No wonder Andy trembled with excitement as he gazed upon the sea of upturned and expectant faces that centered on the enclosure as the time drew near for the start.
“It’s only wanting ten minutes now, Frank!” he remarked, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Brace up, Andy,” said the other, with a frown. “You mustn’t allow yourself to get in that shape. Remember all you’ve learned and how you managed to keep your head cool yesterday in a trying time. Make up your mind we’re just going to get up on that old mountain before the other fellows have a chance to beat us. There’s Puss, just as excited as you, but he never shows it. Don’t let them see that you are trembling all over. It weakens our chances!”
Somehow it seemed to give Andy’s heart a new impetus to know that he was not the only one who was in a quake.
“All right, Frank, I’ll be in trim once we get a decent start. But I’m in a funk now for fear something will go wrong with the glide-off. If they get a start of us we’re going to be in the soup!” he said, anxiously.
“Oh, rats! Don’t you know they’re just as possible to have trouble in making the start as we are? Just make up your mind both of us are going to get away as neatly as we usually do, and that the race is going to be to the swift.”
“But I’ve heard lots of people sing the praises of that Gnome engine they’ve got in the biplane. It does its work with a rush!” observed Andy.
“All right. We simply believe we’ve got a much better one in the new and light little Kinkaid. And we’re just going to prove it!” continued Frank, positively.
“Well, it hasn’t failed us even once so far, for a fact,” admitted Andy; “and I guess I’m a fool for doubting it now. I’m hoping that later on that same motor will be buzzing away down in a country where there won’t be any crowd to watch how we get along. Five minutes now, Frank!”
“Get in your place then and be ready. Seconds may count with us and we don’t ever want to be caught unprepared!” said the pilot of the monoplane, as he cast a last look over everything that would have to do with the success or failure of the flight.