“Mr. Atkinson thought it wouldn’t take long. I didn’t just understand. How did you ever happen to get an aeroplane down here?”
As the party started up the pier, Andy began his explanation. Without going to the house, the group went at once to the boat shed. Within five minutes, Roy Osborne, his coat off and his sleeves rolled up, was again the expert aviator. Swiftly he went over the newly wrought car, examined every detail of the bird-tail rudder and then asked Andy to operate it. Then he did the same thing himself.
“What do you think of it?” asked Andy with barely concealed anxiety.
“An adaptation of Renaud’s idea,” answered the young professional.
“Renaud?” repeated Andy. “I don’t believe my uncle ever heard of him or his idea.”
“Quite likely,” answered Osborne, “but it is a most ingenious application of the Frenchman’s theory. It has never before been applied,” he went on.
“Will it work?” exclaimed Andy.
“Mechanically, it looks good to me. But there is only one way to find whether it is a practical improvement—try it!”
“Will you?” urged Andy.