"Fine!" cried Mr. Damon. "That's the very thing I should
like. I'll take a chance in your Hawk, Tom, if you'll
promise not to try any spiral stunts."

"I promise, Mr. Damon. Come on! I'll have Koku run the
machine out and get her ready for a flight to Camp. It's a
good day for a jaunt in the air."

"Get out the Hawk, Koku," ordered the young inventor, as
he motioned to a big man--a veritable giant--who nodded to
show he understood. Koku was really a giant, one of a race
of strange beings, and Tom Swift had brought the big man
with him when he escaped from captivity, as those will
remember who have read that book.

"Going far, Tom?" asked an aged man, coming to the door of
one of the many buildings of which the shed where the
airship was kept formed one.

"Not very far, Father," answered the young inventor.
"Mr. Damon and I are going for a little spin over to Camp
Grant, to see some aircraft contests among the army
birdmen."

"Oh, all right, Tom. I just wanted to tell you that I
think I've gotten over that difficulty you found with the
big carburetor you were working on. You didn't say what you
wanted it for, except that it was for a heavy duty gasolene
engine, and you couldn't get the needle valve to work as