THE NEW ARRIVAL
"Say, that's great!"
"Be careful, Dick! Don't try too much!"
"He made a very good start," came from Captain Colby, who was watching
the progress of the biplane closely.
Over the cornfield sailed the _Dartaway_ with Dick Rover the sole
occupant. He was up about fifty feet in the air and presently he went
still higher.
"He's making the turn!" cried Sam. "Just look at him coming around!"
"Here he comes back!" exclaimed Tom. "Hurrah! Who says Dick can't fly?
Why, he's flying like a veteran!"
"Very good, so far," murmured Captain Colby. "If only he keeps his wits
about him he'll be all right."
"Trust Dick to do that," answered Sam. "He knows what he is doing, every
time."
The biplane had now reached a point close to where the three stood in
the field. All expected Dick to come down, but he did not. Instead, he
made another graceful turn to the left, and started over the cornfield a
second time.
"I wish the others could see him," murmured Tom. They had not told the
folks in the house about the trial flights for fear of scaring them.
Everybody thought the boys would not try to fly for at least a week.
Four times did Dick sail around the cornfield, the last time making such
a wide circle that he went directly over the barn and the wagon shed.
Then he shut off the engine and glided slowly to earth, coming down in
the middle of the field with scarcely a jar.
"By the great clam chowder of Pocahontas!" cried Tom, rushing up and
helping him out of the machine. "Dick, it was fine! Couldn't have been
better!"
"It was immense!" put in Sam. "You made the turns beautifully."
"It was very well done," added Captain Colby. "If you do as well in the
future you will have no cause to fear. As far as you are concerned, I
reckon the worst is over."
"How did it feel to be up in the air?" queried Sam.
"Oh, I felt kind of funny in my head for a few seconds," answered the
older brother. "But I knew I had to pull myself together and I did.
After that it was only a question of watching everything closely."
"Now I guess it's my turn, isn't it?" asked Tom, impatiently.
"If you feel equal to it," answered the captain.
"Sure thing."
Once more the biplane was gotten ready, and with another rush and a
whizz the _Dartaway_ shot into the air. For a moment, as the machine
wobbled from side to side, it looked as if Tom would have an accident,
and his brothers gave a shiver. But then he managed to steady the
machine and over the cornfield he flew, and around in a big circle
twice. Then he made a still larger turn, well up in the air, and in a
few seconds more was sailing over the barn and then over the Rover home!
"Gracious, that's Tom!" murmured Sam. "Always bound to go the limit!"
The noise of the engine caused those in the house to rush out and look
at the machine.
"Who is running it, that aviator?" queried Mrs. Rover.
"No, it's Tom," replied her husband.
"Tom!" burst out Anderson Rover. "Impossible! Why he doesn't know
enough about it yet."
"He'll be killed!" moaned Mrs. Rover. "Oh, what a daring boy!" And she
began to wring her hands in despair.
Over the house flew the biplane, and then made another turn and came
back. Then came sudden silence.
"Something is wrong!" cried Anderson Rover. "The engine has stopped
working!"
"He's coming down like a bird!" exclaimed Aleck Pop. "Now jess to look
at dat!"
As he spoke the biplane glided slowly to the ground, landing near the
barn. All rushed to the spot. There sat Tom grinning broadly.
"How was that?" he asked coolly. "Wasn't that a dandy initial flight?"
"Tom! Tom!" cried his aunt. "You'll kill me with your daring! Are you
hurt? Did something break?"
"No, I'm not hurt, aunty, and nothing broke," he answered. "Oh, it was
immense! I could have stayed up an hour if I had wanted to."
"Very good--very good indeed!" said Captain Colby. "You took a risk in
flying over the house, but as nothing went wrong we won't say anything
about that."
"Now it's my turn!" cried Sam.
"Has Dick been up?" queried his father.
"Yes, and he made a splendid flight too," answered Tom. "Oh, dad, your
sons are born aviators."
"Perhaps. But, Sam, do be careful! Don't try to fly so high at first,"
pleaded Anderson Rover.
"I'll be careful, dad," answered his youngest offspring.
All remained in the field to watch the flight of the youngest Rover. Sam
was a little pale, but just as determined as his brothers had been to
succeed. He looked over the biplane carefully, then took his seat, and
told them to start the propellers.
Once more the _Dartaway_ arose, and as it did Mrs. Rover could not
repress a shudder, for Sam was very dear to her, because he was her dead
sister's youngest child, and she had never had any children of her own.
But her fears were groundless, for Sam sailed over the cornfield just as
well as had Dick. He did not fly very high, but he kept in the air
nearly ten minutes, which was longer than had either of the others. When
he came down he did so with a little bump, but this was not enough to
hurt anything.
"It's the best ever!" was Sam's comment, when the others gathered
around. "Beats autoing all hollow!"
"Wasn't you scared, Massa Sam?" asked Aleck, who had watched the flight
with wildly-rolling eyes.
"Not in the least, Aleck, after once I got started. Just when I went up
I had a little chill down my backbone, that's all."
