About four o’clock the tanks were filled. Fifteen spare cans, holding four gallons each, had been stowed in the rear compartment and lashed tight. The barograph was put aboard and sealed by the official from Washington.
Billings, in a fever of excitement, decided they’d better give the engine one more try; so the canvas tarpaulin over the engine and propeller was removed and the engine roared into life. Billings ran it long enough to satisfy himself that it was working perfectly, then turned it off.
The heavy silence that fell was almost oppressive. A meadow lark sprang into the air, with the exultant little song they sing at dawn. Everyone was tense with the thought of the great test that was soon to come.
Jack came back from the hangar with the report that conditions were as favorable as they had been at any time.
They waited for the daylight.
There was the sound of a motor overhead, and a plane with a news photographer aboard swept over them.
Still the darkness lingered.
The sun by now should have been lighting up the eastern horizon. Instead, came a patter of raindrops, and Billings rushed to cover up his precious engine and propeller to protect them from the dampness.
It rained harder. Many of the crowd, seeing the engine covered up, decided that the flight was off for that day.
A little group stood under the protecting wing of the plane and waited to see how bad the storm would be.