Page:Dick Hamilton's Fortune.djvu/275

Rh "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.