In a great circle Herr Doodlebrod sent his ship around. He turned and twisted this way and that. Then he set off in a straight line, as called for by the government requirements.
But suddenly something happened. There was a sharp sound, like an explosion, up on the airship. The big propellor was seen to fly to pieces and come fluttering down, a mass of twisted wire and cloth.
Then came another ominous sound. It was a louder explosion, and a sheet of fire was seen to envelop the ship.
"His gasolene tank has gone up!" exclaimed Colonel Claflin. "He'll be killed!"
The airship seemed rent apart. The two big, bat-like wings soared off to one side. Rudders, wheels, levers and parts of machinery came raining down. The bat wings settled to the earth more slowly.
"Where is the inventor?" asked Mr. Hamilton. "Has he been blown to pieces?"
"It looks so," replied the colonel. "Poor chap! I'm afraid he didn't know so much about airships as he thought."
There came a cry from the crowd, not a cry of horror, but of wonder. The colonel, Dick and Mr. Hamilton looked toward where they pointed.
There, falling through space from his wrecked airship, was Herr Doodlebrod.