And she went “pretty slick,” too. When both propellers had been wound tight, the beautiful little model was started on its aerial excursion. For fully one hundred and fifty feet it cut its way upward and onward, amid loud cheering. Harry watched it critically. Its long strands of elastic band, fully two feet in length, extended its power over a longer interval of time than that of any craft thus far. And its rigidity and proportions gave it wonderful buoyancy. It had passed the alighting place of every previous flier when, glittering in the sunlight, its propellers slowing down and its elastics hanging slack, it coasted downward at a long angle. Its course had been straight as an arrow, and it had covered four hundred and one feet.
Following came several crank devices, none of which made much of a showing. Then Announcer Billy seemed to be puzzling over his schedule.
“What’s the matter, Billy?” the boys called.
“Struck a snag, Billy?”
“Try hard, Billy—there you go!”
“Master Penfield Danforth, of the 1st Oakwood Troop, Boy Scouts, flying the—a—model of his own design—propelled by the Cham—the Cham—”
“Once more, Billy—three strikes out!”
“—the Champastic—Torsubber—Pen—Pen—”
“Penwiper,” some one suggested.
“—the Pen—alarm—motive system,” Billy concluded triumphantly, amid much cheering and laughter.