Roy Rockwood

“ King, “you were quite a hero. Being pulled up into the clouds on a balloon anchor is not the kind of experience that counts for much in the airship line, though, my lad. If I had something just suited to you, I would give you a chance on your honest face. Frankly, though, I do not think you would be of much use to me until you have had some practical experience.”
“Sorry,” replied Hiram Dobbs in a subdued tone, “for I like you, mister. Now, where can I get that experience?”
“By working around the hangars and doing odd jobs till you know a monoplane from a biplane, and a pylon from an aileron. ”

“ Dave had noticed that these, with some other papers, his guardian kept in a strong manilla envelope in his desk.
Dave had known nothing but neglect and hardship with Silas Warner in the past. He saw no prospects now of any betterment of his condition. After what had happened during the day the man would be more unbearable than ever.
“I’ve got to do it,” murmured Dave, after a long period of painful thought. “My life will be spoiled if I stay here. I’ll never learn anything, I’ll never amount to anything. There is only one way out.” ”

“ Fully one half of the car was given up to Cadmus. The box stall at one end was padded and cushioned to guard against jarring. The feed box was of porcelain, and the light blanket they put on Cadmus was as fine as a silk bedquilt.
“Come in, youngster,” invited the horseman, when he had seen that Cadmus was attended to properly.
He led Dave into a partitioned-off apartment, comfortable as a boudoir in the Pullman sleeper. There was a couch, a table and plush covered easy chairs. ”

“ The farmer’s wife looked surprised as her husband carried Dave to a couch in the family sitting room and placed him upon it.
“Why, what’s this?” she exclaimed.
“It’s either a measly trick or attempted killing,” replied the old man indignantly. “Speak up, lad, how did you come in that plight?”
“Water!” was all that Dave could choke out, and the good housewife soon had a glass at his lips.
“Don’t stand gawking at the poor fellow and pestering him with questions,” cried the farmer’s wife. ”

“ Dave was silent.
“Say,” stormed Hiram, “if you don’t answer, I’ll start right out and find young Dawson, and knock the truth out of him, along with all the rest of his meanness.”
“You must do nothing of the sort, Hiram,” remonstrated Dave. “You mustn’t guess anything, or mix up things, until I have seen Mr. King.”
“You make a fellow mighty curious.”
“You will know all about it soon,” promised Dave. “There is Mr. King now.”
Our hero hurried forward as he saw just outside the Aegis hangar his employer and old Grimshaw. Mr. King uttered a glad cry as his eye fell on Dave. ”

“ Its even keel protected by two hangar men waiting ready for the task, the Aegis moved forward on its rubber shod wheels revolving on ball bearing axles in a soft, lifting glide that was indescribable.
The monoplane progressed in a straight line for perhaps forty feet. Then it took a straightaway flight.
Dave knew nothing of the mechanism of the plane. His eyes were fixed in a fascinated way on the aviator. With supreme faith in the expertness of the man guiding the frail yet sturdy craft, Dave did not experience a single qualm of fear. ”

“ The ruffian had felled Dave with a jerk and a slam, kept beside him, and in a twinkling had his hands and feet bound tightly. Dave set up a sharp outcry.
“We’ll soon settle that,” said his captor grimly.
Dave’s lips were muffled with a gag so tightly fastened that for a few minutes he could scarcely breathe. The man who had dealt so summarily with him arose to his feet.
“What now?” asked his companion.
“Go out and see if the coast is clear.”
“I know it is—our way. We’re to make direct for the high fence behind the hangars. Near the freight gate, you know. We can open it from the inside.” ”

“ AN ALL-NIGHT CAPTIVITY Dave sank down in his soft bed of bags and straw, unable to move hand or foot.
The men who had made him a helpless prisoner had done their work well. Dave could not use a muscle. As to dislodging the gag or shouting, that seemed entirely out of the question.
The youth had lots of time to think. He blinked up at the stars, kept his ears on the alert, and waited for further developments.
“There’s something to Hiram’s warning, sure enough,” he reflected. “If this is the work of Jerry Dawson, he must be a pretty desperate fellow.” ”

“ Dave had made up his mind to defer any explanation until later in the day. He realized that it would disturb his employer to relate his adventures and suspicions. Mr. King, too, was a hasty man. Dave knew that it would be just like him to rush off to Mr. Marvin, charge the Dawsons with the wrecking of his monoplane, and become generally unnerved for his critical duties of the day.
Later Dave learned that the men who had kidnapped him had displaced three important parts of the Marvin monoplane. This had rendered it impossible to use the machine for the day. ”

“ A START IN BUSINESS Dave Dashaway trembled with excitement and pleasure. He was proud and glad the way things had turned out. The aviator noticed the happy look on his face, and nodded encouragingly.
“All right,” spoke Mr. Alden. “I see you’ve got first show. Trouble is, our man we depended on, a fellow named Banks, failed us yesterday, and I guess he won’t show up in time for the airship pictures. He is the only one in our crowd who will do what we call the desperate stunts.”
“What do you call those?” inquired the airman. ”

“ Then he peered keenly ahead of him, intending to make for the fence and hide himself in the thick underbrush beyond it.
The air was clearer and the moonlight brighter on the higher land Dave had now gained. Perhaps a quarter of a mile down the road he made out a horse. Chasing it was a man. The animal would browse and wait till its evident pursuer got up close to it. ”

