The Airplane Boys among the Clouds | Page 4

to the ear of the man who sat in

the front of the touring car, laughed softly, and remarked with an air of
triumph:
"What did I tell you, Longley? Now say it was a false scent, will you?
It isn't often I make a mistake, and already I believe we've struck great
luck in coming up here."
CHAPTER II
A RESCUER FROM THE SKIES
"What if the bally thing takes a notion to duck under, Larry?" asked
Elephant, staggered himself at the possibility of such a catastrophe
happening.
"Wow! they'd stand a chance of being drowned, then, I take it!"
answered the taller lad, shaking his head as if worried.
"Say, p'raps we ought to be chasing after a boat, and putting out there
right now," the small boy exclaimed.
"O K say I. Let's make a dash for Cragan's dock, and borrow his skiff!"
suggested Larry, ready to toss fishing poles, and even the fine catch in
the dusty weeds bordering the road, so that they might be unimpeded in
their flight.
"Hold on, boys!" observed the gentleman in the tonneau of the touring
car, as he reached out and caught Larry by the sleeve of his shirt. "No
need of bothering yourselves in the least, I assure you."
"But perhaps the biplane might sink, sir," declared Elephant, still
showing extreme nervousness. "And what if Frank or Andy happened
to be caught in the wires that stay the planes? They might be drowned,
you see. Accidents can happen, even to the two smart Bird boys."
"No danger of any such catastrophe, I give you my word," went on the
gentleman. "And when you learn the truth, you'll thank me for
restraining you from acting in a foolish manner. Here, take a look

through this glass I chance to have along in the car. What do you see
now?"
Larry accepted the binoculars, and immediately adjusted them to his
eyes.
"Well, of all the things I ever heard of!" he slowly ejaculated.
"Let me look, Larry," exploded Elephant, as he deftly "hooked" the
glasses away from his companion's hands, and immediately clapped
them to his own eyes, to let out a shout of amazement. "I declare if the
old thing ain't floatin' like a big duck. Talk about her sinking, you
couldn't push that wonder box down under the surface. Some more of
Frank's magic; he's got 'em all queered a mile, Larry."
"Listen," remarked Mr. Marsh, quietly. "There's nothing so very
wonderful about this new stunt of your friend, Frank. Those shining
things you noticed about the biplane happened to be a couple of new
aluminum pontoons under the craft, meant to float the whole affair
whenever it drops in the water. They will be in common use shortly.
And that machine is what we call a hydroplane--that is, it will prove to
be as much at home on the water as in the air."
"What d'ye think of that, Elephant?" cried Larry, ready to swing his hat,
and give a loud whoop to let the young aviators know that friendly eyes
had been watching their startling maneuvers. "Ain't they all the candy,
though? Why, Perc Carberry never could get up early enough in the
morning to best the Bird boys."
"They float all right," remarked the other boy, still gazing through the
fine pair of marine glasses that seemed to bring the biplane within
touching distance. "But how under the sun can they start up again?
Don't they have to take a run on them bicycle wheels first?"
"Watch and see," laughed Mr. Marsh. "A hydroplane can rise from the
surface of the water just like a wild duck might. The propeller starts to
working, the machine is sent swiftly along, and soon leaves the water,
to soar upward as the planes are moved accordingly. There they go;

now, keep tab on what they do, Longley."
He took the glasses from Elephant and placed them to his own eye, as
though it might be of the greatest importance that he see distinctly
every little movement of the daring young aviators.
"Whoop! hurrah! there they quit snaking along on the water! They're
going to climb, I tell you, Larry! Look at that, would you? Up they go,
as easy as you please! Now, ain't that just a hummer; and did you ever
hear tell of as smart a pair of boys as Frank and Andy Bird? What won't
they try next, I wonder?"
"They certainly seem to be made of the right stuff for airmen," admitted
Mr. Marsh, with animation. "Some time I hope to make their
acquaintance, and hear the story of their stirring adventure down in
South America. What say Longley, can we afford to lay over at this
Bloomsbury for a couple of days, while we have the