“That monoplane you mean, don’t you, Hiram?” asked Andy, after all of them had taken a good look to where the other was pointing.
“Yep, she’s the one, and my stabilizer’s aboard,” Hiram went on to tell them, with a pardonable touch of pride in his voice, though he was careful that no one else should hear him speaking.
“Have they tried it out yet, d’ye know?” inquired Tubby.
“I think the pilot’s just starting in now to see what she can do,” he was told.
“Oh! Did you see him tumble then?” ejaculated the fat boy, gripping Hiram’s arm nervously as he spoke.
“That was looping the loop,” explained the inventor; “lots of pilots c’n do that trick nowadays; why, I’ve heard that Beachey even makes two complete turns. That bird-man up there is second only to Beachey, I’m told. Watch some more of his bold stunts; and hold your breath, Tubby, for he’ll give you lots of thrills.”
“But I’ve got to breathe, don’t you see,” complained the fat scout, who was already unduly red in the face from his exertions in this line.
They watched the aviator go through a number of hazardous exploits. It was doubtless generally known among the pilots assembled that he was testing some new idea, for he seemed to be closely observed by everybody within the enclosure.
Hiram could see that some of the bird-men were pleased, for they nodded their heads as they exchanged remarks. Fancy how this fact thrilled the boy, for it was his invention that interested these veterans among air-pilots.
“Now I kind of guess he’s exhausted every trick he knows, and is goin’ to come down,” said Hiram, presently. “We’d better be gettin’ inside, for I want to be as close as I can when he makes his report to the folks.”