“Well, they will soon be off, and then you and I will sit and wait for news of their arrival.”
As they drove onto the field they saw cars parked everywhere, and crowds thick about the entrance to the building. They pushed through them, and there in the lighted hangar stood the great bird ready for its flight.
It had been planned to start from the long runway on the adjoining field, and the greater part of their load of fuel had been stored there in readiness. Before the hangar doors were opened, all their kit had been stowed in the plane, even Kiwi finding an opportunity to hide away his little package of lunch in the rear compartment.
At last the hangar doors were opened, and ropes having been stretched to keep the crowd back, the plane was rolled out, its tail lashed to the rear of a truck and, followed by the crowd, it began its mile-and-a-half journey to the other field across the rolling ground. Its mighty wing bobbed and rocked about as if anxious to be off and away.
The moon was partly hidden by a thin layer of clouds so that the night seemed unusually dark. There was practically no wind.
Arriving at the far end of the runway on the other field, the tail of the plane was set on the ground, and flood lights were temporarily placed which threw a ghostly glow over the “Dauntless.”
Cosgrave and Billings started at once to pump in the precious supply of fuel. Jack went back to the hangar to get the last minute weather reports, while the Skipper, easily the coolest person in the crowd, chatted with the backers of his flight.
As the hours passed the crowd grew, but this time they were being held back behind lines by the police.
Old Bill from the restaurant came puffing up with the thermos bottles and sandwiches, and with a sly wink to Kiwi handed him a couple of oranges, saying, “You may need these, Kiwi.”
Kiwi became more and more confused. He began to wonder if it were going to be as easy as he had thought to stow away when the plane left. He had not counted on those blinding lights. But he stuck close to Dad and hoped for the best.