CHAPTER XII
IN PERIL
"Say, isn't this great?" demanded Jerry of his companions, as hestood in the steering house, and directed the course of the _Comet_on the lake. "I guess now you agree with me, don't you, Bob, that thehydroplanes are all right?"
"Yes, they are," admitted the stout lad. "I didn't think they'd work sowell."
"Me, either," spoke Ned. "They'll be all right in case we have to goover some part of the ocean, or a large body of water, and somethinghappens so that we have to descend."
"I hope we _will_ very soon be over the ocean," remarked Mr. Snodgrassearnestly, as he came forward, holding in his hand a little bug, ofwhich he seemed to take great care. He had been so interested in itscapture that he had taken little notice of the landing on the lake.
"We'll try a flight over the water, perhaps a trip out to sea for a fewmiles, and back again," said Jerry. "Now that it works all right, I'mnot afraid to go anywhere in the _Comet_."
"But first we go to Danforth," said Ned.
"Of course, to see Mr. Jackson. There's no reason why we can't startto-morrow or the next day," said the tall lad.
"We can't get the grub and other things on board in that time,"objected Bob.
"Yes, we can, if we leave the eating part to you," declared Ned."You'll see that there's plenty of canned chicken and stuff like that,and Jerry and I can hustle in the stores, gasolene and supplies. Maybewe could start to-morrow, fellows."
"I'll do my share," agreed the fat lad.
"It's rather too short notice," objected Jerry. "But we can startin two or three days. I'll have to make a few little changes in themachinery, and we'll be all right then."
"All I care about is getting the singing fish," spoke ProfessorSnodgrass, scanning the surface of the lake as if he might sight aspecimen there.
The _Comet_ was moving slowly over the water. It was not built for verygreat speed in that element, being designed for use in the air, but itmade fairly good progress. By using the air propellers it could be madeto go much faster, and they would be put into operation when it wasdesigned to get a flying start so that the wing planes would lift thecraft up.
But now only the water propeller was being used, and as the _Comet_glided along she was soon surrounded by many other craft, the occupantsof which wanted to know what kind of a boat the boys had.
Their curiosity was satisfied in a measure, and one enthusiasticmotor-boat owner wanted to race.
"I'm afraid we're not in your class," objected Jerry. "If you wait afew minutes, though, we'll make an ascension, and then we'll accept thechallenge."
"I'm afraid _I_ wouldn't be in it then," answered the motor-boat manwith a laugh. "But you sure have a great craft there."
"We'll try the air propellers now," went on Jerry, "and see if we canget up speed enough to rise into the air without using the gas bag.That's a point of which I am still in doubt."
"Supposing we don't rise?" asked Bob.
"Oh, well, then we can force gas into the bag. But I'd like to try thewings now, and see how they work since we changed the shape and theangle of inclination."
"Go ahead," called Ned, and he and Bob helped Jerry to get themachinery ready for the new test. The water propeller was stopped, andsoon the air ones were whirring around like blurs of light.
"Clear the way!" yelled Jerry to a little flotilla of rowing and motorcraft that were in the path he proposed to take in skimming over thesurface of the water. "Clear the way, or we may run you down!"
The boats made haste to pull to one side or the other, leaving a lanealong which the _Comet_ could dash before mounting up into the air.
Faster and faster went the propellers. The motor-ship gathered way. Itwas sliding over the surface now on the hydroplanes, which were likelittle boats, or the runners of an ice yacht. More and more speed didthe _Comet_ develop.
"I guess she'll do it," murmured Jerry. "I'll tilt the elevation rudderin a few seconds and then--well, we'll see what will happen."
He looked ahead over the water course. The craft was makingconsiderable progress then, in a straight line. Jerry reached forthe lever that controlled the rudder which would send them aloft. Heglanced at the speed register and noted that they had not yet reachedsufficient momentum.
Suddenly, from the lee of a large sailing yacht that had come toanchor out of the path of the _Comet_ to watch the test, there shot arowboat containing a girl and a lady. Right in the path of the oncomingmotor-ship was the small boat.
"Look out!" yelled Jerry through a megaphone.
"Pull to one side," added Ned, though they could not hear his voiceabove the noise of the engine.
"Row out! Row to one side!" cried Jerry again. "We'll run you down! Wecan't steer to the right or left without capsizing!"
This was true, for to swerve the motor-ship off a straight course atthe speed at which she was going would have meant disaster.
"Look out! Look out!" yelled Jerry desperately, waving his arms inwarning. The sailors on the yacht now added their voices to thoseaboard the _Comet_, and the woman and girl became confused. Each onehad an oar, and they were not pulling together.
All at once the girl lost her blade overboard, and the lady, pulling onhers, sent the rowboat about in a circle. Around it spun, right in thepath of the oncoming _Comet_.
"Slow up! Go to the left--no the right--back up--we'll be killed--they'llbe killed--jump over them--up in the air--do something!" yelled AndyRush.
"Quiet!" shouted Jerry. He saw that it would be useless to call furtherto the occupants of the rowboat. They were helpless. Nor did it seempossible to stop the _Comet_ in time, though Jerry had his hand on thereverse lever. Even at slackened speed, if they hit the small boat,they would upset it, either killing the occupants or throwing theminto the water. And there was grave danger to the comparatively frail_Comet_, in the event of a collision.