"No," replied Larry. "I'm a sort of free lance. I'm supposed to be learning how to run an airship so I can qualify, and get a license, and be able to help out the paper on such a stunt if they need me. They assigned me to this Mr. Vardon because it looked as though he had a good thing. Now that it's busted I suppose I'll be sent out with some other aviator, and I'd better be getting back to New York and find out what the paper wants me to do." "Well, as I said, don't be in too much of a hurry," went on Dick with a smile. "You talk and act as though there was something in the wind," remarked Larry. "There is, and there's going to be something more in the wind soon, or, rather, in the air," said Dick. "I might as well tell you, I'm going to have an airship, and--" "You are!" interrupted Larry. "Good for you! I'll give you a good write-up when you make your first flight." "I wasn't thinking so much of that," proceeded the young millionaire. "But when I do get my airship I'd like to have you make some flights with me. That might serve your end as well as going with some other aviator, and you could be getting in the practice that your paper wants for you." "Fine and dandy!" cried Larry. "I'm with you, Dick. I'll send off a wire at once, and let the managing editor know I'm going to get right on the flying job again. This will be great!" "I don't know that there'll be such an awful lot of news in it at first," went on Dick, "for I've got to learn this art of flying, and I don't expect to do any hair-raising stunts right off the reel. "But, Larry, there may be other news for you around this Academy soon." "Real news?" "Yes. You probably heard what Mr. Vardon said about his machine being tampered with." "I sure did. And I think the same thing myself. It worked to perfection the day before, and then, all at once, she turned turtle. The gyroscope equilibrizer must have broken." "Well, you can see what happened, for we've got her out of the water now," said Dick. "And there may be more news when the army aviators arrive." "Are they coming here? I hadn't heard. I've been so busy getting straightened out after my plunge into the river." "Yes, they're coming here to give us instructions, and there may be all sorts of stunts pulled off. So you'd better stick." "I will, thanks. But I'm mostly interested in your airship. It sure will be great to take a flight with you. But there's Mr. Vardon. I want to hear what he says." The aviator, and his helper, who had almost fully recovered from their narrow escape from death, were carefully examining the airship which was now hauled out on a level spot in the campus, just above the river bank. Eagerly the cadets crowded around the machine. "Come here, Grit!" called Dick to his prize bulldog. "First you know someone will step on you, and you'll just naturally take a piece out of his leg. You don't belong in a crowd."