ed, was solved by the
unexpected arrival of Mr. Hamilton at Kentfield. He appeared on the
campus after drill one day, and Dick greeted his parent
enthusiastically.

"So you got here, after all, Dad?" he cried, as he shook hands, Paul
and Innis also coming over to meet the millionaire.

"Well, I felt I just had to come, Dick, after all you wrote and
telegraphed me," replied Mr. Hamilton. "I thought we could do better
by having a talk than by correspondence. But, I tell you, frankly, I
don't approve of what you are going to do."

Dick's chums looked curiously at him.

"I may as well confess," laughed the young millionaire, "I'm thinking
of buying an airship, fellows."

"Whew!" whistled Paul.

"That's going some, as the boys say," commented Innis. "Tell us all
about it."

"I will," said Dick, frankly. "It's been on my mind the last few days,
and--"

"So that's been your worry!" interrupted Paul. "I knew it was
something, but I never guessed it was that. Fire ahead."

"Ever since your cousin came here, Innis, in his craft, and since the
colonel has arranged for aviation instruction, I've been thinking of
having an airship of my own," Dick resumed. "I wrote to dad about it,
but he didn't seem to take to the idea very much."

"No, I can't say that I did," said Mr. Hamilton, decidedly. "I
consider it dangerous."

"It's getting more safe every day, Dad. Look how dangerous
automobiling was at the start, and yet that's nearly perfect now,
though of course there'll always be accidents. But I won't go in for
this thing, Dad, if you really don't want me to."

"Well, I won't say no, and I'll not say yes--at least not just yet,"
said Mr. Hamilton slowly. "I want to think it over, have a talk with
some of these 'birdmen' as you call them, and then you and I'll
consider it together, Dick. That's why I came on. I want to know more
about it before I make up my mind."

Mr. Hamilton became the guest of the colonel, as he had done on several
occasions before, and, in the following days, he made as careful a
study of aviation as was possible under the circumstances. He also had
several interviews with Mr. Vardon.

"Have you decided to let your son have an airship of his own?" the
colonel asked, when the millionaire announced that he would start for
New York the following morning.

"Well, I've been thinking pretty hard about the matter," was the
answer. "I hardly know what to do. I'm afraid it's only anothe