Chapter 24 Chapter 9 The Tail of the Kite

The next day, November 5th, Bryant and Baxter started work early in the morning.Before enlarging the kite, the amount of weight it could carry had to be carefully considered, and then they could calculate the area needed to lift a weight of about 130 pounds into the air. Experiments don't have to wait until night.The northwest wind was blowing gently, and Bryant just had to keep the kite from flying too high for people across the lake to see.The test was very successful.The children discovered that in normal wind speeds, the kite could carry a twenty-pound bag.Then they tore the kite off and laid it flat on the ground.

Baxter first reinforced the kite frame with animal ribs, just as the umbrella frame is secured with radiating wire.The surface area of ​​the kite has been increased due to the enlarged frame and the new canvas covering.Kate has played no small role in this.There is a lot of needlework in the stockpile and Kate does a good job of sewing. If Bryant and Baxter had known more about mechanics, they would have taken into account factors such as weight, area, center of gravity, center of gravity, and where the strings should be tied to the kite, as important as the surface area of ​​the kite.They were then able to calculate the kite's lift and how high it could reach.This also gives them an idea of ​​what the tension in the rope is.This is the most important factor for a scout's safety.

Fortunately, the 1,000-foot-long meter rope on the sailboat played a great role, but if the angle of the kite's launch was not selected properly, it would be unbearable to bear such a heavy load.To Costa and Thone's great disappointment, the kite did not need a tail, since the kite carried enough weight to stabilize it, and the tail was useless at all. After a few tries, Bryant and Baxter found it best to tie the weights to a cross.The cross was fastened a third of the way from the centre, and a rope was tied at each end, so that the weight could be suspended twenty feet below the kite, and taking into account the inclination of the gauge rope, they wound a total of one , two hundred feet of rope.This can keep the kite seven or eight hundred feet off the ground.

In order to avoid accidents, they decided to let the kite fly over the lake.The width of the lake is very easy for a skilled swimmer to swim across.When completed, the kite was about eighty square yards in area, octagonal in shape, about eight feet on a side, and fifteen feet in a diameter.Because of the strong support and the airtight fabric of the kite, the kite can easily carry a weight of 120 pounds into the air. The scout is to sit in a wicker basket.Wicker baskets serve many purposes on small sailboats.It was deep enough to be as high as the armpit of a boy of average height; it was large enough to allow him to move freely in it; and wide enough that the scout could easily climb out if he wanted to.

As you can imagine, these were not done in a day or two.Work started on the morning of the 5th and ended in the afternoon of the 7th.The test flight was postponed until night in order to test the kite's ability to lift in the air and its stability. Meanwhile, the situation remains unchanged.Several times one or two boys climbed to the top of the cliff to observe.But north between Trap Wood and Frenchman's Hole, south of Cross Creek, west of Galleon Bay, or on the lake, there was nothing suspicious.Not a single gunshot was heard on the top of Oakland Hill, nor was there a wisp of cooking smoke within sight.

Hadn't Bryant and his companions hoped that Walston had left Charman Island?Is it wise to resume their former lives now?There is no doubt that the kite test will shed light on the matter. But when the person who ascends to the sky wants to come down, how can he let his partners on the ground know? Bryant's answer: Signal lights are absolutely out of the question, and Walston might see them.So Baxter and I prepared a line the same length as the rope, with one end fixed to the ground and the other end tied to the basket.We will tie a lead weight with a small hole in the middle to the string, and the lead weight will fly into the sky with the basket.No matter who flies into the sky, as long as he let the lead weight slide down the line, we know he wants to come down.

This works.Donagan agreed. Everything is ready, the test flight has begun, and the moon will not rise until two o'clock in the morning.The conditions for the flight were favorable with a light breeze blowing from the southwest. At nine o'clock, the night was very dark.A few thick clouds were floating in the starless sky, no matter how high the kite flew, even the vicinity of the Frenchman's Cave could not be seen. All the boys ran out to watch the fun.It can be said that this experiment is tentative.If they had tried it for themselves, they would have been more pleased than apprehensive.

The winch on the sailboat is firmly fixed on the sloped flat area.The long rope was carefully coiled so that it could be retracted smoothly with the signal rope.Bryant put a 130-pound bag of dirt in the basket, more than any boy could weigh. Donagan, Baxter, Wilcox, and Webb took their positions by the kite.The kite was placed a hundred yards from the winch.As long as Bryant gave the command, they would tighten the strings on the kite's frame to lift the kite into the air.Once the wind picked it up, Bryant, Gordon, Sauvis, Cross and Garnett would take control of the winch and let the rope go.

