CHAPTER XIII
JOFFY SEES A "GHOST"
Following a low-voiced conversation among the boys, to which AndyRush, in recognition of the service he had rendered, was admitted, Bobexclaimed:
"That's the stuff! That ought to cure him of bothering us. How soon canyou have it ready, Jerry?"
"In a couple of days. I'll work on it at odd times, as I don't wantthings here to get behind. There's lots to do yet on the airship."
"I hope you boys are not going to desert me," remarked Mr. Glassford,as he overheard Jerry's closing words. "I'll need your help every daynow."
"No, we're only getting up a little plan to scare that old nuisance,Joffy, and keep him away from this tent," explained Jerry. "If wedon't, he's likely to damage our _Comet_."
"Indeed, he is. Scare him good and proper while you're at it. But now,if you're ready, we'll adjust the planes and see how they look."
The boys were very busy the remainder of the day, and when they werefinished the airship looked more than ever like a machine that wouldnavigate the upper regions. It was large and imposing, and would bemore so when the car containing the machinery was in position.
That night Jerry and his chums spent several hours in the big tent,taking cautious observations outside, every now and then, to see thatneither Noddy nor Joffy were sneaking around to spy on them. The motorboys were not much bothered by the lads of the town, for they hadpromised all the youngsters, who did not annoy them by trying to gainadmittance to the tent at forbidden times, a trip in the airship.
"Well, it's 'most done," remarked Ned, when, close to midnight, theboys left the tent, a watchman being on guard to insure that no damagewould come to the _Comet_.
"Yes, we did better than I thought we would," admitted Jerry. "I canmake the dummy to-morrow night and then, with a couple of lanternsfastened to it, we'll be all ready to give Joffy something to thinkabout."
The next day the troublesome old man was seen around the tent, buthe did not attempt to enter. Possibly he did not see a good chance toannoy the boys.
"Is everything ready, Jerry?" asked Bob that evening, when, after theirday's work on the airship, the four lads were gathered in the tent.
"All ready," replied the chief conspirator. "All I have to do is daub alittle phosphorus on the dummy and it will be in shape to do the ghostdance. But I don't want to do that until the last minute. How's thewind, Ned?"
"Good, and in the right direction. We can stand in the clearing, andlet it go right over his cabin."
"That's the stuff. Well, we'll start as soon as it gets a littledarker."
Jerry and his chums gathered up several mysterious-looking packages,and a little later they left the tent by the rear, crawling under thecanvas to keep out of sight of any prying ones who might be gathered infront.
It was about a mile to where Sid Joffy lived alone in his cabin on theedge of the clearing. The boys soon covered the distance, however,and came to a halt in a little clump of woodland, just opposite thesomewhat dilapidated shack where the shiftless man made his home.
"He's in, for I can see a light in the cabin," whispered Ned.
"There's no telling by that," replied Jerry. "He'd leave a lamp burningall day and night rather than take the trouble to blow it out. Sneak upthere and take a look in."
"I will," volunteered Bob.
"No, Chunky, you're too heavy to go lightly. Let Andy go. He's smalland not so easily seen. But hold your hand over your mouth, Andy, soyou won't get to talking by mistake."
"I won't," promised the little chap, proud to be in on some scheme withhis friends the motor boys.
He glided off into the darkness, and presently returned.
"Is Joffy there?" asked Ned.
"Yes, and some one's with him."
"Who?"
"Noddy Nixon!"
"Noddy! Then he's probably plotting with Joffy to annoy us in someother way," declared Jerry in a whisper. "Well, we'll kill two birdswith one stone, and give Noddy a scare too. Have you got the cordfastened on, Ned?"
"Yep. It's all right. Easy, there, Bob, you nearly stepped through thekite."
"Yes; don't break that, or it's all off," cautioned Jerry, as heanxiously inspected a large box-kite, which was one of the things heand his chums had brought along. It was not damaged, and a little laterit was silently rising through the air, floating in the direction ofJoffy's lonely cottage.
