CHAPTER XVII
AN UNEXPECTED OFFER
Blank amazement, despair, fear and anger showed on the faces of themotor boys, as they looked at one another and then at the watchman,Boise. The latter, no less than our heroes, was startled. He saw atonce that something was wrong.
“And you let the airship go--our _Comet_?” asked Jerry, as if he couldnot believe the words.
“I did. I thought it was all right. This Noddy Nixon said he was afriend of yours, and he had two letters. They were orders on me to giveup the airship, and, as I was expecting you any day, I thought it wasthe thing to do. Here are the orders now,” and he pulled two pieces ofpaper from his pocket.
“Let’s see ’em!” exclaimed Jerry eagerly.
Bob and Ned looked over his shoulder as the tall lad read. Clearlyenough the letters purported to be orders on Boise for the deliveryof the _Comet_. But it needed only a glance to show that they wereforgeries.
“I never signed that letter!” cried Jerry wrathfully. “I might haveknown Noddy would be up to some trick like this.”
“And that isn’t Mr. Glassford’s writing, either,” added Ned. “I havea letter from him in my pocket, explaining where he would leave the_Comet_ for us,” and he pulled out the epistle, comparing it with theone Boise had handed over. Though there was some similarity betweenthe two signatures, the boys could easily see that the order forthe airship had been forged. There was no question as to the letterpurporting to be signed by Jerry. That signature was not a bit like his.
“And yet these don’t look as if Noddy wrote them,” spoke Jerry, as hescanned the forged documents. “He couldn’t write as firm a hand asthis.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised but what that former college teacher did it,”suggested Professor Snodgrass. “He has probably added forgery to hisother accomplishments. Let me take a look. I don’t know his writing,but I can tell an educated hand.”
The professor looked carefully at the two documents, and said it wasvery evident that Dr. Belgrade had written them.
“It is too finished a hand to have been penned by a lad like NoddyNixon,” declared Uriah Snodgrass. “Probably Noddy did not feel equalto that part of the work, and got his crony to attempt it.”
“I believe you’re right,” agreed Jerry. “But what did they do with theairship, Mr. Boise?”
“Took her away, and right from in front of my face. Oh, I was a ninnyto stand there and see ’em do it!”
“It wasn’t your fault,” declared Jerry. “Almost anyone would have givenup the craft, after receiving two such orders as these. But where didthey go?”
“That I can’t say. They seemed in very much of a hurry, and, after Ihad unlocked the big doors, and opened ’em, they wheeled the _Comet_out, and started her up. She ran beautifully, too, for Mr. Glassfordhad told me to keep her ready for a quick flight, and I did. There wasplenty of gasolene in the tanks, and she was fit for a big journey.”
“Were there three of them?” asked Bob.
“Yes, the young fellow, who the others called Noddy, a rough sort of achap, and a slick-looking man.”
“Bill Berry and Dr. Belgrade, all right,” commented Ned.
“Did you hear them say where they were going?” asked Jerry.
“No, they didn’t talk much. Just a few words. They seemed to know howto work the machinery, and I never had a suspicion that anything waswrong. I did ask ’em where they expected to meet you boys, and Noddysaid somewhere outside of Denver.”
“I guess that part was the only true thing he said,” remarked Jerrygrimly. “And when we do meet him, outside of Denver, or anywhere else,well----”
He did not finish, but there was a stern look on his face.
“Which way did they head, as they started off?” asked Ned, seeking forpossible clews.
“I couldn’t say,” replied Boise. “I watched ’em until they got high inthe air, and then they got beyond my sight. I haven’t very good eyes,so I couldn’t say where they did head for.”
“Did they take any provisions along?” Bob wanted to know, and this timehis chums did not laugh at him, for they realized the wisdom of hisquestion.
“None that I saw,” replied the watchman. “And there were none in theairship.”
“Then they can’t go very far!” cried Bob. “Fellows, we’ve got to getright after ’em. They’ll have to come down to feed, and that will beour chance.”