Are you ready?Bryant asked. alright!Donagan replied. put! The kite rose a little, swayed in the wind, and then flew to the predetermined flight angle. put!put!Wilcox yelled.After a while, the winch turned due to the tension of the rope.Kites and baskets flew slowly into the air. Despite the danger, the children cheered as the aerial giant lifted off the ground.However, to their great disappointment, the kite quickly disappeared into the night.And the kids didn't want it out of sight as the kite flew over the family lake. Don't be sad, sweetie, said Kate, and the next time there is no danger, your giants will lift up in daylight, and then you can send signals into the sky as you want.

Even though they couldn't see it, judging by the speed of the wind above, the boys could feel that the kite was flying smoothly and well. Bryant wanted to make the experiment as good as it could be.So he put the rope at the end.He could feel that the tension in the rope was within normal limits, that the winch had one or two hundred feet of rope left, and that the kite was perhaps seven or eight hundred feet high.It's all done in just ten minutes. When the trial was complete, the boys grabbed the handle of the winch and began to reel in the rope, a process that took much longer.It took a full hour to wind up the rope.

Bringing the kite with the basket back to the ground without causing any damage is the most stressful part of the flying process.However, the wind was so steady that the kite was retrieved smoothly.The octagonal kite slowly came into view and landed softly on the ground, approaching the point where it started flying, just as the kite left the ground, and the children cheered again as the kite returned. All that was left to do was to leave the kite on the ground, and Baxter and Wilcox volunteered to watch until dawn. The next day was November 8th.The first official flight will take place around the same time. The boys waited for Bryant's order to return to the Frenchman's Den; but he said nothing, as if lost in thought. What was he thinking about?Are you thinking about the dangers encountered in such a lift-off?Or do you want to put a companion on a mission to take on his responsibilities? Let's go in.Gordon said. Wait a minute, said Bryant, Gordon, Donagan!I have a suggestion. What?asked Donagan. We let the kite fly, Bryant said, and it was successful because the conditions were favorable and the wind was calm and neither too strong nor too weak.How do we know what the weather will be like tomorrow?I think it's better not to delay the liftoff flight. It couldn't be more reasonable.But no one uttered a word.At the thought of danger, hesitation is natural, even for the most daring. Bryant asked: Who is on? I!Jack volunteered. I!cried Donagan, Baxter, Wilcox, Cross, and Sauvis. There was a silence.Bryant did not break the silence. Jack spoke first and said: Let me go, brother, let me take the risk!let me on! why you and not meDonagan asked back, why you and not someone else? yes!Why?asked Baxter. Because it's my turn.Jack said. Should you go?asked Gordon. Yes. Gordon grabs Bryant's hand, as if asking him what Jack's intentions are.He felt Bryant's hand tremble in his.If the night hadn't been so dark, he would have seen Bryant's pale face with tears in his eyes. okay bro?Jack said in a very firm tone. Answer, Bryant!Donagan said Jack said he had every right to take the risk!Why does he have this right and we don't?What does he mean? Because I did something wrong, Jack sobbed, and now I tell you what I did wrong. Jack!Bryant interrupted him, refusing to explain. No!Jack got emotional and his words became staccato, let me speak!This thought burden is too heavy!Gordon, Donagan, it's all my fault you're here, all of you on this island away from your friends!I am the culprit.The sailboat drifted out to sea because I recklessly, no, mischievously no, foolishly untied the Oakland hawser and threw it away.Yes!I do this just for fun.But as soon as I saw the boat drifting away, I lost my mind again.I didn't call out when it was time to call out.So an hour later, at midnight, we were in the middle of the sea.God!Forgive me, forgive me!Jack burst into tears.Kate tried to comfort him. All right, Jack, Bryant said, now that you have admitted your mistake, you are willing to risk your life to make up for it; or to make up for the harm you caused. But hasn't he already made up for it?Donagan said he was more magnanimous this time.Doesn't he often risk doing things for us?Oh, Bryant, I see now why you keep pushing your brother forward whenever there's danger, and why he's always willing to do it.That's why he risked his life to find Cross and me in the fog.Yes, Jack, my dear friend, we forgive you! The boys swarmed around Jack and grabbed his hands.Though the boy was still weeping sadly, they understood now why the liveliest, sharpest young man at Charmain's school had become so preoccupied and kept avoiding the others!Under his brother's orders and his own wishes, they saw him always rushing to the forefront of danger, and he felt that he did not do enough!He wants to take another adventure!As soon as he opened his mouth, he would say: Look, it's my turn!I'm going alone!Isn't it so, brother? Well said, Jack.Bryant said with a friendly pat on the back of his brother. After Jack confessed, at his insistence, Donagan and others tried in vain to stop him.All that can be done is to let the wind bless him.At this time, the wind gradually strengthened. Jack squeezed his friends' hands again and turned to his brother before stepping into the basket.Bryant stood expressionless a few steps away from the winch. goodbye.he said. yes, goodbye!Bryant tried hard to control his emotions, or I'd better say goodbye to you, I'll go. you!cried Jack. you!you!Donagan and Sauvis also shouted repeatedly. Yes!I!It made no difference whether Jack's