IN DANGER
That Dick was proud and happy, and that Mr. Vardon and the chums of the
young millionaire were pleased with the success of the airship,
scarcely need be said. There was, for the first few moments, however
such a thrill that scarcely any one of them could correctly analyze his
feelings.
Of course each one of them had been in an aeroplane before. Mr. Vardon
and his helper had made many flights, not all of them successful, and
Dick and his fellow cadets had gone up quite often, though they were,
as yet, only amateurs. Larry Dexter was perhaps less familiar with
aeroplanes than any of them, but he seemed to take it as a matter of
course.
"Say, this is great! Just great!" cried Dick, as he slipped the lever
of the elevating rudder into a notch to hold it in place. He intended
going up considerably higher.
"It sure is great, old man!" cried Paul. "I congratulate you."
"Oh, the praise belongs to Mr. Vardon," said Dick, modestly. "I
couldn't have done anything without him."
"And if it hadn't been for your money, I couldn't have done anything,"
declared the aviator. "It all worked together."
"Say, how high are you going to take us?" asked Innis.
"Not getting scared, are you?" asked Dick, with a glance at the
barograph, to ascertain the height above the earth. "We're only up
about two thousand feet. I want to make it three." He looked at Mr.
Vardon for confirmation.
"Three thousand won't be any too much," agreed the aviator. "She'll
handle better at that distance, or higher. But until we give her a
work out, it's best not to get too high."
The big propellers were whirling more and more rapidly as the motor
warmed-up to its work. The craft was vibrating with the strain of the
great power, but the vibration had been reduced to a minimum by means
of special spring devices.
"Now we'll try a spiral ascent," said Dick, as he moved the lever of
the horizontal rudder. The Abaris responded instantly, and began a
spiral climb, which is usually the method employed by birdmen. They
also generally descend in spirals, especially when volplaning.
Up and up went the big aircraft. There was a section of the cabin
floor made of thick transparent celluloid, and through this a view
could be had of the earth below.
"We're leaving your place behind, Dick," said Paul, as he noted the
decreasing size of the home of the young millionaire.
"Well, we'll come back to it--I hope," Dick answered. "Don't you
fellows want to try your hand at steering?"
"Wait until you've been at it a while, and see how it goes," suggested
Innis. "We don't want to wreck the outfit."
But the Abaris seemed a stanch craft indeed, especially for an airship.
"Say, this is a heap-sight better than sitting strapped in a small
seat, with the wind cutting in your face!" exclaimed Larry, as he moved
about the enclosed cabin.
"It sure is mighty comfortable--the last word in aeroplaning, just as
Dick's touring car was in autoing," declared Paul, who had taken a seat
at a side window and was looking out at some low-lying clouds.
"All we want now is a meal, and we'll be all to the merry!" Dick
exclaimed.
"A meal!" cried Larry. "Are you going to serve meals aboard here?"
"Yes, and cook 'em, too," answered the young millionaire. "Paul, show
Larry where the galley is," for the reporter had not called at Hamilton
Corners in some time, and on the last occasion the airship had been far
from complete.
"Say, this is great!" Larry cried, as he saw the electrical appliances
for cooking. "This is the limit! I'm glad I came along."
"We won't stop to cook now," said Mr. Vardon. "I want to see the
various controls tested, to know if we have to make any changes. Now
we'll try a few evolutions."
In order that all aboard might become familiar with the workings of the
machinery, it was decided that there should be turn and turn about in
the matter of steering and operating the craft. Reaching a height of
three thousand feet, as Dick ascertained by the barograph, the young
millionaire straightened his craft out on a level keel, and kept her
there, sending her ahead, and in curves, at an increasing speed.
"There you go now, Paul," he called. "Suppose you take her for a
while."
"Well, if you want an accident, just let me monkey with some of the
works," laughed the jolly cadet. "I can do it to the queen's taste."
"You'll have to go out of your way, then," said Mr. Vardon. "I've
arranged the controls so they are as nearly careless proof as possible.
Just think a little bit about what you are going to do, and you won't
have any trouble. It's a good thing for all of you to learn to manage
the craft alone. So start in."
Paul found it easier than he expected, and he said, in spite of her
bulk, that the Abaris really steered easier than one of the smaller
biplanes they had gotten used to at Kentfield.
Back and forth over the fields, meadows and woods in the vicinity of
Hamilton Corners the airship was taken, in charge of first one and then
another of the party aboard. Larry Dexter was perhaps the one least
familiar with the workings of the machine, yet even he did well, with
Dick and Mr. Vardon at his side to coach him.
"Now we'll give the gyroscope stabilizer a test!" said Mr. Vardon, when
each, including himself, had had a turn. "I want to make sure that it
will stand any strain we can put on it."
"What are you going to do?" asked Dick.
"I'm going to tilt the craft suddenly at an angle that would turn her
over if it were not for the stabilizer," was the answer.
Dick looked at the barograph, or height-recording gage. It registered
thirty-eight hundred feet. They had gone up a considerable distance in
making their experiments.
"Maybe you'd better wait," suggested the young millionaire, pointing to
the hand of the dial, "until we go down a bit."
"No," decided the aviator. "If she's going to work at all she'll do it
up at this distance as well, if not better, than she would five
hundred, or one hundred feet, from the ground."
"But it might be safer--" began Paul.
"There won't be any danger--it will work, I'm sure of it," said Mr.
Vardon, confidently.
The gyroscope which was depended on to keep the airship on a level keel
at all times, or at least to bring her back to it if she were thrown to
a dangerous angle, had been set in motion as soon as the start was
made. The big lead wheel, with the bearings of antifriction metal, was
spinning around swiftly and noiselessly. Once it had been started, a
small impulse from a miniature electrical motor kept it going.
"Now," said Mr. Vardon, issuing his orders, "when I give the word I
want you all suddenly to come from that side of the cabin to this side.
At the same time, Dick, you will be at the steering wheel, and I want
you to throw her head around as if you were making a quick turn for a
spiral descent. That ought to throw her nearly on her beams' end, and
we'll see how the gyroscope works. That will be a good test. I'll
stand by to correct any fault in the gyroscope."
They were all a little apprehensive as they ranged themselves in line
near one wall of the cabin. The airship tilted slightly as all the
weight came on one side, just as a big excursion steamer lists to
starboard or port when the crowd suddenly rushes all to one rail. But,
on a steamer, deck hand are kept in readiness, with barrels of water,
and these they roll to the opposite rail of the boat, thus preserving
the balance.
Mr. Vardon depended on the gyroscope to perform a like service for the
airship, and to do it automatically.
The aviator waited a few moments before giving the order to make the
sudden rush. Already the apparatus to which was contrasted Lieutenant
Larson's mercury tubes, had acted, and the Abaris, which had dipped,
when all the passengers collected on one side, had now resumed her
level keel again, showing that the gyroscope had worked so far at any
rate.
"Now we'll give her a trial," called Mr. Vardon. "All ready, come over
on the run, and throw her around, Dick!"
On the run they came, and Dick whirled the steering wheel around to the
left, to cause the Abaris to swerve suddenly.
And swerve she did. With a sickening motion she turned as a vessel
rolls in a heavy sea, and, at the same moment there was a dip toward
the earth. The motor which had been humming at high speed went dead on
the instant, and Dick Hamilton's airship plunged downward.