CHAPTER IX
A DISASTROUS FLIGHT
Higher and higher soared the _Comet_, mounting upward on the wings ofthe wind until it was more than a mile in the air. Then Jerry broughther to a level keel, and turned on more power.
"Where you heading for?" asked Ned, noting that the machinery wasrunning almost at the limit of speed. "What's the haste, Jerry? Are youtrying for a record?"
"Not especially, though we might as well hit it up to see how therenovated motor works."
"It works fine, if you ask me," came from Bob. "We haven't traveled sofast since we were after Mr. Jackson. But then I guess if we're goingto try for a prize at the meet we'll need speed."
"That's one reason," conceded Jerry. "Another is, that I'm going to tryto get to Lake Martin and back before night."
"Ha! I see your game!" cried Ned. "You haven't had a chance to try thehydroplanes lately, and you are afraid they won't work."
"Not at all afraid of that," declared the tall lad, "but I _do_ want togive them another try-out."
"It's quite a trip to Lake Martin and back again--especially when wehaven't much food aboard," ventured Bob.
"Oh, what's the matter with you, Chunky?" cried Jerry. "You're alwaysthinking of eating. Forget it once in a while. We can easily make thelake, and be back for supper."
"If we don't have any accidents," put in the fat boy, somewhatdubiously. "I'm going to see what we have got in the galley," anddespite the laughing objections of his companions he departed toinspect the larder. He came back grinning cheerfully.
"Well?" asked Ned.
"Enough for a week!" exclaimed Bob in satisfied tones. "I forgot thatwe stocked up the other day. It's all right. Go as far as you like."
It was quite a trip to Lake Martin, but Jerry knew the _Comet_ couldeasily make it. They had gone farther than that in one day, and hewanted to try the hydroplanes on a large body of fresh water. He knew,or was practically certain, that they would work all right, but theyhad not been used since the trip over the ocean, when the boys rescuedMr. Jackson.
It was about an hour after they had started, and the _Comet_, wasspeeding swiftly along, when Mr. Snodgrass quickly arose from his seatamidships, and with a cry of delight, rushed toward the stern of thecraft.
"There's one!" he exclaimed. "One of the upper-air mosquitoes. Lookout, Bob, and I'll get him!"
With uplifted net the scientist headed for the very end of the _Comet_.Buzzing just out of his reach was a large insect, and so intent on itscapture was Mr. Snodgrass that he never noticed his own danger.
The rear of the airship ended in a sort of open deck or platform, thatwas used for various purposes. Usually a stout iron railing enclosedit, but, in order to make some changes, this railing had been takendown, and had not been replaced, though Jerry intended to do it beforegoing to the meet. But now the end of the craft was unprotected, andthe professor was running quickly toward it.
Eager as he was to capture the insect, there was every likelihood thathe would hurl himself off into space if he was not stopped. Ned sawhis danger and yelled:
"Professor! Professor! Stop! The railing is down! Look out!"
The scientist either did not hear or did not heed, but kept on.
"Stop the ship! Stop her! Send her down! He'll be killed if he falls!"cried Ned to Jerry. There was little doubt of this, for the _Comet_ wasnow two miles above the earth.
The professor was now within ten feet of the end of the platform, andit seemed that nothing could save him. But Ned and Jerry, who werelooking with horror in their eyes at their friend, reckoned withoutBob. The stout lad was on the after part of the motorship, at oneedge of the platform. He looked up as he heard the cries, and saw thescientist coming. Then Bob acted.
Instead of calling to Mr. Snodgrass, the fat lad fairly rolled outdirectly in his path, and lay there. There could be but one result. Theprofessor, his eyes fixed on the insect that was fluttering before him,did not see Bob. But he could not avoid him.
The next instant he had stumbled over him, and went down in a heap,about four feet from the end of the platform, his net slipping fromhis grasp, and falling off into space.
"Ugh!" grunted Bob, as the breath was knocked from him by the impactwith the professor.
"Oh, my dear boy! Did I hurt you?" exclaimed the scientist as he slowlyarose.
"Not--not much," gasped the fat youth.
"Oh dear! My best net is gone! And the insect has disappeared!"lamented Mr. Snodgrass.
"And in another minute _you_ would have disappeared!" declared Jerryhalf angrily. "You must not take such chances, Professor. Only for Bobyou would have been killed."
"Well, I'm much obliged to Bob, I'm sure," said Mr. Snodgrass witha curious air. "Very much obliged. I wonder where I can get anotherhandle for the new butterfly net which I must make?"
"And that's all he thinks about his narrow escape," commented Ned."Say, he'll give us heart disease if he keeps on this way."
"A miss is as good as two miles," observed Bob, as he rubbed hiship where the professor had fallen on him. "I'm glad he didn't gooverboard," he added as he looked at the earth far below them.
