The manager went over the entire machine in a speedy but expert way.
He saw that all locks on the turnbuckles were fastened, and that the
locks had lock washers beneath them. All the movable wires were
reinforced with a piece of loose hay wire, and provisions against
rust perfected.

Hiram stood mute, but fascinated, as the manager explained in detail
the fine points of the Monarch II, as the composite hydro-aeroplane
was named.

What interested Dave immensely was a self starting apparatus. This
was operated by a handle inserted in a socket, fastened on a special
ball ratchet on the large sprocket. Pulling this handle turned the
motor over two, sometimes three compressions, and started up the
machine without difficulty, Mr. Randolph explained. During the
operation the throttle shut down so that the operator might resume
his seat and take the levers.

The planes had double covered fabric on top and bottom, tightened at
the rear of the planes by lacing. A single lever controlled the
elevator and side flaps and there were radical bearings to take both
side and end thrusts.

"Tell you, Dashaway," said Mr. Randolph in conclusion, "I'll trust
you with the Monarch II because you are something more than a
grass-cutting pilot by mail trying to coast a flying machine off the
ground."

"I hope to deserve your compliment," laughed the young aviator.