[CHAPTER XVIII]
ON THE TRAIL
“How in the world does it happen that you have an airship, just when one is most needed?” asked Jerry, as he and his chums seated themselves near Mr. Montrose.
“I admit it does sound like a fairy story,” said that gentleman with a smile, “but I assure you it is all plain facts. I am not an aviator, nor am I a dealer in airships. I’m a banker here in Denver. The quiet life for mine. I’d no more think of going up in an airship than I would of putting on a diver’s outfit, and going to the bottom of the sea. And yet I own what I am told is one of the best biplanes made. You see, it was this way:
“When we had this meet, for aeroplanes and balloons out in Buffalo Park, there were a number of cranks, as there always are at an affair of that kind.
“Some of them came to me, with plans for airships that I could easily see would never fly. Others seemed to have good ideas. They all wanted money to build their craft.
“There was one young fellow who seemed to have a plan for a good sort of airship, and I took quite a notion to him. I got an engineer to look over the drawings, and, on his report, I advanced the money for the young man to build his biplane. It was a success from the start, and he made several preliminary flights, and won some prizes in the meet.
“Then he met with an accident, and not, as you might suppose, while up in the air. He was coming to the park one day to give an exhibition flight, when he was struck by a trolley car, and so badly injured that he died in a few days. That left me with a first-class airship on my hands, for I took it away from the grounds, and had it stored in my barn.
“That’s how it happens that I have a biplane in good working order, and if it is of any service to you boys, you are welcome to her. I’d do anything for you, after what you did for me and I hope that you can make use of this craft.”
“It is very kind of you to offer it to us,” spoke Jerry, “and I think it will be just the thing we need. Of course we don’t know anything about the engine, or how the biplane will sail, nor how fast. But I’m sure it will help us in our hunt for Noddy Nixon.”