Airship cruising from Silver Fox farm

Front matter

AIRSHIP

FOX

■^JAMES^OTia

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

1 . “The Smuggler” i

11 . The Trial Voyage 20

Chapter I '' The Smuggler ”

Yes, Pm allowin' that she’s considerable of a beauty, that is, so far as airships go; but her name is mightily against her, Paul Simpson, an’ you’ll come to find it out before we’re many weeks older,” Zenas Cushing said to the son of one of the owners of Barren Island, on which was located a farm for the raising of silver foxes, as the two stood at the door of a huge hangar in which was swaying gently to and fro an aerial craft

To those who have not read the stories concerning Silver Fox Farm which have been published from time to time, a few words of explanation are necessary for the better understanding of what follows.

Less than a year from the time when this story opens a certain gentleman of Seaview, a town on the mainland twenty miles or more from Barren Island, conceived the idea of raising silver foxes for the purpose of selling their pelts, which are of considerable value. He decided upon this island because it was out 1 of the track of coastwise steamers and vessels, and not likely to be visited by curious people, for it was in the highest degree necessary that the animals remain undisturbed.

In order more successfully to carry on the business, he took advantage of the wireless telegraph which had been set up by his son Paul and his particular friend, Ned Bartlett, who were enthusiasts as well as amateurs, and thus the island was, as one might say, connected with the mainland.

Before the work of raising foxes had been well begun a message came through the ether from a disabled yacht far out to sea, and in a small power boat Zenas Cushing, a young man who had been hired by Mr. Simpson as general assistant, and the lad Paul succeeded in locating the yacht and towing her to the island. The craft, named the Nera, was owned by Mr. Chester Sawtelle, a wealthy gentleman, who joined in the silver fox venture, chiefly because he saw the desirability of the island as a location for the building of aerial craft, an art in which he was deeply interested.

In addition to the crew of the Nera, the owners of the island, the young wireless operators, and Zenas Cushing, the occupants of the island comprised Daniel Downs, an old farmer, his wife and two sons, Ernest and Sam. These last stood in mortal fear of a certain outlaw, John Ed Bingham, who was notorious for smuggling, and who had thus far done very much in the way of mischief to the island dwellers. He had, by shooting, disabled the first aeroplane built.

and in many other ways, as Zenas Cushing said, “ made all hands generally miserable ” because they could not make him prisoner.

Shortly before the day when the airship Smuggler was ready for the trial trip. Captain Tobi Thompson, an eccentric old sailor of Seaview, had captured John Ed, intending to carry him in triumph to Barren Island ; but when he arrived at that port the prisoner had escaped in what seemed a most mysterious manner.

In the story entitled “ The Aeroplane at Silver Fox Farm,” the following description is given: Barren Island rises out of the sea for a length of about three miles, having a width of a mile and a half, and standing, save at the north and south ends, from thirty to forty feet above the sea level. At the north end is a cove formed by two long reefs, called Swallow-tailed Cove, which can be used as a haven when the tide is half flood and more; but after the water falls lower than that the jagged rocks at the entrance form an impassable barrier. At the south end there is little or no possibility of landing even in a small craft, owing to the many reefs, therefore in the small harbor on the west side is the only safe anchorage to be found. Here lay at anchor the motor yacht Neva, a Hampton dory with six horse-power, a small motor boat, and on the beach was the fishing dory owned by Mr. Downs.

The farmer and his family occupied a dwelling near the head of the harbor; on the highest land at the north end of the island had been erected a commodious building used by the owners of the island and their young assistants as a temporary home and offices, while a short distance away stood the wireless station. This was tuned with another station on the mainland built by the two boys before they had any idea that their experiments might prove to be of value in a commercial sense.

In addition to the buildings mentioned, was a large shed, or hangar, erected for the sole purpose of housing the airship, just completed, but not yet having been given a trial, and it was in front of this structure that Zenas and Paul were standing when the former gave vent to his dislike of the aerial ship’s name.

