The Boy Aviators in Record Flight; Or, The Rival Aeroplane Read online

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  Several early airplanes in flight. Courtesy of ScientificAmerican]

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  THE BOY AVIATORS IN RECORD FLIGHT

  OR

  THE RIVAL AEROPLANE

  BY CAPTAIN WILBUR LAWTON

  AUTHOR OF "THE BOY AVIATORS IN NICARAGUA," "THE BOY AVIATORS ON SECRET SERVICE," "THE BOY AVIATORS IN AFRICA," "THE BOY AVIATORS' TREASURE QUEST," ETC.

  NEW YORK HURST AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS

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  BOY AVIATORS' SERIES BY CAPTAIN WILBUR LAWTON

  Six Titles. Cloth Bound. Price 50c

  UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME

  1 THE BOY AVIATORS IN NICARAGUA; or, In League with the Insurgents.

  2 THE BOY AVIATORS ON SECRET SERVICE; or, Working with Wireless.

  3 THE BOY AVIATORS IN AFRICA; or, An Aerial Ivory Trail

  4 THE BOY AVIATORS' TREASURE QUEST; or, the Golden Galleon.

  5 THE BOY AVIATORS IN RECORD FLIGHT; or, The Rival Aeroplane.

  6 THE BOY AVIATORS' POLAR DASH; or, Facing Death in the Antarctic.

  _Your orders solicited._

  HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS--NEW YORK

  Copyright, 1910, by HURST & CO.

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  CONTENTS

  I The Big Prize II Billy as a Diplomat III Under a Cloud IV Thieves in the Night V The Boys Decide VI Off for San Francisco VII Above the Earth VIII Boy Aviators to the Rescue IX Luther Barr Forms an Alliance X A Night Voyage XI The First Leg XII Attacked by Cowboys XIII Indians XIV The Auto in Difficulties XV Thirst--and a Plot XVI The Auto Gone XVII The Wrong Man XVIII Wireless XIX Arrested by Aeroplane XX Caught in a Stampede XXI Bart and the B'ar XXII An Auto Leap for Life XXIII A Mystery XXIV The Golden Hermit XXV A Fight for Fortune XXVI The Sand Storm XXVII Winning the Prize--Conclusion

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  THE BOY AVIATORS IN RECORD FLIGHT

  Or,

  THE RIVAL AEROPLANE.

  CHAPTER I.

  THE BIG PRIZE.

  "Phew!" exclaimed Billy Barnes as he reported for work on the New York_Planet_ one broiling afternoon in late August, "this is a scorcher andno mistake."

  "I should think after all your marvelous adventures with the BoyAviators that you would be so used to heat and cold and hardship thatyou wouldn't kick at a little thing like a warm day."

  The remark came from a young fellow about twenty-one years old whooccupied a desk beside that of the stout spectacled youth of eighteenwhom our readers have already met as Billy Barnes.

  "Why, hullo, Fred Reade!" said Billy, looking up with a good-naturedgrin from the operation of opening his typewriter desk, "I thought youwere off covering aviation."

  "I was," rejoined the other, with a near approach to a sneer, "but sincewe printed your story about the recovery of the treasure on the Spanishgalleon I guess they think I'm not good enough to cover the subject."

  If the good-natured Billy Barnes noticed the close approach to outspokenenmity with which these words were spoken he gave no sign of it. Anyreply he might have made was in fact cut short at that minute by anoffice boy who approached him.

  "Mr. Stowe wants to see you, Mr. Barnes, at once, please," said the lad.

  "There you go, the managing editor sending for you as soon as you getback. I wish I was a pet," sneered Reade as Billy hastened after the boyand the next minute entered a room screened off from the editorialdepartment by a glass door bearing the words "Managing Editor."

  At a desk above which hung "This is my busy day," and other signs notcalculated to urge visitors to become conversational, sat a heavy-set,clean-shaven man with a big pair of spectacles astride his nose. He hada fat cigar in his mouth which he regarded as he spoke with far moreintensity than he did Billy.

  "Afternoon, Barnes," was his greeting.

  "Good afternoon, Mr. Stowe," returned the young reporter, "you sent forme----"

  "Sit down," said the other brusquely, indicating a chair.

  Billy sat down and waited for the next words of his managing editor.

  "The _Planet_, as you know, has made a specialty of featuring aviation,"continued Mr. Stowe, gazing fixedly at his cigar.

  Billy nodded, the remark did not seem to call for a more definite reply.

  "We have offered prizes for flights from time to time, and in this wayhave obtained a reputation as an authority on aviation and a patron ofwhat is bound to be the vehicle of the coming ages."

  Again Billy nodded at the managing editor's rather florid way of puttingit.

  "For instance, the $10,000 Albany-New York flight and the $30,000 NewYork-St. Louis flight. The $100,000 offer for a transatlantic flight asyet remains unchallenged for, but I have no doubt that in time somedaring aviator will make the attempt."

  "It should be possible," once more agreed Billy, wondering what wascoming next.

  "In the meantime," Mr. Stowe continued, "the _Despatch_ has declareditself our rival in this field by also devoting great attention to thesubject, and offering prizes for flights in opposition to our originalidea. The owner of the _Planet_ has therefore decided to eclipse allprevious offers and be the first in the field with a prize of $50,000for a flight from New York to San Francisco, or as far in that directionas possible. The air craft that travels furthest will get the prize."

