Air Wonder Stories, August 1929 — page 58: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

152 of general permit to scout about in the Merlin—armed to take action if I-meet the raiders—that’s what I'm after. Can you fix it for me?” “Tl try.. The authorities are. not likely to favor any privateering, but—you’re going-to dispose of the Mer- lin.design to the government?” “Yes,” I returned, “And that’s another thing I want youto help mein. The Air Board knows me well enough—but I want speed. I don’t want to be hung up in Washington for weeks, until the Merlim is tested.” “The Merlin should do. the trick herselfi—but you'd better get straight to the President,” said my father. “T can fix it for you to see him, Your reputation will stand you in good stead there, since you're not likely to be putting up any fool ideas. When can you be in Washington?” “Tuesday morning. I'll fix up the armament be- longing to the old Merlin on one of the new machines, and be fully prepared to show her on Tuesday. Mil- liken-can fly the old Merlin at the same time, and take a mechanic or two with him. I don’t want to part with the only armament I have. I might have to. wait weeks for another equipment. So when the tests are Ore T'll remount the guns on the old-Merlin down there.” “I see. Then I'll write a letter personally. to the President right away so that he’ll have it by first mail to-morrow.” He went off to carry out this idea, while I made for the bathroom and a change of clothing. “T have mailed the Jetter,” said my father, when we sat down to dinner. “And if Ben Whitcomb. won't do me the favor I ask ‘him, I'll be a mightily surprised man.” “You know tne President very well, then, dad?” “We were together as struggling young men.at one time, Jimmy,” he- replied—then with a reminiscent smile: “Golly! What a lot of fun we got out of that mighty thin time!” I got to bed early and slept until five o'clock, when I went down to the workshops to-get a start made with mounting the artnamernt on the new Merlin. Milliken was on the spot when I arrived,.and under his direction, the first-shift-was: getting the guns out. Dan Lamon? turned up in the middle of the day, and as the work was well ahead I had time to give him all the news from the-other side of the Atlantic, and to tell him what my-plans were, “Tf you get these letters-of-marque, Jimmy,” he said, “you'll have to sign me on as one of the crew——” “But what about your. laboratory work, Dan?” I'll be away from New York for days on end maybe months.” “T have to admit that this job-has me beaten, Jimmy,” said he. “And I don’t like it. I can’t get at the tarnish- ing of the gold, and I can’t discover a gas that will do all the supposed gas of the raiders can. It seems to me that they have discovered processes miles ahead of present-day ideas, and I want to know why and how. I want to be on the spot next time anything happens, and since you're going to look for trouble, it seems to me my likeliest chance is with you. My laboratory work can wait, This thing has got me going, I particularly want to know where, in the world, there’s enough-ore to produce all that radium. You'll let me in on this, Jimmy? If I don’t know anything about flying, I can easily learn to use a gun, at least—and— and—I'm pretty handy with a skillet.” “All right, Dan: It’s a bet. Consider yourself en- AIR WONDER STORIES tered on the ship’s. books.” He took hold of my hand and wrung it-as if I had presented him with a medal, “You're a regular good fellow, Jimmy,” he said. “And, say, Jimmy—if there’s any shortage in the—in the ad chests—don’t forget I’ve got sacks, will you a> “T won't forget, Dan.” mil Nothing would content him»then but that I should write-him outa list of the things he would need in his kit, and when that was done he made for New York as quickly as. he could to buy the stuff. The new Merlin was all ready late in the afternoon, and Milliken and_I went up in her to try her for speed and for the synchronizing of the forward gun, which was an arrangement of our own. She answered per- fectly. We had a new speedometer fixed which was numbered up to six hundred kilometres, and in one short burst the hand touched five-thirty. In that fact alone there. was enough to make the government ex- perts go. crazy over her. Compared withthe fastest known machine, she was a streak of lightning. I will own that when I stepped ashore after the tests, T was almost drunk with excitement, and Milliken was little better. I was all impatience to hear the result of my- father’s letter to the President, and I got through to os old man on the phone. _ "he said, “I was on the point of ringing you up, son,” he sai “but you've saved me the trouble. The President has this minute left off speaking to me. He says he'll be ready to see you at eleven o’clock to-morrow. And I promised him you’d be on the doorstep of the White House right on time.” “Fine, dad.” “T won't tell you what he says to your proposition, but he was mighty flattering to your old dad. You'll learn. from. him to-morrow. Say, son—how did the new. Merlin behave?” “I won’t tell you, dad—but it was mighty flattering to your young son. You'll learn from him: at dinner,” I heard him chuckle, but it was characteristic of him to put up the receiver at once. A Presidential Conference T-half-past nine next morning, the original Merlin took off with Milliken and two mechanics, and a minute or two later the new machine with myself and another couple of men streaked after them, headed for Washington, We took it easy, and landed in the sea- ‘plane basin of the Potomac just before half-past ten. Right at eleven I was standing on the doorstep of the White House, never so nervous in my life. I had stepped in and was-giving my card to a servant, when a white-haired little sturdy. man came walking swiftly down the passage to shake me warmly by the hand, It was the President. “You must be young James Boon,” said he, and opened his watch. “Right on time, Glad to see you, Come along to my workroom and tell: me all about this wonderful machine of yours, and what’s this free- lance policeman notion you: have.” He Jed me into-a little room, furnished half as.an office and half asa library. “Bless me!’ said he. “And so you’re Jimmy Boon’s son. Are you as good a man as your father?” “Not ‘by. miles, sir,” said I. “Ah! You might fall that short of him and yet be a good man,” said the President. “Come, now, Just tell me as quickly as you can all you know about these E f ¥ ; t ‘