stupidity was compensated by himself or by his brother.Besides, when I was planning to go to space, do you think I would let someone else go? Brother, Jack pleaded, please, please! No, Jack! Well, said Donagan, I asked to go. No, Donagan, Bryant said firmly, I'll go!This is my idea. I think it's better to go with Bryant!Gordon shook his hand. Minutes later, Bryant was in the basket.As soon as he was seated, he gave the order to be released.The kite began to rise steadily.Then Baxter, Wilcox, Cross, and Sauvis, who were standing by the winch, quickly let go of the rope.At the same time, Garnett lets go of the signal rope. Ten seconds later, the giant in the air disappeared into the darkness, instead of leaving with laughter like the last time it was released, it was replaced by silence! The brave leader of this small world disappeared with the kite. The kite rose steadily.A gentle breeze ensures this.Bryant hasn't had any dangerous ups and downs.He remained motionless, clinging tightly to the rope that hung the basket.The rope swayed gently, as if on a swing. He had a strange feeling at first.Sitting in this gigantic tilting flying object whizzing in the wind, he felt as if he were floating in space, as if he were being carried by a strange bird, more like a huge black bat.But thanks to his strong character, he can keep calm even in such an adventure. Ten minutes later, the kite is already so high off the ground that it won't be rising anytime soon! Bryant began to observe calmly.Grab the rope in one hand and the night telescope in the other. There was darkness beneath him.The lakes, forests, and cliffs were all pitch black, and the outlines could not be distinguished, but he could still find the coastline of the entire island. If flying in daylight, the vision will be very clear.He can see other islands or continents within forty or fifty miles, if there are islands and continents within the range he can see. The sky in the west, north, and south was so foggy that he could see nothing; but in the east there was a corner of the sky which was not yet covered by clouds, and some stars appeared. It was in that direction that a gleam of light, reflected in the low clouds, caught his attention. It's fire!he exclaimed, is Woolston camping there?impossible!It's too far away, obviously over the island, is it a volcanic eruption?Is there an island over there? Bryant suddenly remembered that on his first expedition to Deception Cove, he had seen a blob of white dots, and yes, he said, it was over there!Could it be a glacier?If this is the case, the land should be not far from us to the east. Bryant pointed the telescope at the flames, and the darkness made it all the more obvious that it was a volcano.It was on land or on an archipelago more than thirty miles away, next to a glacier. As Bryant figured this out, he spotted another fire, much closer to him, only five or six miles away, of course in the bushes on the island. This time it was in the forest, he recognized it, on the edge of it, by the sea! The fire seemed to disappear in just a flash, and no matter how he looked, Bryant could no longer see it. Yes!His heart was pounding and his hands were shaking so badly that he could barely hold the telescope and focus on what he was looking at. But there was no doubt that there was a campfire not far from the mouth of the East River.Bryant saw it, and soon he spotted the reflection in the bushes. So Walston and his companions camped near Bear Rock Bay, and the scoundrels on the Severn had not yet left Charman Island!The little colonists are under their attack at any moment, and the French Den is no longer safe! Apparently Walston found it hopeless to fix the ship, and gave up the attempt to leave for another neighboring island. After Bryant finished observing, he felt that there was no need to prolong the observation time in the air, so he prepared to descend.The wind started to pick up and the basket wobbled harder, making his landing a bit more difficult. After he was confident that the signal line would be clear, he let go of the plumb.Within seconds, the lead had slipped into Garnett's hands. The winch immediately began to retract the rope. As the kite descended, Bryant kept watch for the light he saw, and again he saw the eruption and the light of the campfire. One can imagine how anxious Gordon and others were waiting for the signal to drop!The twenty minutes Bryant was in the air seemed like it would never end. As Donagan and his assistants twisted the reels hard, they also found that the wind had increased and become more unstable.They felt the pull of the rope, and they began to worry anxiously that Bryant was in trouble. They rolled hard, and the reel rotated rapidly, but it still took some time to retract the one or two hundred meters of rope.The wind was still picking up, and within forty-five minutes of the signal it was already very strong. By this time the kite was a hundred feet above the lake. There was a sudden violent swing, and Wilcox, Donagan, Solvis, and Baxter found that the resistance disappeared, and they all fell to the ground. The rope broke. Shouts mingled with cries of terror.Bryant!Bryant! A few minutes later, Bryant arrived on the beach and yelled loudly. elder brother!shouted Jack, the first to rush to him. Walston is still here! These were the first words Bryant said when his companions gathered around. When the rope snapped, he felt himself being blown away by the wind.Instead of falling vertically, he fell slowly diagonally, with the kite above him acting as a parachute, and he just had to jump out when the basket hit the water.He waited quietly.The moment the basket touched the water, he went head first.A good swimmer like him, he swam four or five hundred feet from shore in no time. At the same time the kite lost his weight and disappeared to the north like a great raft in the sky.