Dick Hamilton's Fortune Part 39

A sudden idea came to d.i.c.k. An investment, promising quick returns was just what he needed. He had tried in vain to find one, and the time was daily growing shorter. Here might be the very chance he desired. But there was one important thing. He must be sure that the airship would fly. If it did not the prize would not be won and he would be out five hundred dollars. Herr Doodlebrod saw the doubt pictured on d.i.c.k's face.

"I do not ask you to take my word," he said, gravely. "I only ask for a chance to show you. See, I vill bring my machine here. I vill put him togeder und I vill fly in him. Der trouble iss dot I cannot go far enough or stay up long enough vid der motor dot I haf. Wid a new vun I can. I need der money for der new motor. Vill you invest it?"

"I will!" exclaimed d.i.c.k, suddenly.

"Ach! Bless you, my young friend!" and Herr Doodlebrod rushed over to the millionaire's son and threw his arms about d.i.c.k, an embrace somewhat difficult to escape from, so hearty was it.

"But I must first talk to my father," went on d.i.c.k, when Herr Doodlebrod's enthusiasm had somewhat cooled down. "If the ship is a success so far, and by investing five hundred dollars a better one can be entered for the prize, so that I can win part of it, I'm sure he would have no objections."

"I go for my airship," said the German. "I bring him here und in two days he is ready to fly."

"Better not bring it here," advised d.i.c.k. "There isn't much room to try it around the house, and too big a crowd would gather. We'll go off in the country somewhere. My father owns some property about five miles from here. It's a big level field, and I think that will be the best place."

"Der very t'ing," a.s.sented the German, and d.i.c.k told him how to get to it. Herr Doodlebrod hurried off to the freight station to arrange for having his dismantled flying machine brought to the place where the test was to be made.

"This may be the very thing I've been looking for," reasoned d.i.c.k.

"Winning five thousand dollars on an investment of five hundred is pretty good. I guess that will fulfill the conditions of mother's will.

The question is: will it fly? But if it doesn't at the first test I'm out nothing. And if it flies with his present engine it surely will with a better one. I must tell dad about it."

Mr. Hamilton was not much impressed with Herr Doodlebrod's plan. He admitted that the government had offered a prize for a successful airship, but he thought an old shoemaker was hardly a possible person to win it.

"Scientific men have devoted many years of study to the problem," he said, "and they have not solved it yet. Still, of course, there's a chance. As you say, you're out nothing if it doesn't work the first time. But how about after you have put the five hundred dollars in, and the ship doesn't sail?"

"If it sails with the old engine it surely ought to with the new,"

declared d.i.c.k, repeating his favorite argument.

Mr. Hamilton consented that d.i.c.k might make the investment. It was a queer one, he said, but he agreed that if Herr Doodlebrod won the prize, and gave d.i.c.k half, the terms of Mrs. Hamilton's will would have been complied with.

"I'll get out of going to Uncle Ezra's yet," said the millionaire's son.

"The mine failed, the milk company failed, but the airship will beat them all."

Herr Doodlebrod was a quick worker. In less time than d.i.c.k had believed possible he had the parts of the machine at the place decided on for the test. There, under the inventor's directions, men aided him in putting it together.

In shape it looked like a huge bat, and was built on the principle of an aeroplane. At the stern an immense rudder was turned by a small gasolene motor, and there were several smaller rudders for directing the course of the apparatus. There was a little car, of basket-work, amidships, where the operator sat.

It was three days before the German was satisfied that all was in readiness for the preliminary test that was to tell if d.i.c.k would spend five hundred dollars on improvements. In spite of the attempt to keep the matter quiet the news leaked out, and a big crowd gathered to see Herr Doodlebrod make an attempt to fly.

"I do not promise so much to-day," he said, as he saw that all was in readiness. "I vill go up, circle about for a vile, und den I haf to come down. My engine iss not powerful enough. But vid der new one! Ach, den ve vill fly far und vin der prize!"

