Boy Aviators in Record Flight

The Rival Aeroplane

• Editorial: The Floating Press
• Año: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781776599271

The indefatigable Boy Aviators are at again in this suspenseful installment of the acclaimed action-adventure series for younger readers. This time, they set out to beat a flight record and be a part of aviation history. After the record attempt, the boys wind up in the Wild West -- and soon find themselves at the center of a contentious situation.

Chapter I - The Big Prize

*

"Phew!" exclaimed Billy Barnes as he reported for work on the New York Planet one broiling afternoon in late August, "this is a scorcher and no mistake."

"I should think after all your marvelous adventures with the Boy Aviators that you would be so used to heat and cold and hardship that you wouldn't kick at a little thing like a warm day."

The remark came from a young fellow about twenty-one years old who occupied a desk beside that of the stout spectacled youth of eighteen whom our readers have already met as Billy Barnes.

"Why, hullo, Fred Reade!" said Billy, looking up with a good-natured grin from the operation of opening his typewriter desk, "I thought you were off covering aviation."

"I was," rejoined the other, with a near approach to a sneer, "but since we printed your story about the recovery of the treasure on the Spanish galleon I guess they think I'm not good enough to cover the subject."

If the good-natured Billy Barnes noticed the close approach to outspoken enmity with which these words were spoken he gave no sign of it. Any reply he might have made was in fact cut short at that minute by an office boy who approached him.

"Mr. Stowe wants to see you, Mr. Barnes, at once, please," said the lad.

"There you go, the managing editor sending for you as soon as you get back. I wish I was a pet," sneered Reade as Billy hastened after the boy and the next minute entered a room screened off from the editorial department by a glass door bearing the words "Managing Editor."

At a desk above which hung "This is my busy day," and other signs not calculated to urge visitors to become conversational, sat a heavy-set, clean-shaven man with a big pair of spectacles astride his nose. He had a fat cigar in his mouth which he regarded as he spoke with far more intensity than he did Billy.

"Afternoon, Barnes," was his greeting.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stowe," returned the young reporter, "you sent for me—"

"Sit down," said the other brusquely, indicating a chair.

Billy sat down and waited for the next words of his managing editor.

"The Planet, as you know, has made a specialty of featuring aviation," continued Mr. Stowe, gazing fixedly at his cigar.

Billy nodded, the remark did not seem to call for a more definite reply.

"We have offered prizes for flights from time to time, and in this way have obtained a reputation as an authority on aviation and a patron of what is bound to be the vehicle of the coming ages."

Again Billy nodded at the managing editor's rather florid way of putting it.

"For instance, the $10,000 Albany-New York flight and the $30,000 New York-St. Louis flight. The $100,000 offer for a transatlantic flight as yet remains unchallenged for, but I have no doubt that in time some daring aviator will make the attempt."

"It should be possible," once more agreed Billy, wondering what was coming next.

"In the meantime," Mr. Stowe continued, "the Despatch has declared itself our rival in this field by also devoting great attention to the subject, and offering prizes for flights in opposition to our original idea. The owner of the Planet has therefore decided to eclipse all previous offers and be the first in the field with a prize of $50,000 for a flight from New York to San Francisco, or as far in that direction as possible. The air craft that travels furthest will get the prize."

"Across the continent?" gasped Billy.

"Exactly. We are going to publish the conditions and date of starting in our to-morrow morning's issue. And the offer incidentally means a great chance for you."

Billy gave a questioning glance.

"I intend to have you follow the racers in an automobile and send dispatches from the various points along the route concerning the progress of the cross-country aerial racers."

The young reporter's face beamed.

"That's mighty good of you, sir," he said earnestly.

"Not at all. It's simply the selection of the best man for the job; that's all. You have far more knowledge of aviation than Reade—or at least you ought to have after your long association with the Boy Aviators—and therefore we have selected you."

"As to the conditions of the race, Mr. Stowe—how about stops, gasolene and water stations, and so on?"

