CHAPTER I
NED IS WORRIED
"Well, Chunky, what do you think of the idea?"
"Oh, I don't know, Jerry. It seems as if it might be a good one, butwe've got a fine air-ship now, and it would be a pity to spoil it."
"Who said anything about spoiling it?" demanded Jerry Hopkins, inrather indignant tones, as he looked across the table at his chum, BobBaker, whose stoutness had gained him the nickname of Chunky. "Whowants to spoil the _Comet_, you old calamity howler?"
"Well, aren't you talking of ripping it apart and putting somenew-fangled attachment on it? I say let well enough alone."
"Say, if everybody was like you, Bob, there wouldn't be much done inthis world. 'Let well enough alone!' If Columbus had said that, Americawould never have been discovered."
"Oh, get out!"
"No, I'll not. Here I come and propose a good improvement for ourair-ship, something that will make it possible to do stunts over water,and you sit down on it!"
"What, sit on the water?" asked Bob, with a mischievous grin. "You knowI never was much good at floating, Jerry."
"Oh, cut it out! Now be serious if it's possible. Honestly, what do youthink of the idea? Look at the illustration there. It shows a fellowin an aeroplane getting his start on the water instead of on land, andrising up in the air. The article says that by means of the hydroplanesit is possible for an aeroplane to also land on the water and float.Now what I want to do is to attach hydroplanes to our _Comet_. Howabout it?"
"Gee! Anybody'd think you were delivering a lecture on aeronautics,Jerry! But, as I said, I don't know what to say. You sprang this thingon me so suddenly. I'd like a chance to think it over."
"Think it over! Why, it oughtn't to take long to decide on a featurelike this. Our air-ship is old-fashioned now. We've had it quite awhile, and you know there has been a big advance made among the birdmenlately. Hydroplanes are the latest idea, and I say we ought to putthem on the _Comet_, and also make other improvements. But I can't doit unless you and Ned agree, as we each own a third interest in ourair-ship."
"That's so. I wonder where Ned is?" and Bob looked out of the window,hoping he might see the third member of the motor boys' trio. "Didn'tyou meet him on your way over to my house, Jerry?"
"No. I stopped for him, but his mother said he was down at his father'sdepartment store. Say, I shouldn't be surprised but what there was sometrouble in the Slade family, Bob."
"Why?" asked the stout youth, his attention temporarily taken off thesubject of air-ships by the serious tone in which his chum spoke. "Whatmakes you think that, Jerry?"
"Because Mrs. Slade looked worried, and, come to think of it, Nedhasn't been around much with us lately. He's been down in the store anumber of nights, helping his father on the books, he said. I shouldn'tbe a bit surprised if there was some trouble in the business."
"I hope not. But I wish Ned were here to help settle this question."
"It won't take long to settle it when he does come," retorted Jerry,rising and going over to the window, where he could get a better lighton a magazine he had brought so that he too might show his chum somenew ideas regarding air navigation. "I know Ned will agree with me,"went on the tall lad, "and you will be the obstructing party."
"Well, large bodies move slowly, you know, Jerry. It takes me sometime to make up my mind. Just what do you want to do to the _Comet_,anyhow? Put in a new steam-heating apparatus, or add a gymnasium, andshower-baths, and elevators?"
"Oh, don't get funny, Bob! I'm serious. What I want to do is to addthe hydroplane feature. That's the biggest improvement, though thereare several smaller ones to be put in. But it won't be much work toattach the hydroplanes. All we need to do is to build on some air-tightfloats, or boxes, which will do on the water exactly what the bicyclewheels of an aeroplane do on land--support it. Then, in case we have anaccident, say over the ocean, we can just drop down, and float until wemake repairs. Or, for that matter we can swim along on the water."
"Why, you don't expect to go over the ocean, do you?"
"No, but you never can tell what you want to do," declared Jerry, "andthe hydroplanes might be very useful some day."
The time was to come, and that not far distant, when Jerry's predictionwas to bear fruit.
"Well, I'm not in favor of ripping the good old _Comet_ too muchapart," declared Bob firmly. "She carried us many a mile, and did goodservice. Why, look at all we did in her. Look what a help she was inrescuing those poor people from the valley, when Professor Snodgrassgot his flying lizard."
