Boy Aviators' Treasure Quest

Henry Goldfrap John

Description

They may be young, but the heroes of John Henry Goldfrap's popular Boy Aviators series for younger readers make up for what they lack in experience with plenty of grit, gusto and gumption. In this, the fourth installment of the series, the boys find themselves on quest to find a massive store of treasure in the Sargasso Sea.

Sujets

• Adventure (Guyana)
• Adventure

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776599219
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE BOY AVIATORS' TREASURE QUEST
OR, THE GOLDEN GALLEON
* * *
JOHN HENRY GOLDFRAP
 
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The Boy Aviators' Treasure Quest Or, The Golden Galleon First published in 1915 Epub ISBN 978-1-77659-921-9 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77659-922-6 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Chapter I - The Eagle and the Buzzard Chapter II - Billy's Strange Tale Chapter III - A Trial Flight Chapter IV - Eben Joyce Appears Chapter V - A Strange Story Chapter VI - The Golden Galleon Chapter VII - A Fire Alarm by Aeroplane Chapter VIII - Nearly Out of the Race Chapter IX - The Grasshopper's Mishap Chapter X - The Aero Race Chapter XI - Lost in the Fog Chapter XII - Billy Hears an Interesting Conversation Chapter XIII - Luther Barr's Trap Chapter XIV - Mr. "L. B.'S" Dirigible Chapter XV - Off for the Sargasso Chapter XVI - In Dire Peril Chapter XVII - Billy's Narrow Escape Chapter XVIII - Into the Sargasso Chapter XIX - The Rat Ship Chapter XX - The Golden Galleon Chapter XXI - Dirigible vs. Aeroplane Chapter XXII - On Board Barr's Ship Chapter XXIII - Prisoners in Dire Peril Chapter XXIV - The Inventor's Treachery Chapter XXV - The Fight on the Island Chapter XXVI - The Boys Win Out
Chapter I - The Eagle and the Buzzard
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"Hurrah!"
The shout went upward in a swelling volume of sound as a thousandvoices took up the cry.
"Say, those boys can fly!"
"I should say so."
"Did you see that swoop!"
"Did I? I thought they were goners sure."
"They handle that sky-clipper like a bicycle."
These admiring exclamations came in a perfect hailstorm as the bigbiplane air-craft, which had called them forth, swept earthward,bearing her two young occupants downward in a long graceful glide, andlanding them at the door of their red aerodrome with the precision ofan automobile being driven up to its owner's front steps.
The drone of the engine ceased and little spurts of dust shot up fromthe landing wheels as the young aviator at the helm of the beautifulcraft applied his brakes, threw out the spark and cut off the engine.The plane ran about one hundred feet on its wheels and then came to astandstill.
"Hurrah for the Golden Eagle!" shouted a voice. The enthusiasm wasechoed all over the crowded field. From the long rows of autos, parkedat the edge of the field and crowded with applauding men and women,came the "honk! honk!" of horns in a deafening clamor.
Smilingly making their way through the enthusiasts who swept down onthem, Frank and Harry Chester, the Boy Aviators, who had justconcluded a tuning up flight for the Hempstead Plains Cup—the contestfor which was to take place in a week's time—entered the shed and,making their way to a screened-off room in the corner, shed theirleather coats and woolen caps and removed the grime from their handsand faces. Their mechanics, in the meantime, had shoved the Eagle intothe shed and closed the doors on the horde of the inquisitive.
The boys' flight had taken place above the aviation grounds of theAeronautic Society, situated at Mineola, on Long Island, a few milesoutside New York city. For several days they, and several others whohad announced their intention of competing for the coveted HempsteadPlains Cup, had been making flights that had attracted vast crowdsfrom the metropolis and filled the papers with air-ship news. The citywas aviation mad.
The wide sweep of green flats was dotted at the end where the townencroached upon it with the sheds in which were housed the differentaerial craft that were to take part in the great contest. Some of themhad tents snuggled closely up to them in which the machinists, andothers employed on them, made their temporary homes. Some wereelaborate structures of galvanized iron, carefully fireproofed andcovered with notices warning against smoking; others, again, wereplain, hastily erected wooden structures. The Boy Aviators' shed wasone of the latter, for they had returned from their adventures inAfrica only a short time before this story opens.
In that far-off country, as told in "The Boy Aviators in Africa; or,an Aerial Ivory Trail," they had outwitted a wicked old man namedLuther Barr, who tried to steal from them the ivory that they hadrecovered from the grip of an Arab slave-dealer. In Luther Barr'syacht, which they had acquired in a surprising manner, they hadbrought the ivory back to America and saved Mr. Beasley, the father oftheir chum, Lathrop Beasley, from financial ruin. After a short rest,they had announced that they would contest for the Hempstead PlainsCup. There was an interval of impatient waiting and then the freightsteamer, which carried the Golden Eagle II from Africa, arrived safelyand the work of setting the biplane up for the great contest had beenat once begun.
