Dick Hamilton's Fortune Part 38

"It might pay, but I couldn't. I'll have to get along with this for a while," and Henry looked at the odd a.s.sortment of old metal he had collected and was taking to his storage yard.

"Isn't the business paying as well as you thought it would, Henry?"

"Oh, the business is all right. The trouble is the way the president manages it," and Henry smiled ruefully. "You remember I told you dad had taken most of the surplus capital for one of his schemes," and he looked inquiringly at d.i.c.k.

"Yes, I remember, you said he thought there were thousands of dollars in it."

"Well, they're still there," said Henry, with dry humor. "Dad hasn't been able to induce 'em to come forth and nestle in his or my pockets.

That's why I haven't enough money to buy a new horse and wagon. If I had it I could cover more ground in a day and do more business. As for this--this--well, I don't know what to call him. He reminds me of a heap of old iron, sticking out seven ways from Sunday, as the old saying is.

You see his bones stick out like so many points."

"They do, for a fact," and d.i.c.k looked at the horse, that presented more angles than he had ever before imagined a horse possessed.

"There's one consolation," went on Henry. "He's cheap, but there's another disadvantage, he looks it. So does the wagon. Whenever I start away from home to collect old metal I always tell dad not to worry if I don't get back that night. There's no telling which will break down first--the horse or the wagon. It's like taking a voyage in a sailing ship, no telling when you'll arrive.

"Still," he went on, "there's one advantage. It keeps my journeys from being monotonous. Nothing like having a horse that may develop spavin, ring bone or heaves on the road any minute, or a wagon that may drop all four wheels at once and break every spring. It keeps me from getting lonesome."

"I'm sorry to hear the old metal business is so poor," remarked d.i.c.k.

"What caused the trouble?"

"Well, dad got an idea that he knew a lot about old iron and such things. He started in to do the buying and I was to go after the stuff, when he had purchased it, and bring it home. He did buy some iron sc.r.a.p and a lot of old horseshoes that I made a profit on. Then he heard of some metal at an old factory. Someone told him it had a lot of platinum in it. Now, platinum is very valuable. Dad thought he had struck a bargain. He paid a big price for the stuff. In fact, he used up every cent I had put away in order to get hold of that metal he thought had platinum in it."

"Didn't it?" asked d.i.c.k, as Henry stopped.

"Not a bit. Someone worked off a lot of steel and iron mixed, on poor old dad. I can't sell it anywhere. It's a peculiar mixture of metal.

Some new company had it made for their machinery and they busted up.

I've got the stuff back in the storage yard now. Can't get rid of it, though I've tried all over. That's where all my money is. So I have to begin all over again."

"It's too bad," said d.i.c.k, with ready sympathy.

"Yes, dad felt quite cut-up over it--for a few days. Then he thought of a new scheme. He says it'll make our fortune if he can only work it. But he hasn't any capital to start it, and, until I work some up in a small way, I haven't any, either. But there, I'm sorry I bothered you with all my troubles. I guess you have enough of your own. I'll pull out somehow." And calling to the horse, that had gone to sleep, Henry managed to arouse the animal and started off, the wagon rattling like a load of steel girders.

"Everything seems to be going wrong," murmured d.i.c.k, as he walked toward home. "I guess I'll have to help Henry along some more. He deserves it.

And I must do something about my own investment. The time is getting shorter."

For two weeks d.i.c.k thought over many plans, but as fast as he made them he rejected them. Some his father advised him against, and others, after consideration, he decided would not give an adequate return for money invested. He was getting worried, for it was only a little more than a month until his birthday, when, if he had not complied with the provisions of the will, he must spend a year with his Uncle Ezra. The thought of that made him gloomy indeed.

He had almost decided, one afternoon, to put some money in a small ice-cream store, which he heard was being started at Lake Dunkirk for the summer excursion season.

"There ought to be good money in that," reasoned d.i.c.k. "I could get a lot of my friends to buy ice-cream there and it would help me to make a profit. I think I'll look up the manager and see if he'll take a partner."

