"Yes, I guess it will do, Ned. I'm satisfied. If there was an
international meet now I'd capture some of the prizes. As it is--"
Tom stopped suddenly. His voice which had been raised to overcome the
noise of even the muffled motor, sounded unnaturally loud, and no
wonder, for the engine had ceased working!
"What's the matter?" gasped Ned.
"I don't know--a breakdown of some kind."
"Can you get it going again?"
"I'm going to try."
Tom was manipulating various levers, but with no effect. The aeroplane
was shooting downward with frightful rapidity.
"No use!" exclaimed the young inventor. "Something has broken."
"But We're falling, Tom!"
"I know it. We've done it before. I'm going to volplane to earth."
This, it may be explained, is gliding downward from a height with the
engine shut off. Aeroplanists often do it, and Tom was no novice at the
art.
They shot downward with less speed now, for the young inventor had
thrown up his headplanes to act as a sort of brake. Then, a little later
they made a good landing in a field near a small house, in a rather
lonely stretch of country, about ten miles from Shopton, where Tom
lived.
"Now to see what the trouble is," remarked our hero, as he climbed out
of his seat and began looking over the engine. He poked in among the
numerous cogs, wheels and levers, and finally uttered an exclamation.
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