"Each contestant will be expected to arrange those details for himself," was the answer. "This newspaper simply offers the prize to the first aeroplane to arrive in San Francisco, or go furthest in that direction. Also, of course, we claim the privilege of getting exclusive accounts of the doings of the Planet aeroplanes. That's all. Simple, isn't it?"

"Very," agreed Billy as he took his leave. "By the way, sir, does any one else know of your offer?"

"Nobody; not even Reade. I guess he's pretty sore that we took him off aviation on the eve of making the prize offer, but it can't be helped."

"Why, I—you see, sir, I'd rather not take it, if it is blocking Reade in any way. I don't want to take the assignment at all if it's going to hurt Reade with the paper."

The managing editor gave an impatient wave of his hand.

"Let me attend to Reade," he remarked impatiently, "you go and get out a story for to-morrow about possible contestants. Of course your friends, the Chester boys, will enter?"

Billy looked dubious.

"I don't know," he replied. "I rather think they were planning for a rest and to continue their studies, and this cross-country flight won't be any picnic. However, I hope they do enter," replied Billy.

"I had no idea that there would be any doubt about it," said Mr. Stowe impatiently, "well, do the best you can. Anyhow, get interviews with Blewitt, Sharkness and Auldwin. They will be sure to enter their machines, and let's have a good, live story for to-morrow. By the way, not a word of this to anybody but the aviators you may see till we publish the offer. The Despatch would be quite capable of offering a similar prize to-morrow morning if they learned what was in the wind."

Billy nodded as Mr. Stowe once more gave a sign of dismissal, and hastened from the room. So hurried was his exit, in fact, that he almost bumped into Reade as he made his way out. The editorial room was deserted, except for the dark-haired, slender young fellow with whom Billy had almost collided. The other reporters were all out on their assignments.

"Well?" were Fred Reade's first words.

"Well," rejoined Billy, adjusting his spectacles, which had narrowly escaped being jarred off his nose in the bump, "isn't there room enough in the place without your getting so near that door that you almost upset my slender form?"

"Never mind that," replied Frank Reade; "what I want to know is, how do I stand in there?"

He motioned with his head toward the managing editor's room from which the boys were by this time several paces removed.

"I don't understand you exactly," was Billy's reply. He noticed that Reade's face bore an angry flush and he seemed excited.

"What I mean is this: Am I going to continue to do aviation for the Planet?"

"Say, Fred, old man, I'm awfully sorry—"

"Oh, cut that out. You don't mean it, and you know you don't. You wanted to grab off the job for yourself, and I can see by your face that you have."

"If you mean that I am to do aviation for the Planet in future, you are right," replied Billy. "I am; but it was only on Mr. Stowe's orders. You're wrong, Fred, and you know you are, when you accuse me of trying to take your job away from you."

"Oh, rot," exclaimed the other angrily. "If that had been the case you'd have kept away. You don't have to work. You made plenty of money out of your share of the Golden Galleon treasure. You have just deliberately tried to oust me from my job."

"You talk as if you'd been fired," said Billy. "You know that you are one of the most valued reporters on the Planet."

"Don't try to jolly me," rejoined the other angrily. "And as for being fired, I don't have to be, for I've got my resignation ready written out. Here copy boy!" he cried, "take this note in to Mr. Stowe."

As the boy hurried up Reade drew from his pocket an envelope and handed it to the lad.

"Hold on there!" cried Billy, genuinely moved at Reade's evident chagrin, "have you gone crazy, Fred? What's the matter?"

"Take that note in," thundered Reade to the hesitating boy, who thereupon hurried off, "it's your fault I've had to quit, Billy Barnes, and I'll not forget it, I can promise you. I'll get even with you for this in a way you don't suspect. No; I won't shake hands with you. I don't want to speak to you."

Reade flung angrily off and put on his coat and hat. Without taking any more notice of Billy he strode out of the Planet offices and into the street.

On the sidewalk he paused for a minute. His hat shoved back off his brow and his forehead puckered in perplexity.

