, and running the
gyroscope, and I'm sure he did something to it that caused it to fail
to work, and so wrecked us."

"You should not say such things," chided Mr. Vardon.

"Well, I believe it's true," insisted Jack. "And you found something
wrong with the gyroscope, when you took it from the airship; didn't
you?"

"Yes, but that may have occurred in the wreck."

"No, that gyroscope began to act wrong before we started to fall," went
on the helper. "I noticed it, and I believe that mean lieutenant
monkeyed with it. He wanted you to think your plans were failures."

"I should dislike to believe that of anyone," spoke Mr. Vardon,
seriously.

"Well, I'm going to keep my eye on him," said Jack. "He won't get
another chance at any of our machines."

It was a day or so after this conversation that Dick came upon his chum
Innis, talking to Mr. Vardon. They seemed very much in earnest, and at
Dick's approach the aviator strolled away. Innis stood regarding him a
moment, and remarked, in a low tone:

"Poor chap!"

"What's the trouble?" asked Dick, quickly. "Has anything happened to
him?"

"Yes, Dick, a whole lot of things!" replied Innis earnestly. "I feel
mighty sorry for him. You know how his airship was wrecked, but that's
only one of his troubles. He's practically lost every cent he has in
the world, and he's deeply in debt, for he borrowed money to build his
aircraft, and perfect his stabilizer. He's just about down and out,
poor chap, and he feels mighty blue, I can tell you.

"When you came up I was just trying to figure out a way to help him.
But I don't see how I can. My dad hasn't any too much money himself,
since some of his investments failed, or he'd pull my cousin out of
this hole. But, as it is, I don't see what's to be done. And his
gyroscope stabilizer will work, too, only he won't get a chance to
prove it, now."

Dick was silent a moment, and then he asked:

"Say, Innis, would it help your cousin any if he had a contract to
build airships, and could install his stabilizer on one of them?"

"Why, of course it would, Dick! That would be just the very thing he'd
want. But who'd give him such a contract, especially after this
accident? And he hasn't any money to back up his claims. In fact he's
a bankrupt. Nobody would give him such a chance."

"Yes, I think someone would," said Dick, quietly.

"Who?" asked Innis, quickly.

"I would. It's this way," the young millionaire wen