Chapter XXVI: Conclusion

“This is Professor Leblance, I believe? We have been expecting you, sir.”

“And this is my friend and co-worker, David Dashaway,” spoke the French scientist, proudly.

It was thirty-six hours after the giant airship had landed on French soil. Within that space of time rapid and interesting events had been crowded into the experience of the young American aviator.

At once after the landing, the professor had sought out the nearest resident representative of the French Aero Association. This individual had officially verified the arrival of the _Albatross_. Armed with the necessary credentials, Leblance and his young assistant had started at once for London.

Their destination, now reached, was the International Aero Institute, with whom trans-Atlantic negotiations had been made before the _Albatross_ started on its trip. The French official had wired about the coming of the distinguished visitors.

Now Dave Dashaway, like the professor, arrayed in a handsome new suit of clothes, stood in the office of one of the most noted organizations in the aero world.

The first flush of the recent triumph still dwelt with Dave. Then there flashed over his mind the marvelous contrast between the present moment and less than six months previous. Then he had been the obscure down-trodden ward of a cruel guardian. Now through a mist of grateful tears the young aviator thought tenderly of the right royal friends who had assisted in crossing the Atlantic in the giant airship and who had loyally helped him to become the honored guest of men famous the world over for science and intelligent adventure.

The secretary of the club who had greeted them stood aside with a courteous bow to usher them into the reception room of the club. As he did so he said:

“We are proud to greet you, Professor. Your exploit will live in history, notwithstanding that you are second in the remarkable feat of crossing the Atlantic in an airship.”

The sensitive Frenchman recoiled as though dealt a blow.

“How?” he cried sharply. “Second? what does this mean?”

“You had not heard? Ah, yes, the _Dictator_, pilot J. E. Dawson, landed near Plymouth day before yesterday. After a terrible trip, clinging to the mere rag of a gas bag, Dawson was found nearly drowned on the seashore.”

Professor Leblance sank to a chair stupefied. He stared like a man stunned into vacancy. He was completely overcome.

A strange expression crossed the face of the young aviator. Impulsively his hand went to a certain document that Elmer Brackett had given him two days before. His eye grew more steady, his lips more firm.

“Will you kindly give me a few details of the _Dictator_ flight,” he requested, “while Professor Leblance recovers from his surprise?”

It was a brief story. The red, white and blue gas bag had landed near Plymouth. The daring pilot was discovered clinging to it, drenched to the skin. He had been feted, honored, brought to London. He was even now in the next room, relating his wonderful adventures to the president and directors of the club.

“Come, Professor Leblance,” said Dave, in a clear, steady tone, “I have something to say to this wonderful J. E. Dawson.”

“Professor Leblance and Mr. Dashaway, of the _Albatross_,” introduced the secretary, a minute later.

Lolling in a luxurious armchair in the midst of some braggadocio recital, with a startled jerk Jerry Dawson came upright as though electrified.

The eye of the young aviator rested upon him with a fixedness that made him squirm.

“Happy to meet you, Professor Leblance,” greeted the club official. “You share a most glorious exploit with our guest.”

“One word first,” interrupted Dave, amazed at his own firmness of voice and nerve. “So there may be no later misunderstanding, does that young man, whom I recognize as a Mr. Dawson, claim to have arrived first in the race across the Atlantic?”

“Most assuredly,” responded the club president.

“His claim is unfounded,” declared the young aviator in a calm, even tone, but with great positiveness. “He is an adventurer, a fraud. He crossed the Atlantic on the steamer _Alsatia_. The balloon found on the Plymouth coast is a duplicate of the _Dictator_ which he brought along with him, and the original _Dictator_, after a brief land run, was purposely burned up fifty miles from New York city.”

“Who says so?” shouted Jerry Dawson, getting excitedly to his feet.

“Roger Davidson,” replied the young aviator, simply.

Jerry Dawson grew white to the lips. He foresaw the losing game, but still he blurted out:

“The proofs?”

“Gentlemen,” said Dave, “a cablegram will serve to order an investigation of the ashes of the _Dictator_. A living witness as to the shipboard experience of this young romancer can be brought to London as soon as our friends are reached.”

“Why, if this is true, the club will be the laughing stock of the world,” observed the president, bending a dark look on Jerry.

“I—I think I’ll go and consult a lawyer about this insulting charge,” ventured Jerry. “Let me out.”