‘‘ Goodness knows we’ve already had trouble enough with John Ed Bingham without namin’ this ’ere craft after him,” Master Cushing continued discontentedly.

“ It seems to me, Zenas, that you are disturbing yourself about trifles,” and Paul laughed heartily.

Suppose Mr. Sawtelle did name her the Smuggler, how does that show that John Ed is her godfather? ” Show ? It’s as plain as the nose on my face ! You can’t go anywhere on the coast an’ speak of ^ the smuggler ’ without folks understandin’ that you mean John Ed. Now we’re riskin’ our necks in what Daniel Downs calls a crow-chaser, that’s been named after the old villain.”

“ Her name won’t interfere with her sailing, Zenas.”

That’s somethin’ we’ve yet got to find out, an’ when our necks have been broken the knowin’ won’t do us any partic’lar good.”

“ Mr. Sawtelle said you might stay aboard the Nera with the ship-keeper if you were afraid to take passage in the Smuggler”

“ I know he did, lad, an' perhaps Fd be tempted to take him at his word but for lettin’ Daniel Downs an’ his precious sons see that I was afraid to go up in what I’ve helped build. I shall take my chances with the rest of the crew, Paul, knowin’ that after I’ve been smashed into little bits the Downs family will neglect the foxes, an’ that’ll be the biggest kind of a pity, for them ’ere animals are gettin’ along in great shape. I’ll go bail there’s more money to be made out of them than from a dozen crow-chasers like this, though I’m free to admit it’s a mighty handsome boat of its kind. What a pity we didn’t spend our time puttin’ together a sailin’ craft.”

“ But that’s exactly what the Smuggler is,” Paul cried laughingly.

“Yes; but Mr. Sawtelle counts that she’ll sail on air, an’ when she comes to grief it’s goin’ to be mighty hard on a fellow when he falls with a bang.”

“ What’s the matter here ? ” a cheery voice cried, and Ned Bartlett came into view from the direction of that dwelling which Master Cushing always spoke of as “ the hotel.” “ Is Zenas still wailing over the name of the ship? ”

“ He counts to a dead certainty that it’ll swamp her,” was Paul’s laughing reply. “ What are you doing here? I thought Mr. Sawtelle gave orders that you were to hang out at the telegraph station to receive the message he hopes to get before we make the trial voyage ? ”

Pve been on duty two hours, and he has just relieved me, so I came over to have a better view of the Smuggler. What with the excitement of the chase after John Ed, and the mystery of his escape from Captain Tobi, I really haven’t had a good look at the ship since she was ready to sail.”

Because the Smuggler has already been described in ‘‘ Building an Airship at Silver Fox Farm,” there is no good reason why we should repeat it here. As to the motive power of the craft, both the boys were to be greatly enlightened, for before they had brought their inspection to an end, Mr. Sawtelle called them into the telegraph building, saying when they entered with Zenas at their heels :

Some enterprising newspaper reporters, who have broken into your station at Seaview and are evidently expert wireless operators, have just asked for a description of the Smugglers equipment. While I am writing it out I wish one of you lads would begin sending the message, for it will require considerable time.”

Paul seated himself at the instrument; Mr. Sawtelle put before him a sheet of paper on which he had already written a dozen or more lines, and, leaning over his shoulder, Zenas read as the words were ticked off by the key, the following :

“The car is built of a series of platinum tubes of thirty and forty millimetres’ diameter, and are made rigid by steel wire diagonals fitted with stretchers.

The central part of the car has a height of two metres, with a total length of twenty-eight metres. The steering rudder is carried at the stern, and its surface is about fifteen square metres. It is made of rubber fabric stretched upon a framework of platinum tubes, and connected to the car by what is known as a cardan joint. The fourth knot of the stern lifting ropes and two stretchers serve to hold it.

