let ’em,” replied Frank, promptly, as he continued to keep the
monoplane curving in that one big circle. “The air is free to all, and
so long as they let us alone you bet I’m not aching to bother with
them. Now keep quiet, can’t you?”
“But what if they bump us, eh?” urged Andy, uneasily.
“Rats! Not much danger of that, because both machines would go down in
a mess. And Puss is too much like a cat to take such big chances. Never
mind them, I tell you. Just watch how we are doing and pick up points.
Ha! there’s Colonel Josiah waving his crutch and shouting. He’ll be as
hoarse as a crow soon.”
“They’re mounting up higher and higher, Frank. I bet they want to show
off and look down on us,” grumbled Andy.
“Let ’em, then. They won’t have the chance much longer, once I get the
hang of this thing,” commented the other.
“How does it work, Frank? And does she mind her helm all right?”
“Like magic,” came the pleased reply. “Why, the slightest touch changes
the course up or down or sideways. You see, that’s the advantage of
air travel. A ship can only go on a level, no matter how you point her
nose, but an aeroplane has the choice of ascending or descending.”
“Yes, sometimes descending too fast,” said Andy.
“Perhaps; but we won’t talk of that. Are they still coming this way,
Andy?”
“Huh! they’re almost over our heads right now,” declared the other,
stretching his neck. “Don’t you hear their motor fussing to beat
the band? It would be just like one of those sneaks to try and drop
something down on us and claim it was an accident.”
“Oh, punk! Let up on that. That would spoil their chance for a race;
and don’t you see Puss is just dying to beat us in that silver cup
run?” said Frank.
“Hey! Hello, down there!” came a hail from almost directly above.
“Hello yourself!” answered Frank, without looking up.
“Managed to get a move on, did you?” pursued Puss, as he held in his
biplane so that he could sail along not fifty feet away from the other
aircraft.
No doubt he was eagerly sizing the monoplane up the while and making a
mental calculation as to what chances there would be of her giving him
a stiff race.
“Why don’t you get up where you can see something?” called out Sandy,
when neither of the others had replied to the remark of his companion.
“Oh, this is good enough for us the first time. When we get used to the
feeling you’ll see us climb!” said Frank, pleasantly.
“Huh! guess you’re afraid, that’s what,” jeered Sandy.
“Perhaps you’re right Sandy,” replied Frank. “This is a queer business
for a green-horn, and I’m not anxious to break my neck in the start.
Give us a little time and we’ll show you what this machine can do.”
“Well, by-by then,” called Puss. “We can’t bother with such a slow
coach. But if you don’t get along better than that the race is sure
going to be a walk-over.”
“You just wait and see. The fellow laughs loudest who laughs last!”
shouted Andy, who could hold in no longer.
Floating back on the slight breeze that had started to blow again came
the disdainful laugh of the two reckless young aviators. Puss had
opened his throttle and the biplane was now sweeping onward like the
wind.
“My, they’re going some!” declared Andy, a bit awed by the venturesome
act of the rival crew. “Do you think we could hit up a pace like that,
Frank?”
“Don’t doubt it in the least,” replied the other. “But nothing doing
today, my boy. I’m satisfied to move around here in a steady fashion.
We’re learning all the while. I want to know this little machine’s ways
like a book. I want to feel that I’m just a part of the outfit and
understand her whims and capers. After that I’ll be ready to do stunts
in the way of speed and lofting, not before.”
And in his heart Andy knew that his chum was right. An aeroplane is the
last means of transportation in the world to trifle with, because of
the peril that is ever hanging over the head or lying in wait from a
fall.
Seven times had they circled the field now. The engine had thus far
worked with clock-like fidelity, never missing a stroke. Frank was
really charmed with its performance, for he had anticipated that until
the newness wore off and the parts got smoothed from use he might have
more or less engine trouble.
He was even thinking that it might be well enough to call the flight
off and see how successful a landing they could make, when, without the
slightest warning, the engine ceased working.
Something had occurred to stop the machine, whether his fault or not he
could not say, and they had already commenced to drop toward the earth!