The boys' first craft, The Golden Eagle, had been destroyed in atropical storm in which they were blown to sea, as described in VolumeOne of this series: "The Boy Aviators in Nicaragua; or, Leagued WithThe Insurgents." The Golden Eagle II was the same craft in which,besides their African adventures, they had accomplished the dangerousmission for the Government, with the details of which our readersbecame conversant in "The Boy Aviators on Secret Service; or, Workingwith Wireless."
Their hasty toilet completed, the boys donned street clothes of neatfit and pattern and hastened to an automobile, halted at the roadside,in which their father and mother were seated. The two lads, as theyleaned against the side of the car and chatted, made a pleasantpicture of vigorous, adventurous youth. The eldest, Frank, was alittle over sixteen, Harry, the younger boy, was about two years hisjunior. Both lads had crisp, curly hair and frank, blue eyes. Theirfaces were tanned to a dark tinge by their African trip.
Mrs. Chester looked eagerly about her at the shifting, colorful scene.There was certainly plenty to be seen and every minute held its ownbit of interest. As they watched, another 'plane soared into view,black as a crow against the evening sky; it showed first as a merespeck, rapidly grew larger, and dropped to earth like a tired bird,while the crowd applauded once more.
"Whose 'plane is that?" asked Mr. Chester, as the machine was trundledinto its shed—a pretentious affair built of corrugated iron andpainted dark blue.
"Why, that's a mystery," laughed Frank, "but it's a dandy flyer. Infact it's about the only rival we really fear."
"What do you mean by 'a mystery,' Frank?" asked his mother.
"Well, mother, nobody knows who owns it. Its black-covered planes haveearned it the name of The Buzzard and it can glide like one too, butas to its owner we are all in ignorance, though we should like toknow."
"Whoever he may be he has made a lot of money," chimed in Harry."Several enthusiasts who have watched the Buzzard fly have placedorders for similar machines."
"How much does such a craft cost?" asked his father.
"Oh, ones patterned after the Buzzard sell for $25,000," was thereply; "and if that machine wins this race, of course, it will givethe mysterious manufacturer a tremendous prestige. But I think atthat," he broke off with a merry smile, "that the Golden Eagle II isgoing to prove more than the Buzzard's match."
"Did you go over the whole course this afternoon?" asked his father.
"Yes, and the Eagle handled like a race-horse," replied Frank; "if shemakes a like performance on the day of the race I think we have thecup as good as won."
"Don't be too sure, my boy," warned his father. "There's many a slip'twixt the cup and the lip—or rather the aeroplane, you know."
"That's so, father," replied the lad, somewhat abashed, "it doesn't doto be overconfident. There's only one thing I don't like about thecourse."
"What is that?"
"Why, the 'take off' at the Harrowbrook Club links."
"What do you mean by 'take off'?" inquired his mother.
"I mean the space in which an aeroplane makes its preliminary run, asyou might call it, before it takes the air," rejoined the boy. "Yousee the rules of the race are that we fly from here to the HarrowbrookClub—a distance of twenty miles, alight there and refill our gasolenetanks, drink a cup of coffee in the club-house and then rise up oncemore and fly back."
"You mean that you are afraid that there will be difficulty instarting back from the Club grounds?" asked his father.
"Yes, father. You see, while we did it all right this afternoon, onthe day of the race there will be a lot of 'planes all on the groundat the same time, and it's going to make it more difficult. However, Idaresay we shall be able to manage it all right."
"Oh, Frank, do be careful," cautioned his mother.
"Of course I will, mother," the lad reassured her. "If I thought therewas any serious risk I would not cause you anxiety by competing."
After a little more talk the elder Chesters drove off, as the boys haddecided to sleep in their aerodrome that night, on the two camp cotsthey had provided for such emergencies. They intended to get an earlystart in the morning, on another practice sail, as at that hour therewas usually little wind.
As they strolled across the grounds which were now rapidly beingdeserted, as all the aeroplanes were housed for the night, theyencountered Armand Malvoise, the French driver of the mysteriousBuzzard. He was a heavy-set, blue-chinned man with eyebrows that metin a black band, lending his face a perpetual scowl.
"You made a fine flight this evening," cried Harry cheerfully.
"You