Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-31
BY VICTOR MacCLl
Copyright. 1924. BY Harper 4 Brothers

ting in an odd question or two, and
when / had finished he nodded salts
faction.
Sir Thomas Basildon is right" said
he. We've got a long way to go be-
fore we reach the end CT this bust
ness. Well. and what do you propose
to do yourself? Is there any way l
1 can help?"
Yes, dad" / said, there is. Iwant
to get a sort OF rowing commission
with the air police. / want to be my
own master. go my own way and
work along my own lines, with Danny
Lamont to help me. sort of gem
eral permit to scout about in the
Merlin. armed TO take action IL meet
the understands what I'm after.
Can you fix it for me?"
'Tll try. The authorities are not
likely to favor any privateering. but
you're going to dispose of the Merlin
design to the Government"
Yes" I returned And that's
another thing ] want you to help me
in. The Air Board knows me well
enough, but 1 want speed I don't
want to be hung up in Washington
for weeks until the Merlin is tested"
The Merlin should do the trick
herself-but you'd better get straight
to the President" said my father 81
can nix 1t 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 belonging to the old Merlin
on one of the new machines and be
fully prepared TO show her Tuesday.
Milliken can fly the old Merlin at
the same time and take a mechanic
or two with him. l don't want to
part with the only armament
have. / might have to wait
weeks for another equipment. So
hen the tests are over, I'll remount
the guns on the old Merlin down
there"
see. Then I'll write a letter per-
sonally 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 l made for the bathroom and
a change of clothing.
i have mailed the letter" said my
rather, when we sat down to dinner
And II Ben Whitcomb won't do me
the favor | ask him, I'll be a might
lily surprised man"
You know the President very well,
then, dad?'
We were together as struggling
young men at one time, Jimmy" he
replied-then with reminiscent
smile: "Golly! What lot of fun we
got out Of that mighty thin timew
l got to bed early and slept until
O'Clock. when l went down to the
workshops to get a start made with
mounting the armament on the new
Merlin. Hilliken was on the spot
when / arrived, and the first shift waS
getting tn" guns out under his direc-
ton. Dan lamont turned up in the
middle of ire day. and as the work
was well ahead 1 had time to give
him all the news from the other side
OF the Atlantic, and to tell him what
my plans were.
IF you get these letters of maroue.
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"
L have to admit that this job has
me beaten, Jimmy" said he And
don't like 1t. I can't get at the
furnishing of the gold, and can't
discover a gas that will do all the
supposed gas of the raiders can. 1t
seems to me that they have discov-
cred processes miles ahead of pres
why and how. I want to be on the
spot next time anything happens. and
since you're going TO look for trouble.
IL seems to me my likeliest chance is
with you. My laboratory work can
wait. This thing has got me going. l
particularly want TO know where
abouts In the world there's enough
ore to produce all that radium. You'll
let ms in on this, Jimmy? If l don't
know anything about flying, 1 can
easily learn TO use gun, at least
and-and-Im pretty handy with
a skillet"
"All right, Dan, It's a bet Con-
slider yourself entered on the ships
books"
He took hold of my hand and vrrung
1t as II 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 them the
ships chests-don't forget I've got
sacks. will your"
II won't forget. Dan"
Nothing would content him then
but that I should write him out a 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 MilIiken and I
went up in her to try her for speed
and for the synchronizing of the for
ward gun. which was an arrangement
of our own. She answered perfectly
We had a new speedometer fixed
which was numbered up to six hun
dred kilometers. and in one short
burst the hand touched five-thirty In
that fact alone there was enough to
make the Government experts go
crazy over her. Compared with the
fastest known machine, she was a
streak OF lightning.
l will own that when I stepped
ashore after the tests, l was almost
drunk with excitement. and Milliken
was little better. was all impa-
thence to hear the result of my ia
theirs letter to the President and [
got through to the old man on the
phone. -
II was on the point of ringing you
up, SON. he said, 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
II o'clock tomorrow. And / promised
him you'd be on the doorstep of the
White House right on time"
Fine. dad
II won't tell you what he says TO
your proposition, but he was mighty
fIattering to YOUR old dad You'll