"
"I'll see what we can do, at any rate," decided Dick. "We will
probably never get a better chance than this. Come on, boys! We'll
see how our hydroplanes act!" he called.
The only thing that was necessary to do was to start the motor that
operated the propellers. The aircraft was at this time resting
easily on the surface of Lake Michigan.
She would be driven forward by the propellers beating on the air,
exactly as a sailboat it aided by the wind. Only, in her case, the
Abaris would furnish her own motive power.
In anticipation of some time having to navigate on the water, a
small auxiliary rudder had been attached to Dick's craft. This
rudder went down into the water, and would be used in steering in
conjunction with those used when she was in the air.
This wooden rudder was now dropped into the water, tested, and found
to answer properly to the lever which, in the pilot-house,
controlled it by means of wire ropes.
"Well, let her go!" cried Dick, "and we'll see what sort of luck
we'll have."
"Which way?" asked Mr. Vardon, who was at the wheel.
"Why not head for Chicago?" suggested Lieutenant McBride. "We can't
be a great way from there, according to the map, and that would be
a good place to make the new start from."
"I think it would be," agreed Dick, "if that would be covering the
conditions of the contest."
"Well, you can easily travel back enough to make up any shortage in
miles," the army man went on.
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