  "Across the continent?" gasped Billy.

  "Exactly. We are going to publish the conditions and date of starting inour to-morrow morning's issue. And the offer incidentally means a greatchance for you."

  Billy gave a questioning glance.

  "I intend to have you follow the racers in an automobile and senddispatches from the various points along the route concerning theprogress of the cross-country aerial racers."

  The young reporter's face beamed.

  "That's mighty good of you, sir," he said earnestly.

  "Not at all. It's simply the selection of the best man for the job;that's all. You have far more knowledge of aviation than Re
ade--or atleast you ought to have after your long association with the BoyAviators--and therefore we have selected you."

  "As to the conditions of the race, Mr. Stowe--how about stops, gasoleneand water stations, and so on?"

  "Each contestant will be expected to arrange those details for himself,"was the answer. "This newspaper simply offers the prize to the firstaeroplane to arrive in San Francisco, or go furthest in that direction.Also, of course, we claim the privilege of getting exclusive accounts ofthe doings of the _Planet_ aeroplanes. That's all. Simple, isn't it?"

  "Very," agreed Billy as he took his leave. "By the way, sir, does anyone else know of your offer?"

  "Nobody; not even Reade. I guess he's pretty sore that we took him offaviation on the eve of making the prize offer, but it can't be helped."

  "Why, I--you see, sir, I'd rather not take it, if it is blocking Readein any way. I don't want to take the assignment at all if it's going tohurt Reade with the paper."

  The managing editor gave an impatient wave of his hand.

  "Let me attend to Reade," he remarked impatiently, "you go and get out astory for to-morrow about possible contestants. Of course your friends,the Chester boys, will enter?"

  Billy looked dubious.

  "I don't know," he replied. "I rather think they were planning for arest and to continue their studies, and this cross-country flight won'tbe any picnic. However, I hope they do enter," replied Billy.

  "I had no idea that there would be any doubt about it," said Mr. Stoweimpatiently, "well, do the best you can. Anyhow, get interviews withBlewitt, Sharkness and Auldwin. They will be sure to enter theirmachines, and let's have a good, live story for to-morrow. By the way,not a word of this to anybody but the aviators you may see till wepublish the offer. The _Despatch_ would be quite capable of offering asimilar prize to-morrow morning if they learned what was in the wind."

  Billy nodded as Mr. Stowe once more gave a sign of dismissal, andhastened from the room. So hurried was his exit, in fact, that he almostbumped into Reade as he made his way out. The editorial room wasdeserted, except for the dark-haired, slender young fellow with whomBilly had almost collided. The other reporters were all out on theirassignments.

  "Well?" were Fred Reade's first words.

  "Well," rejoined Billy, adjusting his spectacles, which had narrowlyescaped being jarred off his nose in the bump, "isn't there room enoughin the place without your getting so near that door that you almostupset my slender form?"

  "Never mind that," replied Frank Reade; "what I want to know is, how doI stand in there?"

  He motioned with his head toward the managing editor's room from whichthe boys were by this time several paces removed.

  "I don't understand you exactly," was Billy's reply. He noticed thatReade's face bore an angry flush and he seemed excited.

  "What I mean is this: Am I going to continue to do aviation for the_Planet_?"

  "Say, Fred, old man, I'm awfully sorry----"

  "Oh, cut that out. You don't mean it, and you know you don't. You wantedto grab off the job for yourself, and I can see by your face that youhave."

  "If you mean that I am to do aviation for the _Planet_ in future, youare right," replied Billy. "I am; but it was only on Mr. Stowe's orders.You're wrong, Fred, and you know you are, when you accuse me of tryingto take your job away from you."

  "Oh, rot," exclaimed the other angrily. "If that had been the case you'dhave kept away. You don't have to work. You made plenty of money out ofyour share of the Golden Galleon treasure. You have just deliberatelytried to oust me from my job."

  "You talk as if you'd been fired," said Billy. "You know that you areone of the most valued reporters on the _Planet_."

  "Don't try to jolly me," rejoined the other angrily. "And as for beingfired, I don't have to be, for I've got my resignation ready writtenout. Here copy boy!" he cried, "take this note in to Mr. Stowe."

  As the boy hurried up Reade drew from his pocket an envelope and handedit to the lad.

  "Hold on there!" cried Billy, genuinely moved at Reade's evidentchagrin, "have you gone crazy, Fred? What's the matter?"

  "Take that note in," thundered Reade to the hesitating boy, whothereupon hurried off, "it's your fault I've had to quit, Billy Barnes,and I'll not forget it, I can promise you. I'll get even with you forthis in a way you don't suspect. No; I won't shake hands with you. Idon't want to speak to you."

  Reade flung angrily off and put on his coat and hat. Without taking anymore notice of Billy he strode out of the _Planet_ offices and into thestreet.

  On the sidewalk he paused for a minute. His hat shoved back off his browand his forehead puckered in perplexity.

  "I'll do it," he exclaimed suddenly under his breath as if he had madeup his mind to something. "I'll do it. The _Despatch_ will jump at it,and I'll get even on Billy Barnes and the _Planet_ at the same time."