“ The ‘ stabilizator,’ or elevating rudder, fitted to the front of the car is controlled, as is the one at the stern, through steel wires and chains, by two wheels placed upon the bridge on the right and left respectively. In the center of the car is the accommodation for passengers as well as the pilot’s position. The pilot, standing on the left, has the steering wheel under his hand, and on his right is his assistant holding the elevating rudder- wheel. In front is the motor room, and the pilot can communicate direct with the engineer. A vertical panel on the front of the bridge carries the whole of the controlling instruments. These are the manometer of the balloon and air ballonet; the barometer to indicate the altitude, as well as a barograph; the dynamometer which records the movements of the screw; and lastly, the speedometer registering the number of revolutions per minute made by the motor. In addition to this is a shelf carrying the chart and a compass. Through the passengers’ space extends a large suspended table carrying road maps, indispensable to the voyager and for guidance by comparison with the country spread immediately below. Lastly, under the car are two small life-boats which enable the ship to alight without the car being injured by rubbing on the ground, and also serve as a means of safety for the crew if the craft should be wrecked in the water.

“ The two engines, working independently, are explosion motors such as are used in automobiles, each of sixty horse-power. The motors are fixed to the car by springs in such a manner that the vibration is no greater than in a well-built motor-car standing still with the motor running. As to the possible length of a voyage we will say that we travel at the rate of sixty kilometres an hour, or nearly thirty miles. The engines will consume sixty kilogrammes of fuel per hour. The ship, carrying eight people, can take six hundred kilogrammes of gasoline, which will make it possible to travel ten hours; if we take into consideration that it must return to its mooring ground without alighting for additional fuel, the voyage may be prolonged only five hours. But suppose only one of the motors is used, the propelling power will be only sixty horse-power, the speed will be divided by the cubic root of two, or only forty-eight kilometres per hour. But the single motor will consume only thirty kilogrammes of gasoline, and with six hundred on board, the ship would have twenty hours of travel instead of ten. Speed is costly on an airship as on an ocean steamer; to double it the motor power must be multiplied by eight; the balloon must therefore carry eight times more fuel; whereas by diminishing the motor-power by one-half, the speed is reduced only by one-fifth.”

It was at this point that Mr. Sawtelle concluded his message to be sent to the waiting newspaper reporters on the mainland, and as he read the last words Zenas Cushing cried out in astonishment :

“ Then the Smuggler can’t run but twenty hours, eh?”

“ Not unless she alights and procures more fuel.”

“ But I’ve read about these ’ere airships runnin’ day in an’ day out over places where you couldn’t get gasoline enough to wet the tip of a mouse’s ear.”

Such alleged information as that you got from some fantastic tale, the writer of which could have paid no attention to either possibilities or probabilities. The radius of an airship’s action is in fact exactly as I have written it down,” Mr. Sawtelle said decidedly, and was seemingly on the point of referring to the printed statements of experts on aerial voyaging, when Zenas said quickly:

“ I’m allowin’ that you know what you’re talkin’ about, sir, an’ the yarns I’ve read must have been fish stories. Now will you tell me how long a kilometre is? I haven’t been able to figger out why you can’t measure in plain English.”

“ The universal system of measurement is the metrical, and I advise you now, as I have once before, to study the tables. A kilometre, roughly speaking, is about five-eighths of a mile, therefore you can reckon for yourself how far the Smuggler will be able to sail without an additional supply of fuel.”

You mean, sir, that I can figger how far she’d go in case nothin’ happened to upset her ; but, bein’ named lO after John Ed Bingham as she is, Fm allowin’ that you’ll find it mighty hard work to get beyond Swallow-tailed Cove.”

“ If one can judge by the old smuggler’s ability to keep out of our way after working mischief, the name should do her no harm, for surely he has sailed far and long,” Mr. Sawtelle said laughingly, and Master Cushing’s face brightened as he muttered half to himself :

I declare I hadn’t thought about that before ; perhaps the name may be all right after all.”

“When is the trial trip to be made, sir?” Ned asked.

“ To-morrow if the weather permits — ^we’ll say the first fair day, and the full crew are to be on board.”

