He faced defiantly about and caught Mortlake's eye. It was instantly
averted, and catching Fanning by the arm he hastened from the courtroom.
"I wonder what mischief those young cubs are hatching up now?" he said, as
the two hastened off, bending their steps toward old Mr. Harding's bank.
"It doesn't make much difference," chuckled Fanning, "we've got that
contract nailed down and delivered now."
CHAPTER XIX.
THE GATHERING OF THE MAN-BIRDS.
The aeroplanes--a dozen in all, that had been selected by various naval
"sharps" from all over the widely distributed portions of the country for
the weeding out of the best type--were quartered in a broad meadow not far
from the town of Hampton. The locality had been chosen as removed from the
reach of the ordinary run of curiosity seekers, who had flocked from all
parts of the country to be present at the first tests of aeroplanes as
actual naval adjuncts.
Sheds had been provided for the accommodation of each type. And above each
shed was the name of the aeroplane it housed, printed in small letters.
One of the first things that Mortlake and Fanning Harding proceeded to do
on their arrival at this "bivouac" was to make a tour of the row of sheds
in search of the Prescott machine. But to their joy, apparently, no shed
housed it.
There were machines of dozens of other types, monoplanes, bi-planes,
machines of the helicopter type, and a few devices based on the parachute
principle.
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