He climbed into the little basket-car. Giving a look over the various handles and levers, and seeing that all was clear ahead, Herr Doodlebrod started the motor. It began to revolve rapidly, crackling like a battery of Gatling guns.

"Now I fly!" exclaimed the German, as he threw on the clutch that operated the propeller. The big airship trembled as the ma.s.sive blades whizzed through the air, and all eyes were fixed on it to detect the moment when it might leave the earth and sail aloft.

CHAPTER x.x.x

A DISASTROUS FLIGHT

"There it goes!" cried a score of voices, d.i.c.k's among them. And, sure enough, the airship moved. Slowly, but gathering speed, like some ungainly creature, it rose into the air in a slanting direction. Up and up it went, until it was about two hundred feet above the earth. Then Herr Doodlebrod shifted a rudder and the machine flew along on a level keel.

"Look at her go!" cried Frank Bender, for he and all of d.i.c.k's boy chums had been invited to the test. "Gee, but I wish I was in her!"

"You'd stand on your head on one of the propeller blades, I suppose,"

commented Walter Mead.

"Look, he's turning around!" exclaimed Frank, to change the subject from his acrobatic abilities, concerning which he was a bit sensitive.

Sure enough, Herr Doodlebrod was flying around in a circle. He seemed to be able to manage the ship perfectly, and d.i.c.k was delighted. He already saw the prize won with the improved craft, and himself holder of half the money.

"Look out, he's falling!" yelled Bricktop, suddenly, and the crowd of men, women, boys and girls strained their eyes to see what was happening. The airship was certainly coming down.

"Oh, he'll be killed! Isn't it terrible!" exclaimed Birdy Lee, who, with some of her girl friends, had come to watch the test.

"I'm going to faint!" declared Nettie Henderson, covering her eyes with her hands.

"No, he isn't falling; he's steering it down!" declared d.i.c.k. "He's all right!"

This announcement relieved the feelings of all. Herr Doodlebrod was indeed coming down. But he had his ship under perfect control, as shown by the manner in which he steered it in a half circle so as to return to the place from which he had started. In a few minutes he allowed it to come to a stop on the ground, in the midst of the throng, where it alighted as gently as a bird.

"Vot I tell you?" he asked of d.i.c.k, triumphantly. "I could haf stayed longer, but my engine he vill not stand it. Ven ve gets der new motor--den ve two vill sail in der clouds."

"I guess you'll have to excuse me from the first trip," objected d.i.c.k, with a smile. "I want to see it tried first."

"It iss as safe as on der ground. Vait, I vill show you. But now, are you satisfied?"

"Yes," replied d.i.c.k. "I'm willing to invest five hundred dollars in a new motor. Then we'll see how she works."

"Und den ve vin der grand prize," announced the German. "But I haf much to do. Ven can you spare der money?"

"As soon as you want it. Perhaps you had better come back to town with me and we can talk it over with my father."

The airship was taken to a big barn near the scene of the test and some workmen left in charge to guard it from the curious crowd that gathered.

Herr Doodlebrod was as calm and collected as though flying was an every-day accomplishment of his, but d.i.c.k was quite excited over what had taken place. Not only did he see the conditions of his mother's will fulfilled, but he was glad of the opportunity of taking part in helping to solve the problem of aerial navigation.

Mr. Hamilton was informed of the test and its success. A form of agreement was drawn up to protect the interests of all parties, and d.i.c.k gave Herr Doodlebrod a check for five hundred dollars, taking a mortgage on the machine as security, a proposition the inventor himself suggested.

"Now I go to New York for der engine," he announced.

Three days later a letter arrived from the German. He said he was having some difficulties in getting the engine made, but expected to be back at Hamilton Corners in a week.

"You'll have to hustle, d.i.c.k, to win that prize before the year expires," said his father, with a smile. "Aren't you getting anxious?"

"A little, but I guess it will all come out right. It won't take long to install the engine once we get it."

At the end of the week the German arrived with the engine. He was enthusiastic over it, and declared the government prize was already his.