CHAPTER XVI
NODDY'S PLOT
Instantly there was a commotion aboard the _Comet_. The boys startedto their feet, and with fear in their eyes looked forward to where Mr.Glassford stood in the small pilot house. The airship continued todescend, but not so rapidly as before.
"Are we--is there any danger?" cried Jerry. "Shall I let go some of theballast?"
"Not a bagful," replied the inventor calmly. "Nothing has happened.One of the chains operating the propellers has broken, and I stoppedthe motor before it could get tangled in the wheels. Then I let outa little gas to bring us down. We must make a descent, but there isnothing serious the matter. I can fix it in half an hour, and we can goup again."
"I thought some one had shot a hole in the gas bag," remarked Bob.
"Some one was certainly shooting at us," added Ned. "Look down there.Something is the matter."
There did appear to be some trouble in that portion of the throngdirectly below the motor ship. Men were running about, and loud shoutscontinued to be heard.
"Maybe they're afraid we're falling," ventured Jerry.
"Perhaps," said Mr. Glassford. "I shall have to let a little more gasout. I used a rather strong mixture. But I think I can get down now byusing the depression rudder and shifting the planes. That will save thegas."
"It doesn't seem right that any one should shoot at us," said ProfessorSnodgrass calmly, as if such a proceeding was even permissible.
"Well, I should say not!" exclaimed Jerry. "If I find out who it wasI'll make him sorry for it!"
"I think I can almost guess who it was," said Bob.
"You mean Noddy Nixon?" asked Ned, and the stout youth nodded an assent.
Professor Snodgrass was the calmest person aboard the motor ship. Thelittle accident had more or less affected Mr. Glassford and the boys,and the sound of bullets flying uncomfortably close to the big gas baghad not decreased their nervousness. But the professor continued tosurvey the surrounding atmosphere in search of new kinds of insects.Mr. Glassford had shut the gas outlet and had so tilted the planes andrudder that the big ship was approaching the earth on a slant, notmaking very rapid progress.
"We'll land as gently as a feather," prophesied Bob as he looked overthe side.
"That's my intention," replied Mr. Glassford with a smile. "It doesn'tdo to come down with a thump, you know. An airship, at best, as yet,is rather a delicate piece of machinery. I am sorry this accidenthappened, but it is better to discover the defects now than later."
The _Comet_ was soon resting on the ground, ready hands catching holdof the retaining ropes and making them fast to stakes driven into theearth for that purpose, while bags of sand, that had been detached whenthe ascent was made, were again fastened on to make up for the weightof the travelers, who alighted amid the cheers of the throng.
"Well, ye done it, all right," cried an old man, as he tried to shakehands with Mr. Glassford, the boys and Professor Snodgrass all at thesame time. "Land o' Goshen, but ye done it! I never thought ye would."
"Yes, we made a fairly successful flight," replied Mr. Glassford. "Butfor a slight accident we would have stayed up much longer."
"An accident!" exclaimed a tall youth, stepping forward. "Tell me aboutit, please. I'm a reporter from the Boston _Globe_, sent out here toget an account of this."
"One of the propeller transmission chains broke," said Mr. Glassford,and he proceeded to explain to the newspaper man what had happened.
Meanwhile, the motor boys were surrounded by an admiring throng. Someof their young acquaintances clearly regarded them as heroes of thevery highest type. The boys' parents were amid the throng, but as soonas they learned that everything had gone off comparatively safely, theydeparted, for the crowd was increasing all the while.
Andy Rush pushed his way through the press of people and called toJerry:
"Did any of the shot hit you?"
"Shot? Then some one was firing at us!" exclaimed Jerry. "Who was it,Andy?"
"Noddy Nixon!" replied the small chap. "He had a big airgun, and whenyou got up in the air he hid behind a tree and popped at you. I sawhim, and I told him I'd tell you. Did he hit you?"
"No, but he came near it. Where is he?"
"Over there somewhere, I guess," and Andy pointed to a clump of trees.
"I'll settle his hash!" exclaimed Jerry, righteously wrathful. "Comeon, fellows."
Professor Snodgrass had seen a new kind of bug as soon as he alightedfrom the car, and he was oblivious to everything else. Mr. Glassfordwas talking to the reporter, and in the eagerness to see the motor shipno one paid much attention to the three lads, who, led by Andy, startedoff to find the bully.
They caught sight of Noddy standing behind a big tree, and before herealized it the motor boys had surrounded him.
"Look here!" cried Jerry, "why did you shoot at us?"
"I didn't shoot at you."
"You did so!" cried Andy. "I saw you!"
"Aw, dry up!" exclaimed Noddy. "How could I shoot? I ain't got no gun."
"You haven't, eh? What's this?" asked Ned, suddenly pushing Noddy toone side and disclosing the fact that a powerful air-rifle was standingupright between the bully and the tree. Noddy had hoped that it wouldnot be seen, as, after his dastardly trick, he had not dared to leavethe grounds carrying the weapon.
For an instant following the discovery Noddy did not know what to say.Then he blurted out:
"That isn't mine! I didn't do any shooting with it."
