A DISASTROUS FLIGHT
"There it goes!" cried a score of voices, Dick's among them. And, sure
enough, the airship moved. Slowly, but gathering speed, like some
ungainly creature, it rose into the air in a slanting direction. Up and
up it went, until it was about two hundred feet above the earth. Then
Herr Doodlebrod shifted a rudder and the machine flew along on a level
keel.
"Look at her go!" cried Frank Bender, for he and all of Dick's boy chums
had been invited to the test. "Gee, but I wish I was in her!"
"You'd stand on your head on one of the propeller blades, I suppose,"
commented Walter Mead.
"Look, he's turning around!" exclaimed Frank, to change the subject from
his acrobatic abilities, concerning which he was a bit sensitive.
Sure enough, Herr Doodlebrod was flying around in a circle. He seemed to
be able to manage the ship perfectly, and Dick was delighted. He already
saw the prize won with the improved craft, and himself holder of half
the money.
"Look out, he's falling!" yelled Bricktop, suddenly, and the crowd of
men, women, boys and girls strained their eyes to see what was
happening. The airship was certainly coming down.
"Oh, he'll be killed! Isn't it terrible!" exclaimed Birdy Lee, who, with
some of her girl friends, had come to watch the test.
"I'm going to faint!" declared Nettie Henderson, covering her eyes with
her hands.
"No, he isn't falling; he's steering it down!" declared Dick. "He's all
right!"
This announcement relieved the feelings of all. Herr Doodlebrod was
indeed coming down. But he had his ship under perfect control, as shown
by the manner in which he steered it in a half circle so as to return to
the place from which he had started. In a few minutes he allowed it to
come to a stop on the ground, in the midst of the throng, where it
alighted as gently as a bird.
"Vot I tell you?" he asked of Dick, triumphantly. "I could haf stayed
longer, but my engine he vill not stand it. Ven ve gets der new
motor--den ve two vill sail in der clouds."
"I guess you'll have to excuse me from the first trip," objected Dick,
with a smile. "I want to see it tried first."
"It iss as safe as on der ground. Vait, I vill show you. But now, are
you satisfied?"
"Yes," replied Dick. "I'm willing to invest five hundred dollars in a
new motor. Then we'll see how she works."
"Und den ve vin der grand prize," announced the German. "But I haf much
to do. Ven can you spare der money?"
"As soon as you want it. Perhaps you had better come back to town with
me and we can talk it over with my father."
The airship was taken to a big barn near the scene of the test and some
workmen left in charge to guard it from the curious crowd that gathered.
Herr Doodlebrod was as calm and collected as though flying was an
every-day accomplishment of his, but Dick was quite excited over what
had taken place. Not only did he see the conditions of his mother's will
fulfilled, but he was glad of the opportunity of taking part in helping
to solve the problem of aerial navigation.
Mr. Hamilton was informed of the test and its success. A form of
agreement was drawn up to protect the interests of all parties, and Dick
gave Herr Doodlebrod a check for five hundred dollars, taking a mortgage
on the machine as security, a proposition the inventor himself
suggested.
"Now I go to New York for der engine," he announced.
Three days later a letter arrived from the German. He said he was having
some difficulties in getting the engine made, but expected to be back at
Hamilton Corners in a week.
"You'll have to hustle, Dick, to win that prize before the year
expires," said his father, with a smile. "Aren't you getting anxious?"
"A little, but I guess it will all come out right. It won't take long to
install the engine once we get it."
At the end of the week the German arrived with the engine. He was
enthusiastic over it, and declared the government prize was already his.
He had communicated with a representative of the War Department, who
promised to be on hand when the test was made, to see if Herr
Doodlebrod's machine answered the requirements.
"But haf no fears," boasted the inventor to Dick. "It vill, und ve vill
reap der reward."
"I hope so," answered Dick. "I haven't much time left."
There were several delays in getting the ship in shape for the decisive
test. Herr Doodlebrod was not satisfied with one of the rudders and
ordered a new one made. Dick urged haste, as he had in mind the year
limit fixed in his mother's will.
"Easy, easy," counseled the German. "I haf spent fifteen years on der
machine; vot iss a few days?"
"Much, to me," said Dick.
