Dick Hamilton's Airship Part 38

This time all went well. No water came in the rubber boat, and by standing up in it the two were able to learn the cause of the trouble with the rudder.

It was simple enough--a broken bolt making it impossible to turn it in a certain direction. As d.i.c.k had plenty of spare parts aboard, a new bolt was soon subst.i.tuted for the fractured one, and then they were ready to proceed again.

"I've a suggestion to make," said Lieutenant McBride, when d.i.c.k was about to give the word to mount into the air again.

"What is it?" asked the young millionaire.

"Why not try your boat over the water? While it is not exactly a hydroplane, yet it has those attachments, and you can probably skim over the surface of the water as well as float on it. And that might come in useful in winning the prize.

"Of course the conditions call for an air flight from New York to San Francisco, but I believe, in case of emergency, a short water trip would not count against you? And you might have to make it some time."

"I'll see what we can do, at any rate," decided d.i.c.k. "We will probably never get a better chance than this. Come on, boys! We'll see how our hydroplanes act!" he called.

The only thing that was necessary to do was to start the motor that operated the propellers. The aircraft was at this time resting easily on the surface of Lake Michigan.

She would be driven forward by the propellers beating on the air, exactly as a sailboat it aided by the wind. Only, in her case, the Abaris would furnish her own motive power.

In antic.i.p.ation of some time having to navigate on the water, a small auxiliary rudder had been attached to d.i.c.k's craft. This rudder went down into the water, and would be used in steering in conjunction with those used when she was in the air.

This wooden rudder was now dropped into the water, tested, and found to answer properly to the lever which, in the pilot-house, controlled it by means of wire ropes.

"Well, let her go!" cried d.i.c.k, "and we'll see what sort of luck we'll have."

"Which way?" asked Mr. Vardon, who was at the wheel.

"Why not head for Chicago?" suggested Lieutenant McBride. "We can't be a great way from there, according to the map, and that would be a good place to make the new start from."

"I think it would be," agreed d.i.c.k, "if that would be covering the conditions of the contest."

"Well, you can easily travel back enough to make up any shortage in miles," the army man went on. "You still have plenty of time."

So this was agreed to, and, after a look over the craft to make sure there were no defects, Mr. Vardon pulled over the lever of the starting motor.

With a hum and a buzz, the propellers started, and this time the Abaris shot forward on the surface of the water, instead of up into the air.

"She's going!" cried Paul.

"She sure is doing it!" yelled Innis.

"Yes, I think she's as successful on the waves as he was in the clouds," agreed d.i.c.k, as he looked at a speed-measuring gage. "We're hitting up forty miles an hour right now."

"And that's good speed for a craft of this size in the water, or, rather, on top of the water," declared Lieutenant McBride.

For a hydroplane craft, as you probably know, does not go through the water as a motor-boat does. A regular hydroplane is fitted with a series of graduated steps, and the front of the boat rises as it skims over the water. But all hydroplane craft are designed to slip over the surface of the water, and not to cleave through it. And it was the former that d.i.c.k's craft was doing.

Faster and faster speed was attained, until there could be no question about the second success of the young millionaire's airs.h.i.+p. If ever occasion should require that he take to the water, in an emergency, it could be done.

"And now for Chicago!" d.i.c.k cried, when several hours had been spent in maneuvering about, each member of the party taking turns at steering.

"And I think we'll go up in the air for that trip," he added.

"There's an aero club in the outskirts of Chicago," explained Lieutenant McBride. "I am a member of it, and I think we could make a call there. It would not be necessary to cross the city, and of course we will not land."

It was agreed that this would be a good plan, and d.i.c.k, taking the wheel, sent his craft ahead on the lake at fast speed.

"Here we go up!" he suddenly cried. Then, yanking over the lever of the elevating rudder, he sent the Abaris aloft. The rudder for sideway steering worked perfectly, now that repairs had been made.

Up, up into the air soared the big biplane, and from the lake she had left came a blast of saluting whistles from the water-craft that thus paid tribute to a sister vessel.

During the wait on the water d.i.c.k had purchased from a pa.s.sing steamer a supply of gasolene and oil.

"Now we'll have enough so we won't have to land to take on any more,"

he said. "Our provisions are holding out well, and if nothing happens we can make the trip from here to San Francisco without stop."

"But we still have one landing to our credit if we need it," said Paul.

"Oh, yes, but I hope we don't have to use it," went on d.i.c.k. "It will be so much more to our credit if we don't."

The supposition that they were not far from Chicago proved correct, for when they had arisen above the mist that suddenly spread over Lake Michigan, they saw, in the distance, the Windy City.

A course was laid to circle about it, and not cross it, as that might complicate matters, and a little later they were within view of the aviation grounds, of which club Lieutenant McBride was a member.

He had said there might be a meet in progress, and this proved to be so. A number of biplanes and monoplanes were circling about, and the big crowd in attendance leaped to its feet in astonishment at the sight of the young millionaire's new and powerful craft.

It was not the intention of d.i.c.k and his chums to stop and make a landing, but they wanted to get some news of other competing craft which might be trying for the big prize. Accordingly a plan was evolved by which this could be done.

The lieutenant wrote out a brief account of their trip, telling of the stop, and to this Larry added a request that, after it had been read, it might be telegraphed to his paper. Then information was asked for in regard to aerial matters.

"But how are we going to get information from them?" asked Paul. "We can't get our wireless to working, we can't hear them, even with megaphones, wig-wagging won't do, and we're not going to land."

"I've asked them to send up a bunch of toy balloons, carrying any message they can send us," the lieutenant said. "I think we can manipulate our craft so as to grab some of the balloons as they float upward. I've seen it done."

Little time was lost over this. The message was dropped down in one of Larry's leather cylinders. It was seen to be picked up and while d.i.c.k and his friends circled about above the aviation grounds their note was read. An answer was hastily prepared to be sent up as Lieutenant McBride had suggested.

Meanwhile a number of the other aeroplanes whizzed past, close to d.i.c.k's.

"I hope they don't come so close that they'll collide with us,"

murmured the young millionaire. But the pilots were skillful. They tried to shout what were probably congratulations, or questions, at the trans-continental party, but the motors of the small biplanes made such a racket it was impossible to hear.

"Here come the balloons!" cried d.i.c.k, as he saw a group tied together floating upward. "Now to get them! You'd better handle her, Mr.

Vardon."

"No, you do it, d.i.c.k. I'll stand out on deck and try to grab them."

"We can all reach from windows," suggested Paul, for there were windows in the cabin.

d.i.c.k was so successful in maneuvering his craft that Mr. Vardon had no trouble at all in catching the message-carrying toy balloons. The note was brief. It conveyed the greeting of the aero-club, and stated that a number of competing craft were on their way west.

"The Larabee leads, according to last reports," read Innis.