The Airship "Golden Hind"Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
General
The Airship "Golden Hind"
Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
Adventure stories; Flight -- Juvenile fiction; Voyages around the world -- Juvenile fiction
The destroyer ran alongside the dockyard. Fosterdyke and the rest of
his crew disembarked. On the jetty they were met by several of the
chief Naval, Military, and Air Force officials and two representatives
of the International Air Board.
Fosterdyke looked puzzled. He didn’t want commiseration, but
congratulation seemed a bit out of place.
"On what grounds, Admiral?" he asked.
"On winning the Chauvasse Prize for completing the circumnavigation of
the globe," replied the senior International Air Board representative,
speaking instead of the Port Admiral. "Fact! You’ve won it fairly and
squarely."
"But----" began the astonished baronet.
"You have," persisted the official. "Do you recollect when the airship
broke adrift? The destroyer went in pursuit and put you on board. That
was within three miles or so of Ceuta. The same destroyer picks you up
out of the water five miles from ’Gib.’ Consequently, you’ve more than
completed the circuit, and although the official start was from
Gibraltar I don’t think there will be any difficulty in obtaining the
International Air Board’s decision to the effect that you’ve won."
And that was exactly what happened. Had it not been for Count von
Sinzig’s underhand work in employing Enrico Jaures to cast adrift the
"Golden Hind," Fosterdyke would not have completed his aerial voyage
round the world. By the irony of fate the Hun had enabled his rival to
score.
Fosterdyke won the Chauvasse Prize and the honour of being the first man
to fly round the world. Needless to say Kenyon and Bramsdean and the
rest of the crew were not forgotten. Honours were heaped upon the
intrepid airmen. They were lionised, fêted, and praised to such an
extent that they were in danger of developing "swelled heads."
But Kenyon and Bramsdean knew that the achievement would be but a nine
days’ wonder. Having attempted and won, they were content to return to
their profession, their financial standing much increased by their
shares in the big prize. They had enough honours and diplomas to
satisfy them, but what they prized most was a certificate from the Royal
Humane Society for saving the crew of the _Hilda P. Murchison_.
"So, after all," declared Kenyon, "we did do something useful, old son!"
PRINTED BY PURNELL AND SONS
PAULTON (SOMERSET) AND LONDON
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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