[Illustration:
"THE YOUNG PILOT LESSENED THE SPEED OF THE ARIEL."
_Dave Dashaway, Air Champion._ _Page 177._
]
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Dave Dashaway, Air
Champion
Or
Wizard Work in the Clouds
BY
ROY ROCKWOOD
AUTHOR OF “DAVE DASHAWAY, THE YOUNG AVIATOR,” “THE
SPEEDWELL BOYS SERIES,” “THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES,”
ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
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BOOKS FOR BOYS
BY ROY ROCKWOOD
=DAVE DASHAWAY SERIES=
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.
Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid.
DAVE DASHAWAY, THE YOUNG AVIATOR
DAVE DASHAWAY AND HIS HYDROPLANE
DAVE DASHAWAY AND HIS GIANT AIRSHIP
DAVE DASHAWAY AROUND THE WORLD
DAVE DASHAWAY, AIR CHAMPION
=THE SPEEDWELL BOYS SERIES=
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.
Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid.
THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR MOTORCYCLES
THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR RACING AUTO
THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR POWER LAUNCH
THE SPEEDWELL BOYS IN A SUBMARINE
THE SPEEDWELL BOYS AND THEIR ICE RACER
=THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES=
12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.
Price, per volume, 60 cents, postpaid.
THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE
UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE
FIVE THOUSAND MILES UNDERGROUND
THROUGH SPACE TO MARS
LOST ON THE MOON
ON A TORN-AWAY WORLD
CUPPLES & LEON CO., PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK.
Copyrighted, 1915, by
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
DAVE DASHAWAY, AIR CHAMPION
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. AT THE HANGARS 1
II. THE TRAMP ARTIST 8
III. TARGET PRACTICE 20
IV. THE UNDER DOG 30
V. THE BIG EVENT 37
VI. A STARTLING DISCOVERY 44
VII. THE HIDDEN HAND 52
VIII. THE SECRET FOE 60
IX. JUST IN TIME 67
X. A FRIEND IN DISGUISE 76
XI. A STRANGE RACE 85
XII. A DESPERATE PASSENGER 92
XIII. A REMARKABLE EXPLANATION 100
XIV. THE NEW HELPER 110
XV. A TERRIBLE DISCOVERY 116
XVI. IN DOUBT 122
XVII. TROUBLE 129
XVIII. A STRANGE MESSAGE 135
XIX. ARIEL II 141
XX. BEATEN 149
XXI. FIFTY POINTS 156
XXII. QUEER PROCEEDINGS 163
XXIII. A NOBLE DEED 172
XXIV. THE HIDDEN DIAMONDS 180
XXV. THE FALSE BAROGRAPH 190
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DAVE DASHAWAY,
AIR CHAMPION
CHAPTER I
AT THE HANGARS
“Dave, here is something that will surely interest you.”
As he spoke, Hiram Dobbs held up a newspaper to the view of his
companion, and Dave Dashaway caught sight of the prominent head line:
“Grand International Aviation Contest.”
The two friends were amid an environment strongly suggestive of
airships and their doings. They were sitting under a tree near the
hangar where Dave’s various aircraft and equipments were stored. This
was Dave’s home, for the time being. Here, for over a month he had
slept, ate and trained for just such an event as the one which his chum
had brought to his attention.
There was nothing about Dave’s present appearance to indicate that he
was an expert in aviation except a medal modestly showing beyond the
lapel of his coat. It might, however, have been a source of surprise to
the average person to read the inscription on the medal, certifying to
Dave’s championship in a feat that had startled the aviation world.
Hiram proudly wore a pin bearing the initials: “N. A. A.” (National
Aero Association) showing a distinction beyond the ordinary for a boy
of his age, and showing, too, that when he spoke of aviation it was not
as a novice.
“Dave, you ought to go in for that,” he added.
“Yes, it looks attractive,” agreed the young aviator after a swift
glance over the item under discussion.
“Ten thousand dollars—think of it!” exclaimed the interested Hiram.
“It’s a big lot of money,” responded Dave, slowly.
“And a big heap of work to win it, I suppose you would say,”
supplemented Hiram. “Well, you never were afraid of work, and as to the
chances—say, a fellow who has done what you’ve just done—why, it’ll be
mere child’s play!”
Dave Dashaway smiled at the ardor of his companion. He was thinking,
though, and impressed by the present situation. All things pertaining
to aviation had a great attraction for Dave. His dreams, his practical
efforts, all his ambitions lay in the direction of supremacy as an air
pilot.
“I have been resting for a spell, as you might call it, Hiram,” he said
finally, “and hadn’t of late, thought much of business. After that last
dash of ours, you know, Mr. Brackett thought we had better let the
season run out and prepare for something out of the ordinary next year.”
“This has come along all right; hasn’t it?” challenged Hiram, pointing
at the item. “And the biggest kind of a thing, too. ‘Ten thousand
dollars to the aviator scoring most in all events.’ Besides that,
prizes for points in plain sailing, altitude and fancy stunts. It’s
your class, Dave, it’s near here and you were never in better working
trim in your life.”