"That's all true, but if we have a motor-ship that can go on the water,the professor can get a flying fish, or something like that, in case hegoes along with us on the next trip."
"Oh, he'll go all right enough," spoke Bob, with a laugh. "Dear oldprofessor! We wouldn't know how to get along without him, though hesometimes does the oddest things."
"You're getting away from the main discussion," said Jerry. "What aboutmaking the changes?"
"I'm not exactly in favor of them!" remarked Bob, after a moment'sthought. "The _Comet_ was always good enough for us as she is, and whychange her?"
"Oh, you and your 'good enough'!" burst out Jerry. "Why don't you havesome progressive spirit in you?"
"I have, only I don't want to spoil a good thing and----"
"Hello! Here comes Ned, now!" interrupted Jerry, looking out on theporch, the steps of which a youth was at that moment ascending.
"Well, we'll see what he says," remarked Bob. "I'll wager that he'llagree with me."
"No, he'll say that I'm right," came from Jerry. "I'll let him in."
Jerry was so eager to hear what the new-comer would say, and Bob,because of his fleshy build, was so slow in getting up that the talllad was at the front door before the young host had reached the portal,and had admitted Ned Slade.
"Just in time, Ned!" greeted Jerry. "You have the deciding vote."
"What about?" asked Ned, and his chums were at once aware of a changein his manner. He spoke listlessly, and as if he was little interested.He seemed tired out, too, as if he had been working too hard, and yetit was only the beginning of the summer vacation.
"It's about our motor-ship," began Jerry.
"He wants to cut her all up, put on racing skates, or water shoes, orsomething like that, and add a lot of improvements," broke in Bob, witha grin at his tall chum.
"Hydroplanes! hydroplanes! not water shoes, you old backwoodsman!"cried Jerry. "Here, Ned, let me explain," and with that the tall ladlaunched into a lively description of the proposed changes, with Bobinterrupting every now and then with an objection, or with some queercomment.
While the boys are thus engaged, I will take a moment to tell yousomething about them, for, though many of my readers are wellacquainted with the motor lads, some of my new friends may never havebeen introduced to them.
The three chums were Jerry Hopkins, son of a widow, Mrs. Julia Hopkins;Bob Baker, whose father, Mr. Andrew Baker, was a wealthy banker; andNed Slade, son of Aaron Slade, proprietor of a large department store.
The chums lived in Cresville, not far from Boston, and they had gainedthe title "Motor Boys" from the fact that they had been associatedwith motor vehicles for a long time.
Their early adventures on bicycles were told of in the first volume ofthis series, entitled, "The Motor Boys." Later they got motor-cycles,and soon after that an automobile. In this machine they made a longtrip overland, taking with them a certain Professor Uriah Snodgrass,a learned scientist, who was always searching for some queer bug,reptile, or butterfly.
The boys went to Mexico, discovered a buried city, and returned acrossthe plains, and later they purchased a motor-boat.
In this fine craft, named the _Dartaway_, they had many adventures,not a few of which are set down in the fifth volume of the seriescalled "The Motor Boys Afloat." They made a long trip on the Atlantic,and during the following vacation had some surprising adventures inthe Everglades of Florida. Some time later they made a vo
yage on thePacific ocean in search of a mysterious derelict. On this and on othertrips they had much trouble from a bully, Noddy Nixon, and his crony,Bill Berry.
By this time the conquest of the air was well under way, and it mighthave been expected that our heroes would take part in it. They builtan air-ship, with the aid of a Mr. Glassford, and a wonderful craftit was. Christened the _Comet_, their motor-ship was a combination ofa dirigible balloon and an aeroplane. That is, there was a gas bag,which alone would support the machine in air, and there were also sideplanes, which were of service in case of accident to the gas bag.
In the book called "The Motor Boys in the Clouds," the air-ship isfully described, so I will not take up space here to give the detailsof its construction. Sufficient to say that it was capable of longflights; it had a powerful motor and other machinery, and there was aroomy cabin in which the travellers of the air could live in comfort.Large propellers enabled the _Comet_ to travel at a good speed.