“ Have you counted in Paul and me? ”

“ Surely .1 have, for you two lads must attend to the wireless apparatus which we are to carry. The two machinists we hired from Boston, the engineer of the Nera, Zenas, Mr. Simpson, and I make up the full list — eight in all.”

“ All the Downs family are to be left behind, eh ? ” and Zenas looked decidedly interested.

“ There is no reason why we should take them, and every reason why they be left behind,” Mr. Sawtelle said with a laugh.

“ But do you reckon they’ll look after the foxes all right, in case John Ed should turn up? ”

“We can trust the cook of the Nera to see that they attend to their work faithfully. On the first voyage I am not intending to be absent many hours. We will

II try out the Smuggler by running over to Seaview, when very likely we may learn of some defects to be remedied, and come back here for the final touches before going to the extent of our ability/'

At this moment some one in the hangar shouted for Mr. Sawtelle to inspect a certain joint in the steering gear, and he had no sooner gone out of the telegraph station than Daniel Downs, followed by his two sons, came curiously to the door of the building.

It begins to look as if your new crow-chaser was about finished, eh ? ” the old man said with a grin. “ What do you count on doin' with the little contraption that John Ed shot to pieces? "

The aeroplane will remain in the hangar," Paul replied as he rose from the instrument, having finished sending the long message. “ I hope you won't be tempted to use her, Mr. Downs, while we’re away."

“ I ain’t crazy enough yet to trust myself in the air on any kind of a contrivance," and Mr. Downs looked around at his sons as if to learn whether they had heard correctly his words of supposed wisdom. “ A boat or a boss an' wagon is good enough for me, an' allers will be even if I should live to be as old as Methuselah. But tell me, are you addle-pates really countin' on goin' to sea in that 'ere contraption?”

We sure are,” and for the instant Zenas was well pleased because of having been counted as one of the crew. ‘‘ What's more, we’re goin' to set sail in the mornin', an’ if John Ed Bingham is anywhere on the face of the earth we'll hunt him out.”

Same as you have before,” Sam Downs squeaked.

‘‘If you don’t have better luck than when you went to Apple Island, John Ed can come ashore here an’ play hob ’cordin’ to his own likin’.”

“ Do you mean that you people would stand idly by and see him do mischief to the foxes ? ” Paul asked sharply, and Mr. Downs replied in an apologetic tone :

“ Sam didn’t mean anythin’ by what he said. Of course we’d fight agin even John Ed, if he showed a mind to do what he hadn’t ought’er ; but you must admit that so far he’s had matters about as he pleased. I’d give up a good deal if I could know how he contrived to skip Cap’in Tobi.”

“ It must have been that one of the crew let him out of the vessel’s hold before she was got under way,” Ned said carelessly. “ He’s not likely to come this way again, though, so we needn’t talk of him any more. Are you weather prophet enough to tell us what kind of a day we’re likely to have to-morrow, Mr. Downs ? ”

“ Wa’al, I’m lookin’ for it to be fair; but you can make up your mind that winter is cornin’ with a rush this season, so get in all the crow-chasin’ you can within the next few days.”

Zenas looked about him in dismay. He had every faith in the predictions of Daniel Downs, and it was by no means pleasing to fancy that stormy weather was near at hand, for there was more than a possibility that the dwellers on Barren Island might be held prisoners by the wind, as had happened more than once since the Downs family lived there.

“ Now don’t hunt around for trouble, Zenas,” Paul said laughingly, noting the expression of anxiety on Master Cushing’s face. “ It isn’t likely we’ll have such weather that the Nera can’t be run over to

Seaview, so there’s no need of looking so glum ”

How about that ? ” Daniel Downs interrupted by shouting as he pointed seaward, where could be seen a small sailing craft that had just come into view beyond the southerly end of the island. “If that ain’t Cap’ in Tobi I’ll eat seaweed for the rest of my nat’ral life! I knowed he couldn’t keep away from his ’ere island when he had every reason to believe your crow-chaser was about ready to cut didoes, an’ I’m hopin’ Zenas won’t hair the old fellow up too much by remindin’ him of how he lost John Ed.”