“Why, Hiram,” spoke Dave, “you seem to have quite set your heart upon
it.”
“Indeed I have!” vociferated the impetuous Hiram. “Think I’m going to
sit around and keep mum, and hear a lot of would-be-airmen brag? Not
much! They boast about a heap of records I know they never made. They
were talking about this very prize offer last night. I took a good deal
of pride in telling them about some of the things you’ve done. They
knew about most of them, though. They looked glum when I hinted that
you were going in for a try.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” said Dave, quickly.
“Shouldn’t—why not?”
“Because in this line the wise man keeps his business to himself.
Airmen, generally, are a jealous lot. Some of them, as we have reason
to know, are untrustworthy.”
“I never thought of that,” replied Hiram, his face growing serious.
“You’re right! It wouldn’t be the first time some schemers got after
you, and tried to block you. That’s so! All the same, with that new
_Ariel_, biplane, made specially for you, who can beat you? Why, Dave,
your little trailer, the _Scout_, alone has half a dozen speed points
ahead of the average machine on the field here. Those new release gears
are just dandy, and there isn’t a craft on the list that has such an
engine as the _Ariel_, let alone the fuselage angle rods and the
tubular framework.”
“I declare, Hiram,” laughed Dave, “you’ve been posting up on scientific
details lately; haven’t you?”
“I’ve tried to get it pat, yes, I’ll admit,” assented Hiram proudly.
“Then again, I’ve had a motive in view. You see, I’ve been thinking up
a grand scheme—”
Hiram came to a sudden stop, looked embarrassed, and there was a faint
flush on his face. It was with a somewhat sheepish expression in his
eyes that he glanced at his companion.
“I know what you’re hinting at,” observed Dave shrewdly. “I suspected
you were up to something when I saw you working over those little
canvas bags. What’s the mystery, Hiram? Going to tell, this time?”
“I’m not,” dissented the young airman’s assistant staunchly. “You’d
just laugh and say it was another of my grand schemes. All right! Those
bags mean something—provided you go into this new contest. Honest,
Dave,” went on Hiram with impressive earnestness, “I can put you onto a
wrinkle in aeronautics that is new enough, and strong enough, to carry
the day any time—oh, bother!”
Whatever scheme the young lad had in his mind, its disclosure was
prevented at that moment by the arrival of an intruder. A man of about
thirty, wearing a monocle, mincing in his steps and looking the typical
English “dandy” to perfection, approached the bench where the two
friends sat.
“It’s Lieutenant Montrose Mortimer,” remarked Dave with a faint smile.
“Lieutenant nothing!” declared Hiram forcibly. “He’s no more a British
army officer than I am.”
“Ah, Mr. Dashaway,” spoke the newcomer, bowing, “I hope you’ve thought
over my proposition.”
“Why, yes, Lieutenant,” replied Dave, “I have done so.”
“And have arrived at a decision?” questioned the other with marked
eagerness.
“Well, no, not exactly,” answered Dave promptly. “You see, Lieutenant
Mortimer, I am not a free agent in aviation matters. In fact, you might
say I am under contract indefinitely to Mr. Brackett, who has financed
me in the past. I should have to refer your offer to him, you see.”
“When will he be here?” asked the man, evidently very much disappointed.
“He may be here within a week.”
“I sincerely trust you will prevail on him to accept my offer,” spoke
the pretended army man. “I shall feel that my duty to the admiralty and
war office has been remiss if I fail to secure your valuable services.
I am aware of your opposition to leaving your native country. I also
appreciate your wish to remain neutral in regard to any actual warfare.
That can be arranged. What we ask of you is to act as an instructor.
Please think it over,” and he turned aside.
“Now, then,” broke out Hiram promptly as the lieutenant sauntered away,
“what is that fellow really after, Dave?”
“Why, Hiram, according to his own story he is a representative from the
aviation department of the British war office. He has made a very
creditable showing—and he offers me all expenses paid abroad, where he
says a yearly contract of several thousand dollars will be offered.”
“I don’t like him. Why, say, he reminds me of one of the funny cartoons
that new tramp friend of yours drew for us last evening.”
“Hello!” exclaimed Dave, glancing hastily at his watch and then at the
hangar. “He’s some sleeper; isn’t he, that tramp?”
The young airman referred to a new character who had incidentally come
across their path the day previous. He was a tramp, a little above the
average, but still frowsy, hungry and penniless. His humor had made an
impression on the boys. They had fed him and he had asked for work to
repay them. He was sober, and he looked honest, Dave had consented to
his sleeping in the hangar.
“I guess it’s the first comfortable bed the poor fellow has had for a
long time,” explained Hiram. “Say, Dave, he must have been a good
artist once, to draw those faces as cleverly as he did last evening.”
“Yes, he certainly has a sort of genius about him,” began Dave, when
there was a sudden and startling interruption.
From Dave’s hangar there came a dull explosion. Both of the young
aviators made a rush in its direction, wondering what accident had
happened.
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