So it isn't altogether a
question of carrying a certain amount of weight. Of course, an
aerial warship will have to be big, for it will have to carry
extra machinery to give it extra speed, and it will have to carry
a certain armament, and a large crew will be needed. So, as I said,
it will need to be large. But that problem isn't worrying me."
"Well, what is it, then?" asked Ned.
"It's the recoil," said Tom, with a gesture of despair.
"The recoil?" questioned Ned, wonderingly.
"Yes, from the guns, you know. I haven't been able to overcome that,
and, until I do, I'm afraid my latest invention will be a failure."
Ned shook his head.
"I'm afraid I can't help you any," he said. "The only thing I
know about recoils is connected with an old shotgun my father
used to own.
"I took that once, when he didn't know it," Ned proceeded. "It
was pretty heavily loaded, for the crows had been having fun in
our cornfield, and dad had been shooting at them. This time I
thought I'd take a chance.
"Well, I fired the gun. But it must have had a double charge in
it and been rusted at that. All I know is that after I pulled the
trigger I thought the end of the world had come.
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