Aboard her the boys had some exciting times, and in the book named "TheMotor Boys Over the Rockies," they were the means of rescuing a partyof white men and women who had long been held in captivity by a band ofIndians.
Returning from this trip, on which they were accompanied by ProfessorSnodgrass, our friends resumed their studies, and, now that winter wasover, and vacation at hand, they were planning for new adventures.
As has just been told, Jerry Hopkins had called on his chum Bob topropose certain changes in the _Comet_.
"Well, what do you think of my scheme?" asked the widow's son, as hefinished explaining to Ned.
"Oh, I don't know," was Ned's rather listless answer.
"Oh, for cats' sake!" cried Jerry. "Don't be as Bob was! Say something,even if you don't agree with me. If both of you are down on the idea,that settles it, and we'll leave the _Comet_ as she is."
"That's what I say!" remarked Bob.
"Let's hear what Ned has to propose," suggested the tall lad. He lookedat his other chum, but Ned appeared strangely indifferent. He satlooking out of the window, his thoughts apparently elsewhere.
"Well, what about it, Ned?" asked Jerry, after a pause.
"About what?" inquired Ned, with a start.
"Why, this air-ship!" exclaimed Jerry, in some surprise. "Haven't youbeen listening to what I've said?"
"To tell you the truth, I haven't paid much attention," admitted Ned.
"What's the matter?" demanded Bob. "Are you in trouble, Ned?"
"Well, no, not exactly," and Ned spoke slowly. "That is, _I'm_ not,but dad---- Oh, I forgot. I'm not supposed to tell," and once more Nedgazed gloomily out of the window.
"Look here, Ned," spoke Jerry softly. "I didn't mean to inflict thistalk on you when you've got other things to think about."
"Oh, that's all right, Jerry."
"And if there's anything Bob or I can do----"
"Of course," broke in the fat lad. "Can't we help you, Ned?"
"Well, I don't know. Dad doesn't want it talked about, though it'sbound to come out soon, anyhow, I guess. If I tell you fellows it won'tgo any further, will it?"
"Of course not!" exclaimed Jerry and Bob together.
"I needn't have asked that; I might have known it wouldn't," said Ned."Well, the truth of it is that dad's business is in bad shape."
"Do you mean that he is going to fail?" asked Jerry.
"Well, it might amount to that, though we hope to stave it off. I'vebeen helping him on his books lately, that's what makes me so tired.I've been up late for several nights. The business is in fairly goodshape, and can be made better if we could do certain things."
"What are they?" asked Bob.
"It's too complicated to go much into detail over," explained Ned,"but, in brief, it's this: Certain opposition to dad's department-storebusiness is being organized by a powerful syndicate. Now, if dad couldget the help and co-operation of a certain man, everything would be allright."
"Who is the man?" asked Jerry.
"His name is Mr. Wescott Jackson. He once was in great trouble, and myfather aided him. Dad knows that if he could get into communicationwith this man he would be only too glad to help him, lend him hisinfluence, and all that, and then the business wouldn't suffer."
"Well, why doesn't he ask aid of this Mr. Jackson, then, Ned?" inquiredJerry.
"He'd be only too glad to, but he can't locate him. And, another thing,dad's enemies are interested in keeping Mr. Jackson away from father.That is, they don't want dad to get word to him of his trouble. So thatcomplicates matters. If I could only talk to Mr. Jackson, and get hissignature to certain documents, everything would be all right."
"Well, why can't you?" asked Bob.
"I don't know where to look for Mr. Jackson."
"Say! we've done harder things than that!" cried Jerry suddenly."What's the matter with the three of us having a hunt for this Mr.Jackson? Can't we aid you, Ned?"
"I only wish you could."
"We can!" declared the tall youth, with energy. "Bob--Ned! We'll letthe air-ship go for a while, and we'll devote all our energies tofinding Mr. Jackson. What do you say, Bob?"
"I'm with you from the drop of the hat!"
"Good! Then, Ned, you can consider that your father's troubles, andyours, too, are in a fair way to be settled when the Motor Boys get onthe trail," and the tall lad clapped his chum on the back with heartygood-will.