It was convenient that Dan should know a shed at Blackheath where he could house his machine, as Lord Curberry's house was in that neighborhood. Once on the spot it would be easy to have an interview with Marcus Penn, and perhaps not difficult to induce him to take the air in the loft spaces of the sky. The neighborhood was well known to Halliday, for his occupation of aviation brought him often there, and he had experimented with various inventions at various times, where the land afforded room for the departure and arrival of the machines; therefore, when he reached London's outskirts he made for Blackheath, and without difficulty brought the aeroplane to earth, a stone-throw from the shed in question. It said a great deal for the capabilities of the biplane that her pilot was enabled to strike his destination so exactly. Of course, the usual concourse of people gathered when the great bird-like structure fluttered down from the sky, but Dan sent a messenger to the man who looked after the shed, and soon had Vincent's masterpiece safely put away under lock and key. As he had been practising flying and strenuously testing the qualities of the machine, it was quite five o'clock before he was free to do what he would. As the distance from Rugby was just over eighty miles he could have arrived much earlier had he wished. But there was no need to do so, and every need to accustom himself to handling the biplane easily in view of the great race.
When Dan had given certain instructions to the man who looked after the shed and was responsible for the safety of the machine, he walked across the Heath to a comfortable inn, where he was well known, as he had put up at it many times previously. It was here that he had appointed the meeting with Marcus Penn, for the next morning, but so eager was he to come face to face with the man and wring the truth out of him, that he almost decided to walk to Lord Curberry's house, which was two miles distant. But a swift reflection that he could do nothing until the next morning--since Penn had to be coaxed on to the aeroplane and certainly would decline a night-run--decided him to wait. The "Black Bull" was a particularly comfortable hotel and the landlady supplied tasty dinners; therefore Halliday took the good the gods sent him and settled down for a quiet evening. After a stroll to the shed to see that Vincent's creation was all right he returned to the inn and went to bed. His nerves speedily relaxed, and he slept deeply until nine o'clock in the morning. As he had invited Penn to see him at eleven, he had just time to take his breakfast comfortably, read the newspaper, and saunter; out to take the fresh air before his visitor arrived.