Dick wanted to warm-up the machinery first.
"That'll do!" shouted Mr. Vardon, who was watching the gage that
told the number of revolutions per minute. "Throw in your clutch!"
"Now to see if she'll rise or not," murmured Dick. He pulled the
lever that closed the muffler, thus cutting down, in a great
measure, the throb of the motor. Then, with a look at his chums,
he threw in the clutch. The great propellers began to revolve, and
soon were flying around on their axles with the swiftness of light.
Slowly the Abaris moved forward along the ground.
"We're off!" cried Paul, excitedly.
"Not quite yet," answered Dick. "I want more power than we've got
now."
He had it, almost in a moment, for the airship increased her speed
across the slightly downward slope. Faster and faster she rolled
along on the rubber-tired wheels.
"Now!", cried Dick, with his hand on the lever of the elevating
rudder. "Look out for yourselves, fellows!"
He gave a backward pull. A thrill seemed to go through the whole
craft. Her nose rose in the air. The forward wheels left the
ground. Then the back ones tilted up.
Up shot the Abaris at an easy angle. Up and up! Higher and higher!
"We're doing it!" cried Dick, as he looked from the pilot house
window to the earth fast falling below him. "Fellows, she's a
success! We're going up toward the clouds!"
CHAPTER XV
IN DANGER
That Dick was proud and happy, and that Mr. Vardon and the chums of
the young millionaire were pleased with the success of the airship,
scarcely need be said.
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