Jerry, who was standing near the bully, caught hold of his hand. Thefingers were black.
"I guess that's evidence enough," he said quietly. "Your hands are allblack from handling lead shot, Noddy. We've got you with the goods!"
"And I saw him shoot," went on Andy. "I saw him aiming at you, and Iyelled at him, but he wouldn't stop. He fired a couple of times, and Iwas just going after a constable to arrest him, when something seemedto happen to the airship, and the crowd began to yell. I thought surehe'd put a hole in you."
Jerry's face showed the anger he felt. The other boys, too, looked asif they would like to thrash Noddy.
"I--I didn't mean to shoot at you," whined the bully, seeing that hewas fairly cornered. "I was shooting at some birds and--and--maybe thebullets went too close to you."
"I should think they did go too close," commented Ned. "You ought to bearrested for this."
"What did he do?" asked one of several men, who had approached thegroup of lads.
"He tried to puncture the balloon bag with his airgun, that's what hedid," declared Andy. "I saw him. He's mad because this airship works,and his tin fly didn't."
"He ought to be sent to jail," declared one of the men, a long-timeresident of Cresville. "It's a disgrace to the community to have such afellow in it. Instead of feeling jealous that this ship worked he oughtto be proud of the distinction that has come to our town. Where's aconstable? We'll have him arrested!"
"Don't any of you try to arrest me!" cried Noddy savagely. "I'll shootany one who touches me," and he caught up his air-rifle.
His threat was mere bravado, for he was too great a coward to attemptany such thing as that. But no one liked to run the risk of the gungoing off, perhaps accidentally, in the hands of the now thoroughlyfrightened youth. So they made no move to molest him as he sneaked away.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" cried the man who had championedthe cause of the motor boys. "If I see you around here when any moretests are going on I'll take you to the lockup myself."
"I wanted to get him arrested when I first saw what he was up to," wenton Andy, "but when I yelled to the crowd about what he was doing, everyone was so excited about you sailing along in the air that I couldn'tmake myself understood."
"I guess the crowd wasn't to blame, for if you talked as fast as youusually do when you're excited they couldn't make head or tail of whatyou said. But you're all right, Andy, even if you do use a little toomuch gasolene once in a while. We're much obliged to you. You can
takea trip with us next time."
"Can I, really? That's the stuff--up in the air--among the clouds--beatthe birds--sail with the wind--down again--up once more--over thehills----"
"Cut it out!" cried Ned. "You've done enough for one day, Andy. Now,boys, let's go back and see how Mr. Glassford is making out."
They found the inventor finishing his interview with the reporter, andsoon the motor ship was back in the tent, from which the crowd wasexcluded.
Meanwhile, Noddy Nixon, filled with unreasoning wrath, both at thesuccess of his rivals and over the fact that he had been discoveredin his mean trick, was walking slowly through the fields, carryinghis airgun. He did not notice a man approaching him, and was somewhatstartled when the stranger remarked:
"Didn't I see you shooting at the airship?"
"N-no--I--I wasn't shooting," stammered Noddy, thinking the man was aconstable sent after him.
"Oh, yes, you were," went on the man quietly. "I saw you," and heseemed so positive that Noddy did not deny it again. "But don't worry,"the stranger continued. "I'm not going to inform on you. I presume youmust have had some motive in trying to puncture the gas bag."
"I hate those fellows!" burst out Noddy. "They're enemies of mine, andare always making trouble for me," which was very far from the truth,as you readers who know Noddy of old can testify.
"Ah, then you haven't any love for them," went on the man.
"I guess not."
"I haven't, either," spoke the man vindictively.
"Why, do you know the motor boys?"
"No, but I have a very good reason to know that fellow Glassford,and, while of course I wouldn't want to see him or the boys hurt, I'dlike to get even with him for what he did to me. That's why I wasinterested in your attempt to put a hole in the gas bag."
"I wish I had," muttered Noddy.
"So do I. But maybe we can get square with him in another way."
"How do you mean? What have you got against him?"
"Plenty. I used to work for Glassford, but he discharged me afterstealing my plans for the airship--this same ship he sailed in to-day."
"Was that ship built on your plans?" asked Noddy quickly.
"It certainly was. I am the inventor of it, not Glassford. My name isGiles Hoswell."
"Why don't you sue him and make him give you back the plans?"
"Because I can't afford it. I am a poor man, and he evidently hasplenty of money."
"Not much. Jerry Hopkins and his chums furnished the cash to build thisairship."
"Yes, on my plans," went on Hoswell bitterly.
"Would you like to get your plans back?" asked Noddy.
"Of course, but what's the use talking about that? I don't stand anychance. I haven't any money."
"Can you prove that those plans are yours?"
"I certainly can."
"And if you could, do you suppose you could make him give up theairship?"
"I think so. But why do you ask?"
"Because I'm going to help you get your plans back and take the shipaway from them!" exclaimed Noddy. "My father has plenty of money, andI know he'll aid you. Come with me. I'll get even with the motor boysthis time, I guess." And chuckling with evil glee, Noddy led his newacquaintance over the fields.