The Boy Scouts at the Panama-Pacific Exposition Part 15

Andy had many more things on his list, but Rob told him not to try and rush it all into one afternoon.

"Take it easy, Andy," he advised. "'Rome wasn't built in a day,' you remember. We're going to be around these haunts for a good long while, and one by one we can see all the shows that are gathered here-that is, all worth seeing. These odd people from the wilds interest me considerably, too, so that I wouldn't miss looking in on their villages, where they're genuine, as most of them are, because the management stand for that fact."

It may have been nearer four o'clock than three, when, being more or less tired with their first day at the Exposition, the three chums turned their faces in a quarter that up to then none of them had visited save Tubby, and he only casually.

"We'll take a look in at the aeroplane boys first," said Rob; "and if we don't run across Hiram there, we will go over to the building where he says many of the latest inventions are on exhibition."

It was not difficult to discover which way to go, for overhead several aeroplanes were whizzing this way and that. Far up in the heavens they could see a small speck which was no doubt some daring pilot trying for an alt.i.tude record.

"Makes me think of those days over in Belgium and France, eh, Rob?"

remarked Tubby Hopkins, "where we saw German and French and British and Belgian fliers; yes, and even a big Zeppelin that was meaning to bombard some city."

"Well," Andy told them, "here we are on the field, and like as not we'll find our aviation mad chum over in that crowd around the machines on the ground, where the starts are made."

"I rather think those must be the various models of new machines,"

observed Rob, and immediately adding, "There's Hiram now; he's sighted us, and is heading this way."

"Yes, with a grin as big as a house on his face," a.s.serted Tubby; "which I take it must mean he's struck something that tickles him just fierce."

Hiram joined his three comrades a minute later.

"Well," he said, in a mysterious fashion, addressing himself particularly to Rob, "the Golden Gate Aeroplane Manufacturing Company has a contraption on one of their machines, intended to equalize shifting weights; but shucks! it isn't in the same cla.s.s with my dandy little stabilizer. I guess they mean business in my case, with a big B."

CHAPTER XV.

TUBBY IS OUT OF HIS ELEMENT.

If there had arisen any doubt in Hiram's mind as to the deep interest those chums were taking in his enterprise, it must have been quickly dispelled when he made this announcement, and saw the looks of delight spreading over their faces.

"Bully!" cried Andy.

"Best wishes, Hiram!" added Tubby, genially, as he patted the other fondly on the shoulder.

Rob did not say anything, but if looks could speak Hiram might easily see that he had the sincere sympathy of the scout leader; though he knew that much before.

"While I've been hovering around here," continued Hiram, "making myself useful whenever a flier was going up by running with the machine to give it a good start, I've kept my eyes and ears wide open, let me tell you."

"So as to learn all you could about the Golden Gate Company, of course?"

remarked Andy.

"Yes," Hiram told him, frankly enough, "and soak in any sort of knowledge that might be useful to a feller that's got the aviation bee abuzzin' in his bonnet. And I've learned a heap, let me tell you, boys. Why, it's paid me already for my long and arduous trip across country. I c'n start on as many as _three_ schemes I've been hatchin' in my fertile brain this long time. I was up agin' a blank wall, you see; but now I've got ideas worth a hull lot to me."

"That sounds all right, Hiram," Rob told him; "only I hope you go slow about this business. Don't overdo it, or we may have to take you home in a strait-jacket yet."

"Nixey, not for me," jeered the other; "my head's as clear as a bell.

Fact is, I never felt half as bright as I do now. The clouds have been scattered, and seems like the sun was shinin' all the time. Once I get this stabilizer business well off my hands, and have some coin to go to work with, you'll see the dust fly."

"And he belongs to the Eagles, too!" said Tubby, in wrapt admiration.

"Seems as if you just _can't_ suppress 'em, no way you try. There never was a patrol of scouts organized that had as many bright minds on the roster roll as ours contains."

Andy immediately took off his campaign hat and made Tubby a low bow.

"That's nice of you, Tubby, to say such sweet things of your chums," he remarked, just as if it sprang straight from his heart. "And we want you to know that with the other seven the name of Tubby Hopkins will go ringing down the ages in Boy Scout history as one who always made his mark. And I can testify to that from my own personal knowledge."