The professor, after thinking the matter over, began to realize whathe had escaped, and shook hands warmly with Bob. Then he forgot allabout the matter, in the work of making a new handle for another net heconstructed out of some thin cloth.
Meanwhile the _Comet_ was speeding on, and in less time than our heroesexpected they were at Lake Martin. Jerry sent the craft down to thesurface of the water, and landed on the hydroplanes. Then, setting thewater-screw in motion, he directed the motorship about on the lake, tothe no small amazement of some motor-boat enthusiasts who were there.Dinner was eaten afloat, and after giving the professor a chance tolook for the flying frog, but without success, preparations were madefor the return.
"I told you we could make the trip easily in a day," observed Jerry tohis chums, as, toward the close of the afternoon, they were nearingCresville.
"Yes, the _Comet_ is doing herself proud," declared Ned. "I hope wetake a prize with her at Colton."
"Sure we will," insisted Bob, who was feeling very fine because of agood dinner.
"We wouldn't if we depended on you," said Jerry, "though I must sayyou keep us up to the mark on grub," and the fat lad grinned inappreciation of this compliment.
They were about three miles from home, and were slowing up their speed,and coming down on a long slant, when Ned, who was looking from thewindow of the pilot house suddenly exclaimed:
"There's another aeroplane down there, fellows!"
"Where?" demanded Bob.
"Hovering over that meadow. See, it's a big biplane, too."
They looked and saw the white planes of a large aircraft.
"It's a new one--see how white the canvas is," commented Jerry.
"Looks just like the _Silver Star_," put in Bob. "Maybe Brown and Blackhave come to apologize to us."
"Not much," answered Ned grimly.
"Say, fellows, that's Noddy Nixon!" cried Andy Rush, who, strange tosay, had been rather quiet on this trip. "He has a biplane."
"So he has," agreed Jerry. "I shouldn't be surprised if it was Noddy,boys."
"Let's go down and see," proposed Bob. Accordingly the _Comet_ washeaded for the strange aircraft which was slowly skimming along overthe big meadow, at no great distance above the ground. There were twofigures in it, as our friends could observe, and they were guiding theaeroplane about in easy circles and figures of eight.
"It's Noddy all right," declared Jerry, when they had come near enoughto make out the occupants of the machine, "and Bill Berry is with him."
"Let's watch him for a while," suggested Bob, and his tall chum shutoff the propellers, let some gas blow from the compressor into the bigbag, so that the _Comet_ floated in the air like a balloon, at somedistance above the slowly-moving aeroplane of Noddy Nixon.
The bully and his crony had noticed the air-audience and, probably toshow off, they
increased the speed of their craft, though they did notascend any.
"Guess they're afraid," remarked Ned.
Then Andy Rush did something, which, if his companions could haveanticipated they would have prevented. Leaning over the side of the_Comet_, and directing his voice at Noddy and Bill, he loudly shouted:
"Hey, why don't you go up? Don't be afraid! Be sports! Come on up, theair is fine! Show us what you can do!"
Whether Noddy imagined it was one of the motor boys calling thusmockingly to him was not learned, but at any rate the bully retorted:
"Huh! afraid, are we? I'll show you!"
There was an increase to the speed of his motor, as our friends couldtell by the more rapid explosions, and the new aeroplane, boastfullynamed the _Winner_, shot upward.
"We'll show you what we can do!" cried Bill Berry. "Go right over theirheads, Noddy!"
"I will!" declared Noddy, and he pointed the nose of his craft straightat the _Comet_ on an upward slant.
"He's coming for us!" cried Ned.
"He may hit us!" added Bob.
"Not much danger I guess," replied Jerry. "He ought to be able to steerwell out of the way."
But the _Winner_ did seem to be coming alarmingly close to the _Comet_,and even Jerry was a bit apprehensive.
"Guess I'll get some steerage way on, and move up a bit, fellows,"decided the tall lad. But before he could do this something happened.
The _Winner_ was coming on rapidly. The malevolent faces of Noddy andBill could be made out now. They were both grinning.
"We'll cut over your heads all right!" boasted Noddy. "We'll show youhow to fly."
An instant later the nose of the _Winner_ was tilted upward still more,as Noddy shifted his rudder. It seemed as if the new craft would clearthe _Comet_, and that Noddy would make good his boast.
But just as Jerry got the propellers in motion, and as the motorshipwas slowly moving to one side the _Winner_ topped her. Right over theheads of our heroes flew Noddy.
Then came an ominous ripping, tearing sound, a hissing as fromcompressed air, and the _Comet_ began to sink.
"He's torn a hole in our gas bag! We're going down!" yelled Jerry, ashe leaped toward the motor room. "Ned--Bob! Start the vapor machine orwe'll crash to earth!"