The Brighton Boys with the Flying Corps | Page 5

quietly, "I got hold of that man Mullens that works for
Swain's, the motor people. He worked in an aeroplane factory in France
once, he says, for nearly a year. He does not know much about the
actual planes themselves, but he knows a lot about the Gnome engine.
He says he has invented an aeroplane engine that will lick them all
when he gets it right. He is not hard to get going, but he won't stay on
the point much. I have been at him half a dozen times altogether, but I
wanted to get a few things quite clear in my head before I told you
fellows."
The big airdrome that was to be placed on the Frisbie property
gradually took a sort of being, though everything about it seemed to
progress with maddening deliberation. Ground was broken for the
buildings. Timber and lumber were delayed by Far Western strikes, but
finally put in an appearance. A spur of railway line shot out to the site
of the new flying grounds. Then barracks and huge hangars---the latter
to house the flying machines---began to take form.
At first no effort was made to keep the public from the scene of the
activity, but as time went on and things thereabouts took more tangible
form, the new flying grounds were carefully fenced in, and a guard
from the State National Guard was put on the gateways. So far only

construction men and contractors had been in evidence. Such few
actual army officers as were seen had to do with the preparation of the
ground rather than with the Flying Corps itself. The closing of the
grounds woke up the Brighton boys to the possibility of the fact that
they might be shut out when flying really commenced. A council of
war immediately ensued.
"A lot of good it will have done us to have watched the thing get this
far if, when the machines and the flying men come, we can't get beyond
the gates," said Harry Corwin.
"I don't see what is going to get us inside any quicker than any other
fellows that want to see the flying," commented Archie Fox dolefully.
"What we have got to get is some excuse to be in the thing some way,"
declared Bob Haines. "If we could only think of some kind of job we
could get inside there---some sort of use we could be put to, it would be
a start in the right direction."
Cudgel their brains as they would, they could not see how it was to be
done, and they dispersed to think it over and meet on the morrow.
Help came from an unexpected source. After supper that night Harry
Corwin happened to stay at home. Frequently he spent his evenings
with some of the fellows at the Academy, but he had discovered a book
which made some interesting comments on warping of aeroplane wings,
and he stayed home to get the ideas through his head, so that he might
pass them on to the other boys. Mr. and Mrs. Corwin and Harry's sister,
his senior by a few years, were seated in the living room, each intent on
their reading, when the bell rang and the maid soon thereafter ushered
in a tall soldier, an officer in the American Army. The gold leaf on his
shoulder proclaimed him a major, and the wings on his collar showed
Harry, at least, that he was one of the Flying Corps.
The officer introduced himself as Major Phelps, and said he had
promised Will Corwin, in France, that he would call on Will's folks
when he came to supervise the new flying school at Brighton. Mr.
Corwin greeted the major cordially, and after introducing Mrs. Corwin

and Harry's sister Grace, presented Harry, with a remark that sent the
blood flying to the boy's face.
"Here, Major," said Mr. Corwin, "is one of the Flying Squadron of the
Brighton Academy."
The major was frankly puzzled. "Have you a school of flying here,
then?" he asked as he took Harry's hand.
"Not yet, sir," said Harry with some embarrassment.
"That is not fair, father," said Grace Corwin, who saw that Harry was
rather hurt at the joke. "The Brighton boys are very much interested in
aviation, and some time ago seven or eight of them banded together
and have studied the subject as hard and as thoroughly as they could.
See this "---and she reached for the book Harry had been
reading---"This is what they have been doing instead of something
much less useful. There is not one of them who is not hoping one day
to be a flyer at the front, and they have waited for the starting of flying
at the new grounds with the greatest expectations. I