“ Don’t you fear that I’ll have any truck with that old pirate, Daniel. I can put my time to better use than roughin’ into him — I allow that’s his craft all right, all right.”

“ It sure is, an’ he’ll be at anchor in less’n half an hour. Sam, you an’ Ernest better get out in the dory for a mess of rock cod, for he’ll be worse’n a ragin’ tiger if your mother don’t have some fried with plenty of pork scraps by the time he gets ashore.”

“ I’m about tired out with catchin’ cod for Cap’in Tobi,” Sam muttered, but at the same time he obeyed his father’s command by setting off toward the shore. “ Seems to me he might do without fish one day, an’ I don’t understand why you an’ mother knuckle down to him whenever he winks his eye.”

“ There’s no need for you to understand it, my son,” Daniel said sharply. “ It’s enough for you to know that Cap’ in Tobi is to have rock cod when he comes where I am, if so be it’s in the power of man to get ’em.”

Then Mr. Downs limped slowly toward the harbor to greet his old friend, and Zenas said fretfully as he went in the direction of the hangar :

I can’t stand it to hear that pirate howlin’ round this island as he’ll be doin’ as soon as he lets go anchor. It’s bad enough to know he’s close at hand without havin’ to listen to him.”

“ You can help out considerably by not saying anything disagreeable to him,” Paul added laughingly. “If you stir him up, though, we can count on all the noise that’s needed.”

“ You won’t hear me say in’ a word. I’m goin’ where I can’t see the old id jut, an’ there I’ll stay.”

Master Cushing disappeared inside the hangar where Mr. Sawtelle was consulting with the machinists regarding the joint of the steering rudder, and Paul and Ned, not having anything better with which to occupy their time, idly watched the in-coming schooner.

There was no question but that Mr. Downs had been in the right when he pronounced her to be Captain Tobi’s craft, for immediately after rounding the point she made for the harbor, and within a few moments the boys could clearly distinguish the very fleshy commander as he stood at the wheel.

He did not wait to drop anchor before beginning to “ bellow,” as Zenas would have said ; and the schooner had no sooner rounded the southerly point of the harbor, when he shouted in his tempest-like note:

‘‘ Ahoy, Daniel Downs ! Don’t skulk ashore there unless you’ve got a mess of prime rock cod ready for the eatin’ ! That’s pretty nigh the only thing that brought me in here, that an’ a hankerin’ to see the new crow-chaser, which I reckon is about finished.”

'' Keep right on acomin’, Cap’in Tobi,” Mr. Downs shouted at the full strength of his lungs, but without being able to equal the volume of sound sent forth by the fat captain. I started the boys off fishin’ the

minute you hove in sight ”

An’ I reckon the little rascals are sogerin’ somewhere ’longshore instead of havin’ their lines out! It beats all how boys love to fish till you’re needin’ the catch, an’ then they’d rather do almost anythin’ than drop a line over. Make ready with that anchor, you lubbers fo’ard! Over with it, unless you count on foulin’ the benzine craft! ”

Captain Tobi continued to issue unnecessary orders in a regular fog-horn of a voice until the little schooner was swinging at her moorings thirty yards from the Neva, and then he commanded that the dory should be brought alongside.

The people at Seaview won’t have much trouble in understanding that he is here, for it surely seems as if they might hear him,” Ned said grimly. I only hope the Downs boys will get the mess of rock cod quickly, so he won’t come this way. Let’s find Zenas, and go over to the other side of the island for a while.”

