Then, stepping once more up to the propeller, the man gave it a
pull, and quickly released it, jumping back out of harm's way.
With a throbbing roar the engine awoke to life and the propeller
spun around, a blur of indistinctness. The motor was working
sweetly. Toni throttled down, assured himself that everything was
working well, and then, with a wave of his hand toward Jack, began
to taxi across the field, to head up into the wind. All aeroplanes
are started this way--directly into the wind, to rise against it and
not with it. On and on he went and then he began to climb into the
air. With him climbed other birdmen who were to do patrol and
contact work with him, the latter being the term used when the
airship keeps in contact through signaling with infantry or artillery
forces on the ground, directing their efforts against the enemy.
Having seen Tom on his way, Jack turned to his own machine. As his
chum had been, Jack was dressed warmly in fur garments, even to his
helmet, which was fur lined. He had on two pairs of gloves and his
eyes were protected with heavy goggles. For it is very cold in the
upper regions, and the swift speed of the machine sends the wind
cutting into one's face so that it is impossible to see from the
eyes unless they are protected.
Jack's machine was a two-seater, of a heavy and comparatively safe
type--that is it was safe as long as it was not shot down by a Hun.
Pages:
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39