CHAPTER X
PLANNING A MOTOR SHIP
The crowd was running from all directions to get closer views of thedirigible balloons before they should be put away in the tents orsheds. The man who had spoken to Ned stood near the motor boys andtheir friends.
"Excuse me for intruding," he said with a smile, "but I could not helphearing what you were talking about, and I felt that it would not beout of place to say what I did."
"Are you a builder of airships?" asked Jerry.
"I have built one or two. I am also a balloonist. I have plans, justperfected, for a very fine motor ship, something like that one withplanes attached to the gas bag, but a great improvement over it. But Ineed money to build it. I have a model, however."
"Where is it?" asked Jerry.
"At my home in Middletown."
"That's not far from where we are," exclaimed Ned. "We're fromCresville," he added for the stranger's benefit.
"Are you interested in airships?" asked the man.
"Very much so," was Jerry's answer. "We would like to see your model,Mr.--ah----"
"Glassford is my name--Rupert Glassford."
"Why didn't you bring your model here to exhibit it?" asked Bob.
"Because the committee would not let me. I offered to, but they saidthey only wanted real machines that would sail through the air."
"Like Noddy's tin fly," spoke Ned with a laugh.
"Yes, that's a sample of some of the freaks they allowed to beexhibited here," went on the man somewhat bitterly. "But a realairship, built on up-to-date ideas, even if it was only a model, theywouldn't admit. If I could have shown it perhaps I could have inducedsome rich man to put up money enough to build one. As it is, I'll haveto wait--and see others get ahead of me, perhaps."
"Maybe we could help you," said Jerry quietly. "How much would it taketo build your motor ship?"
"More than you boys could raise, I'm afraid."
"You don't know how much these boys can raise!" exclaimed Andy Rushadmiringly. "They own a gold mine."
Mr. Glassford laughed.
"I guess you're affected by some of the sights you've seen at thiscarnival," he said to the little chap.
"It's true enough," spoke Jerry quietly. "We do own an interest in avaluable gold mine, and we have considerable money. If a motor ship didnot cost too much we might build it."
"Do you mean that?" exclaimed the man, a hopeful look coming into hisface.
"Certainly. I have been thinking of it for some time. Ever since Iheard of this carnival. I don't know how my chums feel about it, but,as for me, I'm for an airship."
"And we're with you!" cried Ned and Bob.
"Get an airship, Jerry," added Ned.
"One with planes, so if we fall we'll come down easy," put in Bob.
"Chunky's so heavy he doesn't relish a fall from the clouds," remarkedAlice.
"Are you boys really in earnest?" asked Mr. Glassford.
"We certainly are," declared Jerry. "If you can show us a good modelof a motor ship, and your plans seem feasible, though I admit we don'tknow much about such things, we will furnish the money to build adirigible balloon, provided, of course, that the cost is not too high."
"It will not cost as much as a high-class automobile would," said Mr.Glassford. "For five thousand dollars I can build my motor ship, and Iknow you'll be satisfied with it."
"When can we see the plans and model?" inquired Jerry.
"Any time you want to. I'll bring them to Cresville if you say so."
"That would be a good idea. Bob's and Ned's fathers would probably wantto look them over, and my mother will likely take an interest in them.So if you can come to Cresville next week we will meet you. Suppose youcome to my house?"
"I will be very pleased to. I can furnish references that I know mybusiness. I have built a number of balloons, but this is my firstattempt at a dirigible one. I know I can succeed, however, and if youwill furnish the cash there is no reason why you boys cannot take along trip in one."
"A trip for fame and fortune!" exclaimed Ned enthusiastically. "Me forthe motor ship. Automobiling and motor boating are back numbers now."
Mr. Glassford left soon after this, promising to come to Cresvillein about a week, bringing his plans and model with him, and also hisreferences.
"Well, I wonder if there'll be anything more to see this afternoon?"remarked Jerry as the group of young people moved away from thevicinity of the dirigible balloons, which had nearly all been put away.
"Kite-flying contests are on the program," said Andy.
But neither the boys nor girls cared much for this, so they went to avaudeville show on the grounds, and then Ned treated the crowd to icecream. After that it was time for the girls to start home, as they hadonly come with the intention of remaining one day.
The boys bade them good-by with some feelings of regret, and went totheir hotel.
The following three days at the carnival were given up to othercontests of the dirigible balloons, in every one of which number five,Jerry's favorite, was a winner. There were also aeroplane races andcontests, and, though these heavier-than-air machines were ratherlimited in their flights, some of them did remarkably well. But theboys held to the dirigible balloon as the model which they would haveif everything went well and there was no objection to their owning amotor ship.
They left the carnival on Friday, as it was to close the followingday, and motored back to Cresville, having spent an enjoyable week andlearned much about airships.
"I wonder what happened to Noddy after his _Firefly_ tried to plow upthe earth?" asked Bob.
"I heard he took what was left of his machine away from the grounds,"replied Andy, who was a good news gatherer.
"Well, we'll show him an airship as is an airship," remarked Ned. "Waituntil we get Mr. Glassford to work on his."
"We'll put it all over Noddy," was Bob's opinion. "Won't he be mad,though!"
"Well, I only hope we can get a motor ship that will work," said Jerrythoughtfully. "The more I see and hear of these air machines the moreuncertain I think they are. A strong wind seems to play topsy-turvywith them. See what happened to the aeroplane."
"Oh, ours won't be that kind," declared Ned. "We'll fly, all right. Iwish we had it now, instead of this auto, to get home in."
"You ought to be glad of the auto," replied Jerry. "Still, I wish, too,that we had our new motor ship."