“But how can we get after ’em?” asked Jerry. “On foot? Our airship isgone, and our auto is hundreds of miles away. How are we going to doit?”
“That’s so,” agreed Bob, much downcast.
“An airship is what we need,” commented Ned, “and that’s out of thequestion.”
“There were plenty here a while ago,” remarked the watchman, “butthey’ve been taken away since the meet. Oh, I’m so sorry I let thosefellows fool me!”
“You couldn’t help it,” declared Jerry kindly. “Now it’s up to us toget busy, and make Noddy pay for the trouble he has caused us. Come on,boys. We’ll get back to the hotel, and talk it over. Something has gotto be done.”
“Yes,” agreed Professor Snodgrass, “we must get to Snake Island beforethey do, or they may get the only two-tailed toad that is there.”
“And, naturally, they’ll get all the radium,” spoke Ned.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything more for you,” said Boise. “I justcame out this morning, after closing the hangar up last night, to get afew things I’d left behind. My work here is done, and I’m looking for anew job. If I could help you I would.”
“I’m afraid you can’t,” replied Jerry, and, parting from Boise, theystarted for the trolley that would take them back to their hotel. Theywere sad and discouraged. After all their hard work and preparations,to be thus beaten by Noddy and his plotters! It was the worst of badluck.
“Gentleman here to see you,” remarked the hotel clerk when they wentup to the desk to get the keys to their adjoining rooms. “He’s in thereading-room now, I think. Said he’d wait a little while for you.”
“Who is he?” asked Ned eagerly.
“He didn’t leave his name. Front!” he called to one of the bell boys,“tell that gentleman with the tall hat, in the reading-room, that theyoung gentlemen he was asking for have come in now.”
“Yes, sir!” exclaimed the lad whose coat was a mass of buttons.
“We’ll go in the reading-room, and talk to him,” suggested Jerry,wondering who their visitor could be. As the three lads entered theapartment they saw a familiar figure at the far end.
“Mr. Montrose!” exclaimed Ned, as he recognized the father of littleGladys, whom they had rescued from the wreck.
“Oh, boys! I’m glad to see you!” cried Mr. Montrose. “I’ve beeninquiring at half the hotels in Denver for you. I came on with my wifea while ago. She is much better, and as soon as I got home with her sheinsisted that I look you up. Gladys wants to see you also, and, as Iforgot in the excitement to ask what hotel you were going to stop at,though I heard you say you were coming to this city, and as I mislaidyour cards, the only way I had to find you was to describe you to thedifferent hotel clerks. But at last I found you. I’m so glad! I wantyou to come out to my house at once.”
Then, as if struck by something in the lads’ faces the gentleman asked:
“Why, what is the matter? Has anything happened?”
“Yes, there has!” exclaimed Bob impulsively. “Our airship has beentaken by Noddy Nixon,” and then, in a few brief words the boys told ofwhat had happened.
“And so he got ahead of you, after all,” commented Mr. Montrose, “andflew away in your airship?”
“Yes, and we want to chase him, for he can’t get very far, but wehaven’t anything to do it in,” remarked Ned.
“We need another airship,” added Jerry.
“Another airship!” exclaimed Mr. Montrose. “How big a one? Would abiplane, carrying three, answer?”
“Would it?” cried Jerry. “It c
ertainly would! Even if we couldn’t takeany provisions along for Chunky. But where could we get one on suchshort notice?”
“From me!” suddenly exclaimed Mr. Montrose. “Boys, I’ve been wonderinghow I could reward you for what you did for me--saving my daughter. Iknew it would have to be something out of the ordinary. And this givesme just the chance I want. I’ll provide you with an aeroplane, so youcan chase after Noddy Nixon!”
“But we need it right away!” cried Jerry. “There isn’t time to have onemade.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I have one that’s in perfect order, if you canbelieve the man who made it. And it has flown recently, so it ought togo now. You can start this afternoon, I guess. Come and sit down, andI’ll tell you all about it,” and Mr. Montrose led the boys toward aquiet corner of the reading-room.