“No, we will kick you out, if this is all true!” shouted an angry director.

“You will remain here,” said the president, firmly. “Your story, sir, the truthful one; or we shall hold you criminally for false representation.”

Jerry was scared. Dave’s resolute face daunted him most of all. He trembled and shivered. By degrees he confessed. He was taken to the office of the club to furnish a signed statement. Then he was turned loose on the streets of London—exit ingloriously Jerry Dawson!

The invalid wanderings of Davidson had supplied his nurse, Elmer Brackett, with a pretty clear history of the plot to impose a duplicate _Dictator_ on the public. While under the influence of a drug, Davidson had fallen from the steamer, and Jerry had thrown a grating after him. Perhaps the hope of securing all the international prize money for himself, had led Jerry to say nothing further about the accident.

* * * * *

There was a great celebration at a noted London hotel the week following. The most humble member of the crew of the _Albatross_ was present.

Money and fame had come to them all. Dave Dashaway was the central figure with the public. Professor Leblance seemed to take most pride in the construction of the _Albatross_. Young, enterprising, popular, Dave, as the last man at the helm of the ill-fated _Albatross_, was the real hero of the event.

“Well, lads,” said the happy Professor Leblance across the table to Dave, Hiram and Elmer, “you have now reached so high a notch in aeronautic science that you can go no further.”

“Mistake,” piped up the irrepressible Hiram.

“Oh, yes, a grave mistake, Professor,” insisted young Brackett.

Dave Dashaway only smiled.

“Come, what’s up with you young people?” challenged the good-natured Mr. King.

“Why,” spoke the young aviator, “when we go back home, and you have put that promised quietus on that rascal Vernon, we are going to Elmer’s father and have him build for us a magnificent aeroplane that will beat anything ever before constructed.”

“And the purpose?” inquired old Grimshaw, with a hopeful twinkle in his eye.

“Why,” replied Dave, “our idea is to get up a great international race around the globe.”

“That’s it,” jubilated the veteran airman. “I knew it would be something grand and original.”

“Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Russia—finishing where we began,” explained Dave Dashaway.

“Can it be done?”

“I think so.”

“But the danger——”

“There was danger in crossing the mighty Atlantic.”

“I know that. But to go around the world. You will meet all sort of strange people and get in many a tight situation, and——”

“But Dave Dashaway can do it, trust him,” said Mr. Dale, proudly. “He is the son of his father—you can trust him.”

“Oh, you can’t beat Dave,” cried Hiram. “His enemies have tried it, and failed, every time.”

So we leave our young airmen, full of ardor and hope, with their wonderful plans. How the same were carried out in a most remarkable aviation exploit, will be told in a succeeding volume, to be entitled, “Dave Dashaway Around the World; Or, A Young Yankee Aviator Among Many Nations.”

“Only one Dave Dashaway in this world,” said Hiram, to young Brackett.

“The best friend I ever had!” murmured the other. “One boy in a million!”

“Right you are!”

THE END

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Dave Dashaway Around the World
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Transcriber's Notes

Italicized phrases are presented by surrounding the text with
_underscores_. Boldface phrases are presented by surrounding the
text with =equal= signs. Small capitals have been rendered in full
capitals.

Punctuation has been standardized. Minor spelling and typographic
errors have been corrected silently, except as noted below.

"some one" and "someone" are used interchangeably throughout the
book, and all occurrences have been left as printed.

On the second page (unnumbered), "12" added before "mo. Cloth.
Illustrated."

"Imposter" left as is on page 6 (instead of being changed to
"impostor") as it was sometimes spelled "imposter" in the time
period.

Three instances of "stop cock" changed to "stop-cock" to be
internally consistent and consistent with contemporary (1910's)
usage.

Several instances of "employe" left as is, as it appears that way
three times in the book and was written that way occasionally in the
time period.

The word "distinguished" has been changed to "extinguished" on page
114.

On page 117, "a-way" has been left as is, as it appears in dialectic
speech.

On page 118, "bulge" has been changed to "budge", as "bulge" doesn't
make sense, even as dialect.

One sentence near the bottom of page 134 ("Dave led the way to a
thick copse. The woman") was in the text twice (several paragraphs
apart), and the first instance has been removed.

On page 202, "Rodger" has been changed to "Roger" to be consistent
with other usage in the book.