"Do you find anything wrong?" asked Innis of his cousin, as the
latter went carefully over each part of the wrecked airship.
"Well, it's hard to say, on account of there being so many broken
places," was the answer. "The engine is not as badly smashed as I
expected, but it will take some time to examine and test the
gyroscope attachment. I shall remove it and set it up separately."
"Well, it's my opinion that it was monkeyed with, and done on
purpose, too!" declared Jack Butt. "And I could almost name the
fellow who did it. He was--"
"Hush! No names, if you please," interrupted the aviator. "We will
investigate first."
"All right, sir! Just as you say," grudgingly agreed the other.
"But if ever I get my hands on him--!"
Jack Butt looked rather vindictive, and probably with good reason.
For had he not been near to death; and, as he thought, through the
evil work of some enemy.
The wrecked aircraft was hauled to one of the barrack sheds, which
Mr. Vardon announced would be his temporary workshop for possible
repairs.
The rest of that day, and all of the next, was spent by Mr. Vardon
in taking his wrecked machine apart, saving that which could be used
again, and looking particularly for defects in the gyroscope
stabilizer, or equilibrizer. Larry and Jack Butt helped at this
work, and Dick, and the other cadets, spent as much time as they
could from their lessons and drills watching the operations.
For the students were much interested in aviation, and, now that it
was known that the army aviators were to come to Kentfield, and that
Dick Hamilton, one of the best liked of the cadets, was to have a
big airship of his own, many who had said they would never make a
flight, were changing their minds.
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