THE PARACHUTE GARMENT
“Oh!” said Dave Dashaway simply, in a transport of delight.
There was a creak, a hum. Its even keel protected by two hangar men
waiting ready for the task, the _Aegis_ moved forward on its rubber shod
wheels revolving on ball bearing axles in a soft, lifting glide that was
indescribable.
The monoplane progressed in a straight line for perhaps forty feet. Then
it took a straightaway flight.
Dave knew nothing of the mechanism of the plane. His eyes were fixed in
a fascinated way on the aviator. With supreme faith in the expertness of
the man guiding the frail yet sturdy craft, Dave did not experience a
single qualm of fear. To every move of the skilled hand of the airman
the splendid construction responded instantly. Dave had just one vivid
sense of air sailing, safe and ecstatic, as the _Aegis_ arose like an
arrow to what seemed dizzying height. Then it began gracefully circling
the aviation field.
Dave sat so near to the airman that he had him in full view. He could
catch his every word and movement.
“Just feeling the air,” yelled Mr. King. “She’s prime. Now then, slip
that strap across your waist.”
“I shan’t fall out. I’m holding on tight,” yelled back Dave, his
utterance coming in little gasping jerks.
“Never mind. Do as I say. That’s it. Now I’ll tell you something.”
“Yes, sir,” nodded Dave attentively.
“Start in the teeth of the wind, always. I’m feeling it now,” and the
expert bent a cheek to one side. “It’s a ten mile zephyr. That’s easy.”
The aviator did no fancy or trick air sailing. He kept widening his
circles and increasing his speed. With a swift movement he took a
lateral dart over towards a hill, passed beyond it, made a sharp turn,
and then another ascent.
Of a sudden there was a dip. The hand of the aviator moved quick as
lightning to the mechanism controlling the elevator.
“Whew! we struck a hole that time,” he exclaimed.
“A hole?” repeated Dave vaguely.
“Yes, a hole in the air. That angle I turned was too sharp, but luckily
the elevator was neutral. It’s too gusty. We’ve got to volplane.”
Now came the crisis. Dave was nearly thrown out of the seat as a stray
wind gust caught the tail of the plane. The machine was nearly thrown up
perpendicularly. Dave was not alarmed, but he was thrilled and excited.
He could tell from the face of the aviator that Mr. King was working out
some delicate problem of balance and adjustment. Abruptly the machine
righted and sailed downwards on a sharp slant.
“We’re coming down pancake. Lucky for us,” spoke Mr. King in a tone of
voice decidedly strained. “If we hadn’t, we would have scraped a wing,
sure as fate.”
They were now directly over the field. Dave made out the motion picture
group.
“Mr. King,” he said, “I think the manager is waving a flag.”
“Then it’s our signal. We’ll cut the circle next whirl around the
course. Everything in place below there?”
“I think it is,” replied Dave, glancing down. “The convict is ready for
us, I am sure.”
The airman had superb control of his machine. He had descended to a one
hundred foot level, and narrowed the circles as they got directly above
the spot where the man dressed in convict garb was seated. The latter
was watching for them. Near by two prison guards were walking up and
down. Dave had tied one end of the rope to the arm of the seat he
occupied. The other end, weighted, was coiled up in his lap.
“Now,” ordered Mr. King, slowing up and directing the machine not thirty
feet above the ground.
Dave dropped the weighted end of the rope. The convict threw down his
hammer and grasped it. Bang! bang! went the rifles. The convict clung
on, starting a seeming flight skywards. He let go five feet from the
ground, and that section of the motion picture was cut off.
Mr. King made a quick close landing. They had to roll fifty feet over
the course to escape a collision with a biplane just getting ready for a
flight.
The motion picture manager came up to them smiling and pleased.
“That was first class,” he said. “We got the basis for one-half dozen
airship scenes, Mr. King. See here, this gentleman has made a
proposition to me that strikes me right. He wants to talk it over with
you.”
The airman turned to find himself facing the old inventor. Dave noticed
that the latter was full of some excitement.
“Mr. King, you can do me the biggest favor of my life,” declared Mr.
Dixon earnestly.
“Indeed—how is that?” asked the aviator.
“My parachute garment, you know. You said you would take up the matter
with me this afternoon.”
“I know I did, and so I will.”
“I want you to anticipate that.”
“In what way?”
“I was talking to the motion picture man here, and he made a new
suggestion to me. You know how anxious I am to get my invention before
the public. It would about make me to have a test made to-day, and the
trial photographed, and my invention be shown all over the country in
moving picture shows.”
“That is quite an idea for a fact,” agreed the airman.
“Can’t it be arranged?”
“Yes, here,” broke in the manager. “I have thought out quite a little
scheme. If I could get a picture of some one jumping from an airship it
would be a thrilling and a genuine novelty. You see, I could work in
quite a story.”
“How?” asked Mr. King, getting interested.
“Well, that man over yonder with the torpedo monoplane says he’ll join
in for a consideration. Your airship is supposed to contain a fugitive
from justice, bent on escaping by the air route. The torpedo monoplane
is a sort of police aircraft, in pursuit. Work up a regular chase. The
criminal springs from your monoplane just as the pursuer is about to
overtake you.”
“I can see quite some pretty play possible,” said Mr. King. “Have you
found one ready to risk his neck getting into your parachute suit?” he
asked of the inventor.
“You thought you could find my man for me,” reminded the latter.
“That’s so.”
Mr. King glanced over at Dave. He reflected silently for a moment or
two. Then he beckoned Dave aside from the others.
“See here, Dashaway,” he said, “you’ve heard what these people are
putting up to me?”
“Yes, sir, I understand the situation,” answered Dave.
“There’s some money in this for whoever tries it. I wouldn’t let a
novice take a risk, but I’ll say from what I’ve seen of the parachute
suit of this old fellow that it’s no great trick to take a short drop in
it.”
“Then why not let me try it?” asked Dave.
“You’re willing?”
“More than willing.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. The old inventor is pestering me to
death, and while I’d be glad to help him along, I also want to get rid
of him. He’ll be satisfied if he can announce to airmen generally that a
successful test of his device was made from the _Aegis_, under my
supervision. I think I’ll let you try it.”
The airman again consulted with the inventor and the motion picture
manager. A few minutes later some arrangement seemed to be agreed upon.
The inventor went away. The manager proceeded over to the torpedo
monoplane. When the inventor came back he had a long box under his arm.
He, the airman and Dave went over to where the _Aegis_ stood. The
inventor produced his patent parachute suit from the box.
He explained how it worked as Dave put it on. Then the airman and Dave
went aloft on a little run in the machine. At twenty feet, and then at
fifty feet from the ground Dave jumped from the monoplane. In both
instances he descended through the air light as a feather. He not only
landed safely on his feet, but he did not experience the least
disturbing jar.
While they were thus practicing for a more spectacular leap, Dave could
see the old inventor almost dancing around with suspense and
satisfaction. The camera man was notified that the _Aegis_ was ready for
its part in the picture. The torpedo monoplane got aloft, and the scene
began.
Dave by this time felt so safe, easy and at home up in the air, that he
greatly enjoyed the mock chase. It was like two immense birds in a race.
The machines came pretty close together finally on a level about one
hundred feet from the ground.
Dave caught the signal for the drop from the motion picture manager
below.
“Ready,” said Dave.
“Be careful, Dashaway,” warned Mr. King.
“Here she goes,” answered Dave simply, and shot earthwards.
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