"Glory to heaben! Say, yo' know wot I think? I think dare ain't nuffin
wot you Rober boys can't natually do, dat's wot!" And with this comment
Aleck shuffled off to his work.
"Every one of you did well," was Captain Colby's comment. He turned to
Anderson Rover. "You can be proud of your sons, sir. They handled the
machine in splendid shape."
"Yes, but I want you to watch them closely, Captain," answered Mr.
Rover. "Teach them all there is to know."
"I'll teach them all I know myself," answered the aviator.
That evening the boys could talk of nothing but aviation, and many were
their plans for flights in the _Dartaway_. All wanted Captain Colby to
tell them if the biplane could carry three persons.
"I hardly think so," answered the aviator. "It will carry two, though,
that I am sure of."
"Well, if it will carry two men it ought to carry three boys," insisted
Sam.
"The best way to find out is to try it," went on the captain. "So long
as you run with care, nothing can happen to you because of the extra
load. Of course if the weight is too heavy the biplane won't go up, or
if it does, it won't stay up."
The following day came a telegraph message from one of the old Putnam
Hall pupils, Hans Mueller. He sent word that he would be in that
vicinity and would call on the Rovers.
"Good for Hans!" cried Tom, who scented fun. "Maybe we can take him up
in the _Dartaway_."
"Hans would be scared stiff," returned Dick.
"It would take all the starch out of him," said Sam.
"In that case, how could he be scared stiff?" asked Tom, dryly.
It was arranged that Sam should run down to the depot with the auto for
the German youth. In the meantime Captain Colby and the other boys got
out the _Dartaway_ and prepared for more trial flights. Then Dick went
up and remained in the air for twelve minutes, making a number of turns
that were very graceful, and taking a little trip over the woods back of
the farm.
"It's a sport that can't be beat, Tom," he said, on coming down. "I
believe everybody will be getting a flying machine before long--just as
folks have been getting autos."
The supply of gasoline had been replenished and the lubricating oil
renewed, and then Tom went up. He flew around the cornfield twice, then
headed in the direction of Oak Run.
"I guess he has gone off to meet Sam and Hans," said Dick. "I heard the
train go through and they must be on the way here by now."
"Your brother certainly takes chances," replied Captain Colby.
"He always did. Tom acts first and thinks afterwards,--but he usually
comes out on top," added Dick, loyally.
In the meantime Sam had reached the depot at Oak Run just as the train
came in. He immediately espied Hans Mueller, dress-suit case in hand,
and ran to meet him.
"Hello, Hans, old boy!" he exclaimed. "Glad to see you." And he shook
hands cordially.
"Is dot you, Sam?" replied the German youth, who, although he had been
in this country quite some time, still found a difficulty in mastering
the language. "I vos certainly glad to meet you. How vas der udder
poys?"
"Oh, Tom and Dick are first rate. They couldn't come down just now, for
they are busy with our new biplane."
"A biplane, eh? Vot is dot, some kind of a saw-mill alretty?"
"No, Hans, a flying machine. Hop in, and you'll soon be at the farm and
then you can look it over." And Sam led the way to the automobile, threw
the dress-suit case in the tonneau, and assisted the German youth to a
seat in front.
"A flying machine!" cried Hans, as they started off. "By chimanatics!
Vot you poys going to git next?"
"I don't know."
"First you get a houseboat, den an autermobile, den a steam yachts, und
bicycles, und now it vos a flying machine. Vot you do mid him, Sam?"
"We are learning to fly."
"Vot! you going up by der sky in him?" cried the German youth, aghast.
"Of course--and you can go up with us too."
"Me? Me go up in a airship? Not on your neckties, Sam Rofer! I got too
much regart for my neck alretty yet! Ven I fly I valk on der groundt und
do it, yah!"
"Oh, it's dead easy when you know how, Hans."
"Dead, hey? Chust vot I dink, Sam--put I ton't vonts to pe dead, not
chust yet!"
They soon passed over the Swift River and through Dexter's Corners and
came out on the highway leading to the farm. Looking up into the sky,
Hans suddenly saw something unusual approaching.
"Look, look, Sam!" he bawled. "Vot is dot?"
"Oh, that must be our biplane!" answered Sam. "Yes, it is! Dick or Tom
must be running it. Isn't it great, Hans?"
"_Du meine zeit!_" groaned the German youth. "Of Dick or Dom be in dot
he preaks his neck sure! Tole him to come town, Sam!"
Sam did not answer, but slowed up the automobile, to better watch the
flight of the biplane. Tom was making a graceful curve, so that he might
pass directly over the machine below.
"Hello, Hans!" he cried gaily, and waved his hand, for the noise of the
engine drowned out his oral salute. Then with a rush the biplane sailed
directly over the automobile.
"Sthop! Ton't hit me!" yelled poor Hans, and badly frightened he ducked
his head, although the flying machine was fully twenty-five feet above
him.
Then Tom made another wide circle and again approached the automobile.
But this time he was sailing lower, and even Sam grew uneasy.
"Go up!" he yelled to his brother, and Tom tried to obey. But for some
reason, the biplane refused to respond to the rudder, and with a rush
and a roar it came directly for the automobile and its occupants!