"I'll do it," he exclaimed suddenly under his breath as if he had made up his mind to something. "I'll do it. The Despatch will jump at it, and I'll get even on Billy Barnes and the Planet at the same time."

Chapter II - Billy as a Diplomat

*

A few minutes after Fred Reade had left the Planet offices he was followed by Billy Barnes. The young reporter boarded an open Madison Avenue car, preferring it to the stuffy heat of the subway, and in due time found himself at the home of Mr. Chester, the wealthy banker, and father of Frank and Harry Chester, the Boy Aviators. The lads need no further introduction to our readers, who have doubtless formed the acquaintance of both the young air pilots in previous volumes of this series. To those who have not it may be as well—while Billy Barnes is ringing the doorbell—to say that Frank and Harry Chester were graduates of the Agassiz High School and the pioneers among schoolboy aviators. Beginning with models of air craft they had finally evolved a fine biplane which they named the Golden Eagle. The first Golden Eagle was destroyed in a tropical storm off the coast of Nicaragua, as related in The Boy Aviators in Nicaragua; or, In League with the Insurgents. To carry out an important commission affecting a stolen formula the lads then constructed a second Golden Eagle, in which they met many adventures and perils in the Everglades of Florida. These were set forth in The Boy Aviators on Secret Service; or, Working with Wireless, the second volume of the series. In the third and fourth volumes the boys had aerial adventures in Africa, and in the Sargasso Sea. What these were will be found in The Boy Aviators in Africa; or, An Aerial Ivory Trail; and The Boy Aviators' Treasure Quest; or, The Golden Galleon.

Before the servant who answered Billy's ring had time to announce him there was a rush of feet down the hallway and two tall lads, with crisp wavy hair and blue eyes, were wringing Billy's hand till he laughingly shouted:

"Hey, let up! I'm not the India-rubber man with the circus."

At this moment a door opened and a gray-haired man stepped out. It was Mr. Chester.

"Why, how do you do, Billy Barnes," he exclaimed heartily, "glad to see you; but I hope you haven't come to take my boys off again on some wonderful trip or other. You know their mother and I like to see them at home sometimes."

"Well, sir," began Billy somewhat abashed, "the fact is I—you see—I mean—well, the long and short of it is, sir, that I have an adventurous proposal to make to them."

"Hurray!" shouted Harry. "Good for you, Billy!"

Mr. Chester, however, assumed his—what Frank called—"official face."

"Really, I—" he began.

"Now, father," interjected Frank, "don't you think it would be a good idea if we heard what Billy's proposal, or whatever you like to call it, is before we say anything more?"

"Perhaps you are right, my boy," said his father, "but I am busy now, and—"

"We'll take Billy out to the workshop and make him tell us all about it, a...

Índice

• THE BOY AVIATORS IN RECORD FLIGHT
• Contents
• Chapter I - The Big Prize
• Chapter II - Billy as a Diplomat
• Chapter III - Under a Cloud
• Chapter IV - Thieves in the Night
• Chapter V - The Boys Decide
• Chapter VI - Off for San Francisco
• Chapter VII - Above the Earth
• Chapter VIII - Boy Aviators to the Rescue
• Chapter IX - Luther Barr Forms an Alliance
• Chapter X - A Night Voyage
• Chapter XI - The First Leg
• Chapter XII - Attacked by Cowboys
• Chapter XIII - Indians!
• Chapter XIV - The Auto in Difficulties
• Chapter XV - Thirst—And a Plot
• Chapter XVI - The Auto Gone
• Chapter XVII - The Wrong Man
• Chapter XVIII - Wireless
• Chapter XIX - Arrested by Aeroplane
• Chapter XX - Caught in a Stampede
• Chapter XXI - Bart and the B'ar
• Chapter XXII - An Auto Leap for Life
• Chapter XXIII - A Mystery
• Chapter XXIV - The Golden Hermit
• Chapter XXV - A Fight for Fortune
• Chapter XXVI - The Sand Storm
• Chapter XXVII - Winning the Prize—Conclusion