"Leaving the one sample machine," demanded Billy, "and allowing the French Government to manufacture a certain number of others, paying our company a royalty on every seaplane built along the lines of our patents?"
"That about covers the case," Frank agreed. "Of course, once we receive our pay, and hand the seaplane over, we have no further interest in what happens to it, although I'd hate to learn it had met with an accident."
"You think, then, do you, Frank, that the German spies will keep on trying to steal or destroy the _Sea Eagle_?" asked Billy.
"If they get the chance they certainly will," the other replied. "They know now that all the wonderful things they heard about it are true, and that a fleet of aircraft built on those same lines would make back-numbers of their Zeppelins and Taubes. But, as I said before, let the French Government do the worrying after the deal is closed."
"But if this machine were blown to smithereens, Frank, our Company would stand to lose those royalties?" Pudge suggested.
"All of which is true enough, Pudge," Frank told him, "but that's something we can't remedy, so we'll have to trust to sheer luck."
They passed a quiet night, and morning found them busily engaged in getting the dismantled seaplane together again. The injuries which it had suffered in making that descent, thanks to Frank's skillful piloting, had not proven serious, and so by the time noon came they were ready to have it looked over by the aviators who might be sent to the hangar by the officials of the Government.
The glowing report handed in by M. Le Grande must have hurried matters up considerably, for a little later on several gentlemen made their appearance. They looked over the big seaplane carefully, and then had Frank and his chums sign several papers, one of which was a contract on royalty covering fifty machines which the Government might wish to construct within a year's time.
Then Frank was given a certified check from the Government, and the transaction was considered closed.
The boys took away the small bundles they had already packed, and both hangar and seaplane became from that hour the property of the French Government.
Going to a hotel, Frank and his chums made all arrangements looking to crossing over to London on the next day. From there they expected to go to Liverpool, and take passage on the first steamer sailing for New York, regardless of the danger from German submarines lurking in the Irish Sea.