  Rapidly Bob considered the situation. The speed craft he and Lang occupied had much the best of it on a straight flight, but, against that, he had to set his inexpert handling. The smaller craft could out-climb, out-maneuver the cabin ship but he had no experience in stunting, especially dangerous at night. Therefore Lang’s decision was the safest one. To try to make a landing, Lang evidently concluded, was not wise. He felt that he could take over the controls before that need arose, Bob guessed. A new complication came, however. If the cabin ship had the disadvantage of being slower, she had gained an offsetting advantage before they saw her. She was much higher in the air than their craft; she could dive, if her pilot chose, and thus close the distance between them—maybe come down “on their tail,” or ride them to earth, if her pilot proved to be determined to force them to land. Accordingly Bob opened the throttle wider, and slightly elevated the nose to climb. Lang, peering upward and to the rear, made a violent, vigorous gesture. Bob, reading it, understood. He did not question. Lang called for a sideslip! Instantly Bob manipulated ailerons and rudder correctly and felt the wind on the cheek toward the lower side of their bank, telling him they were slipping. Then, applying rudder and other controls to check the slip, dropping the nose again to pick up flying speed quickly, he saw why the maneuver had been executed. The cabin airplane had begun to dive down from above them. Lang, having seen it, anticipated. He had not wanted to wrest away control—too dangerous. He had risked the signal, and Bob had executed his order accurately. He was glad, all the same, when Lang shook the stick, tapped on his own helmet to sign that he wanted the controls. Bob relinquished them thankfully enough. At night, in strange surroundings, in an airplane he had only handled a little, he was not foolish enough to wish to risk neck and limb—far less Lang’s than his own!—by trying to outfly a pilot who evidently meant to be vicious, to resort to war tactics if they did not obey his signals. Lang, somewhat recovered, took over and Bob, delighted, watched his expert manipulation of the splendid little ship. She answered his every command. He barrel-rolled out of the way of any immediate danger, thus leaving the cabin craft well to one side. He started up a loop after a swift dive, but at its top he executed half of a barrel-roll, and since the top of the loop had the nose in the direction opposite their course, the half-roll put the craft on its level, upright course, but going directly away from the former one. The cabin ship could not be stunted that way, or else its pilot against his will was compelled to recognize superior tactics. At any rate, as Lang swung around in a wide circle, slowly climbing at the same time, the other craft seemed to be heading uncertainly back. It came around, however, as soon as Langley straightened out on the former course along the airway; but they rapidly outflew it and when they landed at an airport in the distant city suburbs, the cabin ship was nowhere in sight. It was nearly eleven o’clock at night when Bob and Langley were ushered up the hotel elevator and along a corridor and into Mr. Wright’s rooms. The detective, who had been apprised, long distance, by his wife, that his nephew was flying to keep the appointment, was waiting. Hardly had his surprise at Bob’s presence been expressed and a late supper for the air-hungered pair been ordered than another visitor was announced. “So this is where you were bound for!” To Bob’s amazement, Barney spoke. “Why didn’t you leave word that you were coming here?” he said, rather sharply. “We could all have come together.” “We didn’t know you were on your way here,” said Langley. “We thought you were chasing us,” Bob added. “So I was. The watchman said you hopped but he didn’t say where to. I was coming over to confer with Mr. Wright, but I thought Lang and you, Bob, were joy-riding. So I signaled you to land and when you didn’t I decided to scare you into setting down—but it failed.” He chuckled. “I ought to know better than to think I could outfly Lang,” he said. “Well—if you’ve come with information, it’s all right. We can have a conference, all together.” They did so, over the dinner. Lang listened to Bob’s recital of the latest developments about Griff, with growing anger, until he saw Barney’s face. “Good boy, Bob,” commented Barney. “I’ve sort of had a notion in my head for some time about——” “Griff?” “Yes. I’ve thought he was the one who’s crossed the wires on us and short-circuited the whole plant. So he divided with somebody, did he? Well—he must have gotten it from somebody higher. Have you thought about?——” “His father?” broke in Bob. “Yes—we have!” |
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