“ The wagon crossed a patch of open ground. Then a smooth country road was reached and the horse jogged along his way.
“Pretty good price for the stuff you got, wasn’t it, father?” asked the boy.
“Yes, these shows pay us well,” was the response.
“Oh, I’m nobody and nothing, it seems,” thought Dave. “Wish I had the use of my tongue for about two minutes. I’d ask these people what they intend to do with me. They don’t appear like very bloodthirsty fellows. Maybe, though, they’re hired to dump me into the first river they come to, and don’t mind it so long as they get the money.” ”

“ The fling of the tomahawk he saw was real, so was the sharp report of the gun. Above all, the heavy foot pressing down on his body and holding him motionless was tangible.
Dave opened his eyes as the foot was suddenly removed, to view an amazing spectacle. The “Indian” had taken out a pipe and was leisurely filling it. The “hunter” had picked up the “tomahawk”, which had struck a piece of rock and split open, showing that it was made of papier mache. Across the ravine the young man had risen to his feet and was yawning and stretching, and the young lady walked away putting up her parasol. ”

“ He spoke a few words to the police clerk, and then Dave was led out of the place, both men holding tightly to him, and soon found himself in a room in a cheap boarding house.
Dave had tried to expostulate, to explain. His jubilant captors had refused to listen to him. He had frantically begged of them to allow him to send word to some friends, to take a simple message to the police lieutenant.
“Don’t trust him for a minute, Daniel Jackson,” his guardian shouted to the sheriff. “You know what a slippery one he is.”
“But it’s important,” pleaded Dave. “A fellow robbed me. He must be caught.” ”

“ With Jerry was the young rough, Brooks, the boy Dave and Hiram had detected behind the pile of benches. Three others Dave recognized as young loafers who followed the meets, working only occasionally.
They did not break ranks as they came up abreast of Dave and Hiram, halting them, which movement seemed preconcerted on their part.
“Say, think you’ve done it, don’t you?” sneered Jerry, looking straight at Dave. “Well, make the most of it. You’ll never take another fly.”
“Why won’t he?” challenged Hiram, making an aggressive forward movement. But Dave held him back. ”

“ He saw now that he was probably too late to overtake the thief. His eyes fell upon two nickels lying on the floor near the cot. These had been a sort of a guide to the robber, who must have heard them jangle to the floor when Dave accidentally dropped them.
“That fellow must be a real bad one,” mused Dave. “He probably pretended to be asleep all the time, and was watching me! Anyhow, he has managed to get hold of everything I had. The worst of it is the watch and the money and the medal belonging to Mr. King are gone too. The thief may have been gone from here for hours, for all I know. ”

“ King right off, are you, Dave?”
“Yes, the birdman first and foremost, Ned. I’m counting a good deal on interesting him in giving me advice or help about getting into this airship business.”
“Oh, you’ll land there,” predicted Ned confidently. “You’re too much in earnest not to succeed. Then you’re going to head for Fairfield?”
“Yes, Ned.”
“That’s where the aero meet is?”
“Exactly.”
“Aren’t you afraid from what he guesses and knows, that old Warner will be looking for you, or have some one looking for you right at that place?” inquired Ned.
“I shall guard out for that,” replied Dave. ”

“ Dave got up on the roadway and looked up and down it. No one was in sight. He crossed it, plunged through the timber, and reaching a north and south road faced the sun on a pretty good sprint.
Dave wondered what had become of his guardian, and the sheriff, and the wrecked milk wagon. It seemed certain that sooner or later his enemies would look for him at Dayton. The lad did not mind that so much just now. He had great faith in Mr. King, and he believed that the airman would find some way to circumvent his enemies.
“It’s missing the race that makes me feel bad,” ruminated Dave. ”

“ The airman was a superb picture of courage, confidence and expertness as the Aegis bounded from earth and rose in the lead over the fleet of airships entered for the contest.
Dave helped in skidding the machine at the start, and was promptly on hand when the Aegis sailed gracefully down to its starting point with a score of six hundred extra feet to the Fairfield record.
Mr. King was busy after that consulting with and aiding other aviators in their scheduled feats. Dave was just finishing a cold lunch at the hangar, when old Grimshaw poked his head into view past an open doorway. ”

“ From the first step in learning how to run the airplane, to the point when with a wild cheer Dave felt himself safe in making a brief flight all by himself, our hero’s progress was one of unceasing interest and delight.
The first step was to learn how to glide. Dave aboard the glider, Grimshaw and an assistant helped get the airplane under way. They carried the weight of the machine and overcame its head resistance by running forward at its own rate of speed. ”

“ I’m willing to do a good deal for a fellow who will be loyal to his business. I put big faith in you. Don’t disappoint me.”
“Say,” began Dave in a great gulp, and he could not bring the words out, he was so worked up.
“I know what you would say,” spoke the airman quickly. “Never feel any different about it than you do at this moment, and there will be no regrets.”
“There’s only one thing troubles me, Mr. King,” observed Dave.
“What’s that?”
“My guardian. I ran away from home.”
“Good for you. From what you tell me, that miserly old rascal, Warner, won’t waste any time or money hunting you up. ”