"More money! This airship business
will ruin me. Ten dollars!"
"Not a cent less!" declared Hank.
"Won't you call it eight?" asked the crabbed old miser.
"Ten dollars if you want to take away your machine, and then you
can consider yourselves lucky that I don't sue you for trespass.
Hand over ten dollars!"
"Never!" declared Ezra Larabee.
"I really think you had better," advised the aviator, and then with
a wry face, and much reluctance, Dick's uncle passed over the money.
"Now, you kin go!" cried Hank, "but if I ketch you on my property
ag'in you won't git off so easy. You can go back, boys; I won't
need you this time," he added grimly.
The hired men departed, and Mr. Crittenden, pocketing the money,
watched the lieutenant and Uncle Ezra wheel the biplane out to an
open place where a start could be made.
The machine was somewhat damaged, but it could still be operated.
The motor, however, was obstinate, and would not start. Hank added
insult to injury, at least in the opinion of Uncle Ezra, by laughing
at the efforts of the lieutenant. And finally when the motor did
consent to "mote," it went so slowly that not enough momentum could
be obtained to make the airship rise. It simply rolled slowly over
the ground.
"Ha! Ha! That's a fine flyin' machine you've got there!" cried
Hank, laughing heartily. "You'd better walk if you're goin' t' git
any gov'ment prize!"
"Oh, dry up!" spluttered Uncle Ezra, who was now "real mad" as he
admitted later.
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