CHAPTER XXX
A FLIGHT BY NIGHT
“Young man,” said the chief of the mounted officers, “I heard what yousaid, and I want to warn you to be careful.” His tone was firm, butrespectful, and Jerry, looking at the group of those surrounding thecrippled airship, saw a grin of malicious delight on the face of NoddyNixon.
“We are going to stand up for our rights,” said the tall lad.
“I can’t blame you for that,” went on the officer. “But don’t talkof fighting. We are in authority here. I might add that under thecircumstances, and in view of the information given to us, we couldonly act as we did and halt you.”
“Do you know the whole story?” asked Jerry.
“No, but I am informed that you are citizens of the United States, thatyou have in your possession gold taken from the Dominion of Canada, andthat you propose to take it into the United States, across the Border,in violation not only of the customs laws, but of the internationallaw regarding treasure as well. Is that correct?”
“Well, I suppose it is--in a measure,” admitted Jerry. “But I shouldlike to tell you the whole story. Will you come in, you and the otherofficers?”
“We will be glad to,” said the mounted man, in more genial tones. “Weare sorry for what we had to do, but we must enforce the laws.”
“That’s all right,” said the tall lad. “Maybe you’ll feel differentlyafter you hear all the facts.”
The men tied their horses to some trees, and approached the airshipthrough the mist that was falling. Noddy and some of his croniesstarted to follow, evidently not liking it in the storm.
“No, you don’t!” cried Jim Nestor, barring the way of all save thepolice. “You fellows can stay out. Harvey, get busy here. There’s someundesirable citizens trying to get in,” and the two Westerners provedan effectual barrier against the plotters.
Jerry lost little time in telling the story of the search for thegold, adding his suspicions of how Noddy Nixon had followed them, andjoined forces with the unscrupulous men who had first tried to take Mr.Brill’s wealth from him.
“It is true that we found the gold in Canada,” explained Jerry; “butit was washed there, after being dug in the United States, and only byaccident did it get over the Border. We surely had a right to recoverour own property, and bring it back.”
“Hum! That puts a different face on it,” said the chief officer,obviously much puzzled. “I did not know that. I will have to report tomy superiors,” he went on. “It will take some little time, and I amsorry for the delay caused you. If what you say is true, and I have noreason to doubt it, we have no jurisdiction over you. I shall at onceride to the nearest telegraph station and make a full report of thematter to my superiors. Then if everything turns out as I expect itwill, you may go.”
He and his companions left, after Jerry had insisted on their takingsome hot coffee which Bob made. As they got outside, the mounted policewere surrounded by Noddy and his cronies, eager to learn what had takenplace in the airship. That they were disappointed by the outcome wasevident.
“They’re going to have their own troubles getting hold of this gold!”declared Mr. Brill, grimly.
“And if they make any move toward my luminous snakes!” exclaimed theprofessor, “I--I’ll fight ’em--that’s what I will!”
The mounted officers rode off in the storm, and Noddy and hiscompanions made a rough camp not far from the stalled airship.
“What are you going to do, Jerry?” asked Ned, as dinner time drew near.“Stay here and wait for those officers to come back?”
“I am not!” declared the tall youth.
“What then?”
“We leave here to-night!”
“To-night?”
“Yes. I know what the decision will be--in our favor--and there is nouse staying here and taking chances with that crowd,” and he noddedtoward the campers.
“The gold is ours,” he went on, “and we have a right to take it wherewe please. The mounted police admitted as much. It was all a bluff onthe part of Noddy’s crowd to make trouble. Maybe they thought theycould, in some way, get possession of the nuggets. But we’ll fool ’em.We’ll slip away to-night--after dark.”
“But how can we--when the gas bag is full of holes?” asked Mr. Brill.
“We’ll go as an aeroplane,” declared Jerry. “There is enough levelground here for a start, and those police won’t be back before morning.”
Night settled down, a cold, windy, stormy night, and Noddy and hiscronies in their camp were anything but comfortable. They seemed to bewaiting for the return of the police, but the Westerners expressed thebelief that the lawless men might try to rush the airship after darkand take the gold.
“We’ll stop ’em if they do,” declared Jim Nestor, grimly.
Strict watch was kept, and in the shelter of the craft Jerry and hischums went over all the machinery. They would not need to use the gasapparatus to get over the Border.
“I think there’s something doing out there,” reported Mr. Brill, aboutnine o’clock, coming in from the outer deck where he had been keepingwatch on the camp. “It looks like they were coming this way.”
“Let ’em come,” replied Jerry. “We’re ready to start. Turn on themotor, Ned!”
With a rush and a roar the _Comet_ shot across the ground. There wasa chorus of surprised cries, and one or two rifle shots. Then, like abird, the motorship sailed aloft, leaving the disappointed plottersbehind.
“We’re off!” yelled Ned.
“For the good old U. S. A.!” added Bob.
“Over the Border, and all the mounted police in Canada can’t touch us!”spoke Jerry, gleefully. “I think we’ve fooled ’em. They didn’t think wewould, or could, go.”
The cries and rifle shots died away in the darkness and the _Comet_swept on, out of danger.
Of the return trip little need be written. By morning they were overthe Border, in their own country, and out of Canadian jurisdiction.They found a good place, and made a descent to repair the gas bag, forthey could not tell when it might be needed. The storm was at an end,and in the sunny weather their spirits revived wonderfully. Many timesduring the course of the repairs they stopped to look at the gold,while Professor Snodgrass lovingly viewed his luminous snakes.
“Oh, but we sure had adventures this trip!” exclaimed Ned, when theywere ready to start off again.
“Yes, it came near to beating anything else we ever did,” agreed Jerry.
“I guess we’ll have to settle down now, for a while,” remarked Bob.
“Settle down! I guess not!” cried Jerry. “We’ll have some more fun assoon as we can,” and how they did it, and what it was, will be relatedin the next volume of this series, to be called “The Motor Boys Underthe Sea; Or, From Airship to Submarine.”
Once more they were on the wing. The _Comet_ swept along at wonderfulspeed and soon they were back at Kabspell, where they intended to taketheir motorship apart, and go home by train, with the gold and theprofessor’s snakes.
Everything went off well, and the troubles they had coming West werenot repeated on the trip East. How Noddy fared with the grub-stakerswho sought to get the gold they did not learn for some time later,but they did hear that the mounted police returned to the placewhere they had left the airship, intending to report that they hadno jurisdiction, and that Jerry and his chums could do just as theypleased. But the motor boys had done it anyhow.
The gold proved to be of more value than was thought, and the syndicateof the boys’ parents received their money back with good interest. JimNestor and Harvey Brill purchased their mine, and are still workingit. In fact it paid so well that Mr. Brill could help most of hispoor relations, including the stout aunt. Jake Paxton and Ike Weldon,the chief plotters of the grub-stakers, got into trouble soon aftertheir disappointing trip to the Border, and had to flee the country.Noddy and Bill came back, much chastened in spirit. The BlackfeetIndians, after their little excursion, were safely driven back on ther
eservation.
“Well, I wonder if Professor Snodgrass got his luminous snakes safelyto the museum?” said Ned to his chums one day several weeks later.
“Yes, I had a letter from him,” spoke Jerry. “He said he had receivedanother honorary degree. He’s got more letters to his name now thanever.”
“But, all the same, he’s a nice man,” observed Bob, who was munching apiece of cake, his chums having called at his house.
“That’s what he is,” agreed Ned. “Say, let’s go for a motorboat ride,and talk over where we’ll spend the summer vacation,” and with themotor boys thus on pleasure bent we will say good-bye to them.
THE END