David’s face lighted.
“It’s finished, Red, as far as it can be without a working model. You know, I feel as though I had stumbled on something darned good. Gee, I hope it wins that school prize. Ten thousand dollars! Sounds good, doesn’t it?”
“Good enough,” said Red, “but none too good. You know I’ve a sense for engines, and everything that concerns them and I’m telling you, you’ve got a great thing there.”
“I think so, Red. I’m like you; I feel pretty sure of it. I didn’t have that feeling for any of the other things I rigged up. I didn’t seem to have much interest in them, though they worked. You know, they are using a couple of them back at the plant, right now. But this is different. From the minute the principle of the thing flashed into my mind, I liked it. And think what it would mean to dirigible transportation!”
“I’ll say! It ought to increase the average speed of a dirigible fifteen to twenty per cent.”
“If it works,” hedged David cautiously.
“Oh, it’ll work! If we hadn’t come on this trip you could have tried it out before this, couldn’t you?”
“It will keep, and there will be plenty of time. It could be made in twenty-four hours, if necessary,” said David.
“Well, don’t let anything happen to the plans, and keep them under your hat,” advised Red.
“You bet,” said David. “Do you know that we are over Russia now?”