The Phantom Airman

de him very useful in that capacity. To fetch and carry for the skipper or chief officer along that 670 feet of keel corridor was to him a life

would suddenly appear in the wireless cabin or in one of the four gondola

p wits soon enabled him to make himself almost indispensabl

the little rascal? What

spect he had particularly fallen foul of Morgan, the third engineer, a short, stout, somewhat stumpy type of Wel

rief stay in one of the air ports. He knew full well that a little fortune awaited the man who could unload smuggled tobacco down the Whitec

when one day he startled the third engineer by his su

Morgan, throwing a greasy rag at the boy

sped out the urchin, feeling that both his dignity and importan

red Welshman, surreptitiously hi

nsulting little Cockney boy, repeating a few words used by the captain himse

n, flushing with anger, and hurling the oil

in's head reappeared once more. The opportunity was too good to be lost. All the vivacity of the boy was pitted against the hot tempered Welshman, and Gadget was a master of invective, and had a wonderful command of high sou

tle face, now distorted into something grotesque and ugly. "We'll be two ho

making a rush for his tormentor. "I'll b

head reappeared once again, for Gadget had retreated swiftly some way d

ng gad-fly, but of course the sharp-witted rascal had outwitted, or "spike-bozzled" him, as they

rid of him, and this morning, after the skipper's recent remarks, he was trying to recover his lost reputation by extra attention to his engines. Be

he key turned softly in the lock once more, and the irrepressible mascot, peering through

bozzled

e villain!" roa

ncubus!" ret

aw

, that's what

you, I'll----" cried the

that's what you're sufferin' from. The capt

no opportunity to lock the door, but, turning round, he bolted precipitately down the long keel corridor, cannoning into the chief officer, who was just coming along

ad to get away on such slight terms, and feeling that he had given his oppone

in charge to give him another lesson on the Morse code, for the urchin had a wonderful range of fee

esson in taking down messages, to-morrow. You have the making of a g

he urchin's special request, had been left there, when the famous "R. D. clippers" had shorn off the rest of the cr

ioscope films were carefully prepared. These were to record to the world at large the wonderf

graphic officer. The latter, who admired the boy's character and wit, and pitied his upbringing, had declared more than once that Gadget possessed in a la

you photography. Some day you shall have a camera of your own, and who knows, you may become a great fi

capable, making many friends, and an occasional enemy. And all the while the great airship, glistening in the tropical sun