From the way in which Hiram and Rob t.i.ttered when Andy said this it could be inferred that they knew very well to what those last few words referred. The fact of the matter was that once upon a time Andy had had the misfortune to be under a tree when Tubby was knocking down nuts; and the fat scout, losing his grip on a limb, came down with tremendous force directly on Andy, who was flattened out on the ground like a pancake.

He carried the bruises he received on that occasion for quite some time; but no one could bear malice against Tubby, who, scrambling to his knees, had immediately expressed great solicitude for his unfortunate comrade, saying:

"Oh, excuse me, Andy, I didn't know you were right under me, or I might have chosen some other place to land."

"You don't wonder at me being chained to this place, do you," asked Hiram, "when there's so much happening all the time, with pilots going up and coming down, agents explaining the use of new designs of aeroplanes they are putting on the market, and everybody 'talking shop'? They reckon I've been employed in some place where they make these fliers, because I know somethin' about them. So they let me help in a lot of ways. It's fun, I tell you, the best fun I ever knew."

Anyone could see that Hiram was right in his element. His freckled Yankee face seemed to glow with enthusiasm, and his little eyes shone in a way Rob had never noticed before. Indeed, if the scout leader had been inclined sometimes to fear Hiram would develop into a harmless crank, with only vague unreasonable ideas rattling about in his loose brain, that suspicion was rapidly vanishing.

Perhaps it had commenced to have an effect upon Rob's opinion when he read that letter from the Golden Gate people. They were hard-headed business men, and not visionary dreamers; and surely they would never have advanced all that money to a strange inventor unless they believed in him, and meant to attach his genius to the fortunes of their company.

"I own up, Hiram," said Andy, as they stood there and watched the many things that were going on all the time around them, "that there must be a sort of fascination about this thing to fellows who have a leaning that way. But as for me you never could tempt me to climb up thousands and thousands of feet like the air-pilot in the monoplane that looks like a swallow against the sky."

"It takes some nerve, I'll admit, Andy," said Hiram, modestly.

"Huh! plenty of people may have nerve enough," objected Andy, "but all the same they'd be laboring under physical disabilities."

"As how, Andy?" asked the other.

"Oh, well, take our chum Tubby here; you never could expect him to make a flier, and bore up into the clouds. In the first place, it wouldn't be fair to the people down below. He nearly killed me once by dropping just ten feet; think what would happen to the poor chap who happened to get in the way if Tubby came down from where that aviator is now?"

Even Tubby had to laugh at that highly colored supposition.

"Well, one thing sure!" he exclaimed, "I wouldn't have to beg pardon for squashing him."

"But think of the mess," chuckled Andy.

"Watch that man who has just gone up in a monoplane. He's the best there is on the Coast, next to Beachey himself, who is a native of California.

You'll see him turn flip-flaps to beat the band presently. Why, I've watched him go around twice, and as neat as a circus tumbler would do it off a springboard over the backs of three elephants. There he goes! What d'ye think of that?"

"Whew! he's a corker, for a fact!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Tubby, as he stood with open mouth, gaping at the wonderful exploits which the reckless air-pilot was engineering far up above the earth.

Rob, chancing to turn toward the stout boy, saw to his amus.e.m.e.nt that there was something of a wistful expression on his rosy face. Tubby could at least feel the charm that this hazardous sort of life might possess for venturesome boys, even though he knew he could never hope to attain any standing in the ranks, owing to what Andy had well called "physical disabilities."

Athletes alone make good air-pilots, and a fellow who had the shape of a tub would only be useful as an anchor, or something like that.

Poor Tubby! It did seem that Fate was cruel to him, since he was debarred from taking an active part in so many sports such as boys enjoy. But Nature had at least given him a cheerful disposition, so that no matter how keenly disappointed he might be, he never allowed this to sour his temper.

They stood there and watched the trick aviator doing what Hiram called "stunts." Sometimes the boys fairly gasped with sudden fear lest the man aloft had made a miscalculation, and would come plunging down like a stone to his death; but his agility and quick wit always served him faithfully.

"Some of these fine days something will happen that he doesn't count on,"