The inhabitants of Slocomb-on-Sea were greatly excited over the visit of
a certain flying man. All the town turned out to see the flight of the
wonderful hydroplane, and, of course, Dobson and his family were there.
Master Tommy was in good form, and informed his father that Englishmen
made better airmen than Scotsmen and Irishmen because they are not so
heavy. "How do you make that out?" asked Mr. Dobson. "Well, you see,"
Tommy replied, "it is true that in Ireland there are men of Cork and in
Scotland men of Ayr, which is better still, but in England there are
lightermen." Unfortunately it had to be explained to Mrs. Dobson, and
this took the edge off the thing. The hydroplane flight was from Slocomb
to the neighbouring watering-place Poodleville--five miles distant. But
there was a strong wind, which so helped the airman that he made the
outward journey in the short time of ten minutes, though it took him an
hour to get back to the starting point at Slocomb, with the wind dead
against him. Now, how long would the ten miles have taken him if there
had been a perfect calm? Of course, the hydroplane's engine worked
uniformly throughout.