"Poor chap!"

"What's the trouble?" asked Dick, quickly. "Has anything happened
to him?"

"Yes, Dick, a whole lot of things!" replied Innis earnestly. "I
feel mighty sorry for him. You know how his airship was wrecked,
but that's only one of his troubles. He's practically lost every
cent he has in the world, and he's deeply in debt, for he borrowed
money to build his aircraft, and perfect his stabilizer. He's just
about down and out, poor chap, and he feels mighty blue, I can tell
you.

"When you came up I was just trying to figure out a way to help him.
But I don't see how I can. My dad hasn't any too much money
himself, since some of his investments failed, or he'd pull my
cousin out of this hole. But, as it is, I don't see what's to be
done. And his gyroscope stabilizer will work, too, only he won't get
a chance to prove it, now."

Dick was silent a moment, and then he asked:

"Say, Innis, would it help your cousin any if he had a contract to
build airships, and could install his stabilizer on one of them?"

"Why, of course it would, Dick! That would be just the very thing
he'd want. But who'd give him such a contract, especially after
this accident? And he hasn't any money to back up his claims. In
fact he's a bankrupt. Nobody would give him such a chance."