"Clear she is," replied his chief helper. "Den here I goes!" exclaimed the inventor as he started the motor and threw in the clutch operating the propeller. The big arms beat the air and hummed shrilly as they whizzed around. The new motor made the frail airship tremble. There was a moment's hesitation, as if the craft hated to leave the earth, and then, with a little jerk, it soared aloft. "Hurrah!" yelled the crowd. "She works! She works!" cried Dick, capering about in delight. He thought the prize already won. Even Colonel Claflin looked pleased. Herr Doodlebrod deflected one of the rudders and the airship went up at a sharp angle. In a few seconds it was several hundred feet high. Then it started to move about in a circle. "Wonderful!" murmured several. "He seems to know his business," remarked Mr. Hamilton. "I didn't believe it would work. I haven't much faith in airships." "Well, it has gone, so far," replied Colonel Claflin. "But the test is not completed. Let's watch him." In a great circle Herr Doodlebrod sent his ship around. He turned and twisted this way and that. Then he set off in a straight line, as called for by the government requirements. But suddenly something happened. There was a sharp sound, like an explosion, up on the airship. The big propellor was seen to fly to pieces and come fluttering down, a mass of twisted wire and cloth. Then came another ominous sound. It was a louder explosion, and a sheet of fire was seen to envelop the ship. "His gasolene tank has gone up!" exclaimed Colonel Claflin. "He'll be killed!" The airship seemed rent apart. The two big, bat-like wings soared off to one side. Rudders, wheels, levers and parts of machinery came raining down. The bat wings settled to the earth more slowly. "Where is the inventor?" asked Mr. Hamilton. "Has he been blown to pieces?" "It looks so," replied the colonel. "Poor chap! I'm afraid he didn't know so much about airships as he thought." There came a cry from the crowd, not a cry of horror, but of wonder. The colonel, Dick and Mr. Hamilton looked toward where they pointed. There, falling through space from his wrecked airship, was Herr Doodlebrod. CHAPTER XXXI GOOD NEWS--CONCLUSION "Look! Look!" cried the crowd, again and again. And there was no small cause for wonder; for, though the inventor was falling to earth, he had hold of one of the immense bat-like wings. It acted exactly as a parachute, the air catching under the curved surface. Thus the inventor came down so slowly that he was not in the slightest danger. It was a wonderful escape. No sooner had he alighted than he hurried up to where Dick stood, his face showing the sorrow he felt. "Vell, my young friend," said Herr Doodlebrod, "ve haf made vun grand mistake. But I know vat der trouble vas. I need a stronger propellor. Ve vill make vun at vunce, und haf anodder test." "I'm afraid it will be too late for me," remarked Dick, ruefully.