Suddenly Hike shot her up again, shut off the motor, and took his hands off the levers. The tetrahedral began falling, slowly, easily.
Never in his life had Hike wanted to do anything so much as to seize those levers, and guide her safely down, but he made himself keep his hands off, though Poodle was shrieking, “What’s matter?” This was the last great test. The tetrahedral was the only model that could safely flutter down by herself—like a great box-kite.
He touched the levers only once, to guide the aeroplane into an open spot in the White House grounds. It was the Hustle herself that finally settled down, with a jar which shook up the young aviators, but did no harm. As they crawled out, General Thorne was already rushing up, in a government automobile, and fairly spluttering his admiration as he grabbed for Hike’s hand.
“My boy, my boy! Well, well, WELL, WELL! Greatest flight in the world. The Army’s got to have your tetrahedral! Want you to come right up to the Board room. Just a minute and soldiers will be here to guard your machine. Let me look her over, meanwhile. And this is—? Mr. Torrington Darby? Glad to meet— Oh, better known as Poodle, eh! Well, God bless you, my boy, whatever your name is. You two boys will go down in history.”
“Gee, I hope not,” breathed Poodle. “It’s bad enough to have to study history now, without having to study about us. Gee—think of the history master saying to me, ‘Darby, recite on how the great Darby first got famous.’ Be awful, General—don’t you see, I’d have to say, ‘By hanging onto Geerawld Griffin’s coat tails.’ Ouch!”
As they talked, a file of soldiers bored through the newly gathered crowd and formed about the Hustle. Returning the corporal’s salute, General Thorne led the boys to the automobile, and they were whirled off to the State, War, and Navy Building.
The whole Board wanted to hear a full report on the tetrahedral, and they wanted to hear it immediately. But who was to make it? Even the captured General Thorne admitted that Hike seemed too young a person for that.
“Lieutenant Adeler, stationed at Monterey, knows all about the tetrahedral,” suggested Poodle modestly, while Hike echoed, “Yes—he’s just the person.”
“Very well—but this Board can’t very well wait a week or ten days for him to get here,” said General Thorne.
“I’ll bring him here in thirty to forty hours from now, if you’ll telegraph him his orders to report here, and be waiting for me at Benicia Arsenal (he’s there, just now) when I get there, so I won’t miss him,” shouted Hike, excitedly, seeing success for the Hustle and Martin Priest.