"Do not vorry, my young friend," comforted the inventor. "You shall haf
made der finest investment vot effer vos. I, Herr Doodlebrod, say so.
Dot uncle of yours shall nefer get you." For Dick had told the German
about the conditions of the will.
But, in spite of all their haste, it was some time longer ere the
machine was ready for the test. The new motor had been put in, and,
though it was not tried in the air, worked perfectly. The propeller
revolved twice as fast, and this, the inventor said, meant twice as much
speed.
"To-morrow ve haf der test," announced the German one evening, as he
completed the last change on the airship.
"Will the government official be here?" asked Dick.
"He has promised. I go to bed early dot my nerves may be in good shape.
Haf no fears, I vill fly, und fly far. Der requirements vill all be met;
I, Herr Doodlebrod, say so."
True to his promise, the government expert on aerial matters arrived at
Hamilton Corners the next day. He sought out Herr Doodlebrod and Dick,
and said he was ready to see their machine tested. The preparations had
all been made and there was no delay.
In Dick's runabout he, his father, the inventor and the representative
from the War Department, Colonel Claflin, went out to the big field
where the airship awaited them. A large crowd was waiting. It seemed
that everyone in Hamilton Corners, who could, by any possibility get
away from work, was there.
The airship was hauled from the barn where it had been during the night,
closely guarded against possible accidents. It looked larger than ever
as, almost at the last minute, the inventor had increased the size of
some of the bat-like wings that extended on either side.
Herr Doodlebrod was the calmest person in the big crowd. He went about
looking at the wheels, levers, rods, rudders and the propeller as if he
was merely a spectator. But his sharp eyes did not miss anything. He
detected a loose screw in the motor and called for a tool to adjust it.
Then, having seen that the gasolene tank was filled, and that the
various handles for controlling the machine worked smoothly, he took his
place in the basket-car, which had been enlarged.
"Vould you not like to come?" he asked of Dick. But Dick shook his head
in dissent.
"You come," the inventor invited Colonel Claflin, but the government
representative begged to be excused.
"I may try it with you after your first flight," he said.
As the specifications called for the carrying of two passengers the
absence of one was made up by some bags of sand to give the necessary
weight.
"Iss all clear?" asked Herr Doodlebrod.
"Clear she is," replied his chief helper.
"Den here I goes!" exclaimed the inventor as he started the motor and
threw in the clutch operating the propeller.
The big arms beat the air and hummed shrilly as they whizzed around. The
new motor made the frail airship tremble. There was a moment's
hesitation, as if the craft hated to leave the earth, and then, with a
little jerk, it soared aloft.
"Hurrah!" yelled the crowd.
"She works! She works!" cried Dick, capering about in delight. He
thought the prize already won. Even Colonel Claflin looked pleased.
Herr Doodlebrod deflected one of the rudders and the airship went up at
a sharp angle. In a few seconds it was several hundred feet high. Then
it started to move about in a circle.
"Wonderful!" murmured several.
"He seems to know his business," remarked Mr. Hamilton. "I didn't
believe it would work. I haven't much faith in airships."
"Well, it has gone, so far," replied Colonel Claflin. "But the test is
not completed. Let's watch him."
In a great circle Herr Doodlebrod sent his ship around. He turned and
twisted this way and that. Then he set off in a straight line, as called
for by the government requirements.
But suddenly something happened. There was a sharp sound, like an
explosion, up on the airship. The big propellor was seen to fly to
pieces and come fluttering down, a mass of twisted wire and cloth.
Then came another ominous sound. It was a louder explosion, and a sheet
of fire was seen to envelop the ship.
"His gasolene tank has gone up!" exclaimed Colonel Claflin. "He'll be
killed!"
The airship seemed rent apart. The two big, bat-like wings soared off to
one side. Rudders, wheels, levers and parts of machinery came raining
down. The bat wings settled to the earth more slowly.
"Where is the inventor?" asked Mr. Hamilton. "Has he been blown to
pieces?"
"It looks so," replied the colonel. "Poor chap! I'm afraid he didn't
know so much about airships as he thought."
There came a cry from the crowd, not a cry of horror, but of wonder. The
colonel, Dick and Mr. Hamilton looked toward where they pointed.
There, falling through space from his wrecked airship, was Herr
Doodlebrod.