Before it was possible for the two to carry into i6 effect this proposition the boys had ample proof that Master Cushing had forgotten his good resolutions, for even as Captain Tobi was clambering over the schooner’s rail into the dory could be heard the question, spoken so loudly that all on the island might hear it:

“ Didn’t happen to bring John Ed with you agin, eh, Cap’in Tobi? ”

“ So that monkeyfied talkin’ machine is stickin’ in his oar agin, is he?” the fat sailor cried in a rage, nearly falling overboard as he let go his hold on the rail to shake his fist toward Zenas, who had come out from behind the hangar in full view. ‘‘ Why sensible men will keep sich as him on this island beats me! ”

“ They do it for the same reason that they let you come bellowin’ ’round, nearly chokin’ yourself to death on rock cod,” Master Cushing screamed, and by that time Paul had succeeded in gaining his side as he said angrily, in a low tone :

“ Ain’t you ashamed to start a row, Zenas Cushing? I thought you agreed not to speak to the old fellow.”

How could I help myself?” was the apologetic question. “ When he begins to howl I jest can’t keep my mouth shut.”

** You will this time,” Ned said laughingly as he seized Zenas by the arm and hurried him toward the opposite shore. “ Captain Tobi is likely to be here quite a long while, since he has come to gratify his curiosity, and we don’t propose to have you hair him up.’’

I take notice that you ain’t so careful to make him keep his mouth shut ”

It wouldn’t be possible for any one to do that, and we can have some little control over you, so come along, and don’t look over your shoulder, or you’ll set him to roaring again.”

By dint of coaxing and scolding the boys succeeded in getting Zenas a safe distance away from Captain Tobi, and during two hours the three remained on the shore of Horse-Shoe Cove, returning just in time to hear the summons from the cook of the Neva which announced that dinner was ready.

“ Captain Tobi is most likely eating rock cod and salt pork with Daniel Downs by this time, therefore I reckon it will be safe for us to let you go to the shore of the harbor,” Paul said laughingly as he led the way toward where the Neva's tender was drawn up on the white sand, and Master Cushing replied grimly, but with a certain twinkle of amusement at the corner of his eyes :

I’ve sworn off on hairin’ the old pirate up ; from this time you won’t hear me speak to him; that is, if he gives me a wide berth.”

Ten minutes later the two lads and Zenas had much the same as forgotten that such a man as Captain Tobi existed, for at the dinner table Mr. Sawtelle was mapping out the plans for the morrow, in case the day should be propitious for the proposed trial trip.

We are to head directly for Seaview, and in order i8 that all hands may gain experience in such work, I count on alighting upon the rising ground back of the village, where our aeroplane was disabled,” he said in the tone of one who imparts welcome information. That done successfully, we will come back here and make ready for a longer voyage.”

“ How will you stop without having at hand a large force of men to pull the craft down?” Paul asked.

In the book you loaned us it was set down as absolutely necessary many people should be ready to aid in the descent as well as the ascent.”

Since that was written a Frenchman by the name of Surcouf has invented an anchor which is at the same time a grapple, and two of these solve the problem, as you shall see to-morrow, for we have just put a couple on board the Smuggler. It will be an experiment for us all, for I have not seen the device at work, and if we fail to moor our ship it will not be a serious matter, for we can come back without making any halt.”

“ And how will we arrange matters on the island?” Ned asked. The Downs family, even with the Nera*s cook to help them, won’t be heavy enough to bring the craft down unless you spend considerable of the gas which has cost you so much trouble to make.”

“ That comes in with the experiment, lad,” the owner of the yacht replied cheerily. I have no doubt as to our being able to sail from here to Seaview and back without mishap ; but am not so certain as to our anchoring and getting under way again. Each member of the crew must stand by to obey orders promptly, and be exceedingly cautious in all his movements, for we mustn’t christen the Smuggler with a serious accident.”

This was the first intimation the boys or Zenas had that Mr. Sawtelle entertained any doubts as to the possibility of carrying out his plans successfully, and now that he had introduced to them this possible element of danger it was as if a new zest had been given to the proposed voyage. Not that either Paul or Ned courted danger, for they had been taught to shun it whenever opportunity offered; but the fact that the Smuggler might not be handled as had been proposed rather served to lend an agreeable air of excitement to the undertaking.