"Now for the dummy," whispered Jerry. "Hold the kite string, Bob, whileI fasten the 'ghost' on."
Bob did as requested, and Jerry attached to the stout kite cord a lightfigure, in the shape of a man, but clad in ghostly white.
"Now for the phosphorus," went on Jerry, when he had the dummy inplace. "Don't get it on your clothes, fellows."
He poured a solution of the glowing stuff over the dummy, and then morecord was let out. There was a good breeze blowing, and soon the kitehad carried the dummy right over the cabin.
"Now the lanterns," ordered Jerry. "Hand 'em here, Ned."
Ned passed over two red Chinese lanterns, in which candles wereburning. They were fastened to the string, and when up in the airlooked like two fiery eyes, staring down from the blackness, for thenight was very dark.
"Say, that's all to the lolly-pops!" exclaimed Andy in a hoarsewhisper. "That'll scare him out of a year's growth."
"It isn't so bad," admitted Jerry, "even if I did make it myself."
He let out some more string, and then he and the other boys wenta little nearer to the cabin, taking care to keep out of sight bycrouching down behind the underbrush.
"All ready, fellows," whispered Jerry a little while afterward. "Groanfor all you're worth!"
A moment later such a series of unearthly noises came from the depthsof the woods that it sounded as though something dreadful had happened.The boys fairly outdid themselves.
"Here he comes!" said Jerry in a low voice, and a moment later a smallpatch of light, which had indicated that Joffy had opened his door,became larger, as he threw wide the portal.
The boys groaned more weirdly than before.
"What is it--cats?" the conspirators in their place of hiding heardsome one from within the hut ask old Joffy. They recognized NoddyNixon's voice.
"I never knowed cats to be around here," replied the man as he steppedfrom his cabin. He looked all about, and, of course, could see nothing.Then he gazed up.
No sooner had he done so than he let out a frightened yell, whichdrowned the noise of the groans.
"Look! See!" shouted Joffy, pointing upward. "It's a ghost! It's aghost in the air over my cabin! It's come to haunt me! I'm a dead man!This is a warnin' to me! My days are numbered! Oh! the ghost! theghost!"
"OH! THE GHOST, THE GHOST!" SHOUTED JOFFY.]
Jerry gave the kite cord a yank, and the phosphorous-covered figureswayed weirdly high in the air.
"Oh, he's comin' after me!" screamed Joffy. "He's comin' to git me!Save me, Noddy, save me!"
Hardly able to keep up their groaning because of their laughter, theboys saw Noddy rush to the door. He looked up to where Joffy pointed,and he too saw the ghostly figure.
Jerry groaned in a blood-curdling manner, yanked the string until thestrange figure danced again, and then in a hollow voice announced:
"Beware! Beware of the airship! Approach it not, or it will be yourdeath. Beware! Beware!"
"Oh! oh! I'll never go near it agin! Never! never! Not the longest dayI live and draw the breath of life! Good Mr. Ghost, please don't killme this time, an' I'll be good! Please, please, good Mr. Ghost!"
Whether Joffy's words took what little nerve Noddy had, or whetherthe sight of the ghost-like figure scared him, the boys could notdetermine, but with a frightened yell the bully dashed from the cabinand started across the clearing for town.
Jerry rapidly pulled in on the cord, and the figure in the air, withthe two red points dangling below it, seemed to be rushing downfrom the sky to attack the fleeing youth. Joffy saw it, and with afrightened scream he, too,
took to his heels and disappeared into thedarkness after Noddy.
"They'll never stop running until they get to the town," announcedJerry, as he gave a final series of groans, in which the boys joined."I guess we've taught both of them a lesson they won't forget in ahurry," and he proceeded to reel in the kite cord, to haul down thelanterns and the dummy.
"It worked better than I thought it would," said Ned as the motor boysstarted for home in great glee at having played this trick on theirmean enemies.