And when Dick was told by his parent, not very enthusiastically,
that he might secure an aircraft, the young cadet's delight was
great.

"That's fine!" he cried, shaking hands heartily with his father.

"Well, I hope you succeed in flying your machine, when you get it,
but, as the Scotchman said, 'I have my doubts,'" said Mr. Hamilton,
grimly.

"Humph!" mused Dick later. "Dad doesn't think much of me in the
aviator class, I guess. But I'll go in for this thing now, if only
to show him that I can do it! I've done harder stunts, and if the
Hamilton luck doesn't fail, I'll do this. I'll make a long flight,
and put one over on dad again. He thinks I can't do it--but I'll
show him I can!" exclaimed Dick, with sparkling eyes.

Dick communicated his father's decision to Paul and Innis.

"I'm going to have an airship!" he cried. "It wasn't easy to get
dad's consent, but he gave it. Now, how about you fellows coming
on a cruise in the clouds with me?"

"Say, how big a machine are you going to have?" Paul wanted to know.

"Well, my ideas are rather hazy yet," admitted the young
millionaire, "but if I can get it built, it's going to be one of
the biggest airships yet made. We'll travel in style, if we travel
at all," he said, with a laugh. "I'm thinking of having an aircraft
with some sort of enclosed cabin on it."