“Don’t let Andy Foger come sneaking around here, Rad,” cautioned the young inventor.

“‘Deed an’ I won’t!” exclaimed the colored man.  “Ef he do, I’ll hab Boomerang kick him t’ pieces, an’ den I’ll whitewash him so his own folks won’t know him!  Oh, don’t you worry, Massa Tom.  Dat Andy won’t do no funny business when I’m around!”

Tom laughed, and started for the station with Mr. Damon.  They arrived in Philadelphia that afternoon, the trip being very slow, as compared with the one made by the monoplane.  They found Mr. Fenwick anxiously awaiting them, and Tom at once started work on the airship.

He kept at it until late that night, and resumed early the next morning.  Many more changes and adjustments were made, and that afternoon, the young inventor said: 

“I think we’ll give it a try-out, Mr. Fenwick.”

“Do you mean make a flight?”

“Yes, if she’ll take it; but only a short one.  I want to get her up in the air, and see how she behaves.”

“Well, if you find out, after you’re up, that she does well, you may want to take a long flight,” suggested Mr. Fenwick.  “If you do, why I have everything aboard necessary for a long voyage.  The whizzer is well stocked with provisions.”

An hour later, the big electric machine was wheeled out into the yard, for, in spite of her size, four men could easily move the craft about, so well was she balanced.  Aside from a few personal friends of the inventor, himself, his machinists, Tom and Mr. Damon, no one was present at the try-out.

Tom, Mr. Damon and Mr. Fenwick climbed into the car which was suspended below the gas bag, and between the wing-like planes on either side.  The young inventor had decided to make the whizzer rise by scudding her across the ground on the bicycle wheels, with which she was equipped, and then by using the tilting planes to endeavor to lift her off the earth.  He wanted to see if she would go up that way, without the use of the gas bag.

All was in readiness.  The motor was started and the machinery began to hum and throb.  The propellers gained speed with every revolution.  The airship had been made fast by a rope, to which was attached a strong spring balance, as it was desired to see how much pull the engine would give.

“Eight hundred pounds,” announced one of the machinists.

“A thousand would be better, but we’ll try it,” Murmured Tom.  “Cast off!”

The rope was loosened, and, increasing the speed of the engine, Tom signalled to the men to give a little momentum to the craft.  She began running over the smooth ground.  There was a cheer from the few spectators.  Certainly the whizzer made good time on the earth.

Tom was anxiously watching the gages and other instruments.  He wanted a little more speed, but could not seem to get it.  He ran the motor to the utmost, and then, seeing the necessity of making an attempt to get up into the air, before the end of the speeding ground was reached, he pulled the elevating plane lever.