r one
of Dick's hare-brained ideas, and if he goes in for it, he'll come a
cropper.

"And, maybe, on the whole, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let him go in
for it, and make a fizzle of it. It would be a good lesson to him,
though I would certainly regret, exceedingly, if he were even slightly
injured.

"On the other hand Dick is pretty lucky. He may come out all right. I
suppose he'll go in and try to win some prizes at these aviation meets
they hold every once in a while."

"Yes, there are to be several," spoke the colonel. "I heard something
about the government offering a big prize for a successful
trans-continental flight--from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but I know
nothing of the details."

"Well, I suppose Dick would be rash enough to try for that, if he hears
about it," murmured Mr. Hamilton. "I guess, taking it on all sides,
that I'll let him have an airship, if only to prove that he can't work
it. He needs a little toning down, most young chaps do, I fancy. I
know I did when I was a lad. Yes, if he makes a fizzle of it, the
lesson may be worth something to him--throwing his money away on an
airship. But I'll give my consent."

And when Dick was told by his parent, not very enthusiastically, that
he might secure an aircraft, the young cadet's delight was great.

"That's fine!" he cried, shaking hands heartily with his father.

"Well, I hope you succeed in flying your machine, when you get it, but,
as the Scotchman said, 'I have my doubts,'" said Mr. Hamilton, grimly.

"Humph!" mused Dick later. "Dad doesn't think much of me in the
aviator class, I guess. But I'll go in for this thing now, if only to
show him that I can do it! I've done harder stunts, and if the
Hamilton luck doesn't fail, I'll do this. I'll make a long flight, and
put one over on dad again. He thinks I can't do it--but I'll show him
I can!" exclaimed Dick, with sparkling eyes.

Dick communicated his father's decision to Paul and Innis.

"I'm going to have an airship!" he cried. "It wasn't easy to get dad's
consent, but he gave it. Now, how about you fellows coming on a cruise
in the clouds with me?"

"Say, how big a machine are you going to have?" Paul wanted to know.

"Well, my ideas are rather hazy yet," admitted the young millionaire,
"but if I can get it built, it's going to be one of the biggest
airships yet made. We'll travel in style, if we travel at all," he
said, with a laugh. "I'm thinking of having an a