He was about to go out, to put his newly-formed resolution into operation, when the maid announced a gentleman to see him.

"Who is it?" asked d.i.c.k.

"He won't tell me his name. He insists on seeing you at once."

"Another crank, I suppose. I thought they were done coming here. Well, show him in."

A moment later there entered the room a little man, with a long white beard and snow-white hair. He had the jolliest face imaginable, and looked just like a picture of Santa Claus.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, with a German accent. "I am Herr Wilhelm Doodlebrod, und I haf de airship at der freight station.

When can I gif you an exhibition?"

"Airship?" murmured d.i.c.k, in bewilderment, While Herr Doodlebrod nodded several times and chuckled, as if it was the best joke in the world.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE FLYING MACHINE.

d.i.c.k looked closely at Herr Doodlebrod, as if to see if the German had a bomb concealed about him, for the millionaire's son believed the man was another of the unfortunate persons who had some impossible scheme he wanted aid in perfecting.

"You vill like der airship, yes?" went on the smiling, little, old man.

"Ah, he is a beautiful airship!--so strong, so graceful, und he sails along so just like a bird!"

Again he smiled, and then he laughed, as though he had just told d.i.c.k a very funny story. The German's good nature was catching, and d.i.c.k also smiled.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand you," the boy said.

"Ach! Dot is easy!" replied Herr Doodlebrod. "See, listen, it is dis vay. I am de greatest inventor of an airships vot efer vas," and he said it as if he meant it, with child-like directness, "I haf der ship vot all der scientists haf long been vaiting for. I haf bring him to your town und I show you how he vorks."

"But why did you bring it to me?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Vhy? Because, listen," and the little man approached closer and began whispering. "I read about you in der papers. Iss it nod so?" and he smiled broadly. "You are der richest young man vot efer vos. Ach, I know!" and he winked one eye at d.i.c.k, as though the millionaire's son had tried to conceal something.

"So, now I proceed. I hear of your great wealth. I learn you vos a young mans. You are bright, quick, smart. Yes, iss it not? Vell, I invent der airships. I am a shoemaker in my city, many miles from here. Vun day der great ideas comes to me. I see a bat fly. Quick, I say, I will make me a airships like der bat. He is heavier as a bird, yet he flies. So I stop making shoes und I make airships. Iss it not so?" and once more the smile illuminated the kindly face.

"Did you succeed?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Not at first," replied the German, gravely. "Many, many times I t'ink I fly into der air, but I falls to der ground. Sometimes it hurts. Vunce I breaks my leg. But dot iss noddings. Ven I get vell I make improvements.

Now I haf der great machine vot flies; yes?"

"Where is it?" asked d.i.c.k, becoming interested in the queer little man.

Then Herr Doodlebrod proceeded to explain. He said he had heard of d.i.c.k's wealth, and, needing money to make some improvements in his ship, he had taken it apart, shipped it to Hamilton Corners, and followed the machine. The airship was now at the freight station, he added, and he was about to put it together and give a demonstration.

"What for?" asked d.i.c.k.

"To show you how he vorks. Den you vill believe. You vill invest some money in it, I shall make der improvements, get a better motor, und ve win der government prize of ten thousand dollars."

"Government prize?" repeated d.i.c.k.

The German explained at greater length. The United States Government, in common with other nations, recognizing the future in flying machines for war purposes, had established a sort of compet.i.tive test, with a substantial prize for the machine which successfully fulfilled the conditions. The chief ones were that the apparatus must move through the air at a certain distance above the ground, must carry two pa.s.sengers, must be under perfect control, and must stay up a certain length of time. The German said his machine answered nearly all these requirements, but that he needed some new materials in it, and, more than anything else, a new motor. He had used up all his savings and had tried in vain to get someone to help him. So, hearing of d.i.c.k, he had decided to appeal to the millionaire's son.

"It iss not so much dot I need," he went on. "If I had five hundred dollars it would be enough. My dear young frient, I appeal to you. I do not ask you for dot moneys. I say just invest it in my machine und ve vill be successful und get der ten thousand dollars. You shall haf five thousand. Iss not dot a good investment?"