“Good-night all,” said the captain, making a move to go, after signal to Josh.
“But you’re going to stay here to-night,” urged Henri.
“No, thank you, my boy, Freeman and I have the ‘plane’ to look after, and we’re not used to gilded beds, anyhow.”
The truth of the matter was the captain and Josh had each a blackened briar pipe in his pocket that would have spoiled before morning.
Gilbert was among the crowd that had assembled at the river front the next morning to see the big airship make its getaway.
He was made an honored guest aboard the craft and was greatly impressed with the tremendous power stored in the sea-plane.
“It is a big advance over anything I have ever seen in this construction, and, think of it, a ship within a ship.”
The great airman had parting words with Henri and Billy:
“If you ever have the notion to fly for France, the wireless will be all too slow to bring me the word.”
Ten minutes later the sea-plane was in full flight.