CHAPTER XVII
A SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT
"Well, boys," remarked Mr. Glassford as the flap of the tent was closedon the curious crowd that surged forward, "are you satisfied with theship?"
"We sure are," answered Jerry. "It did better than I thought it would."
"Even if we did have an accident," added Ned.
"That accident was nothing," declared Mr. Glassford. "It showed thateven when one does happen we are as safe in the upper air as we are onthe earth. But I think I will change the propellers. I want to makethem four-bladed. That will give us more power, and our motor willstand it. We can then navigate against a pretty strong wind."
"How long will it take?" asked Bob. "I'm anxious to go up again."
"About two days. Then we'll try another flight. I think we can take alittle heavier load, too."
"Then can I go along?" asked Andy eagerly.
"You're not much of a load, but I guess you can go," spoke Jerry."Well, I guess we can now call ourselves balloonists, aeroplanists orwhatever is the proper title. We've made our first flight."
"And it won't be the last," added Ned. "This is better than any of themachines did at the Broadlands exhibition."
"I told you I could build a better ship than any they had there,"remarked Mr. Glassford quietly. "Well, boys, suppose we get right towork on the new propellers."
They lost no time, and having the material on hand were able in twodays to fit them to the shafts. The broken chain was mended, and themotor ship _Comet_ was ready for another flight. No announcement wasmade of it, as they wished to avoid attracting a crowd, but the newsspread in some manner--perhaps Andy Rush couldn't keep quiet about hispart in it--and there was quite a gathering when once more the bigmachine shot toward the sky.
"This is--this is glorious!" cried Andy as he sat in the little cabinwith the boys and watched the earth dropping away from beneath them.
"Now don't get excited and talk fast, or you might heat a journalbearing and set fire to the gas in the bag," cautioned Jerry. "Youhave to be careful aboard a motor ship, Andy."
"I will. But this is certainly great!"
Mr. Glassford now started the motor from the pilot tower where he was,and the _Comet_ shot forward. It certainly went faster and better withthe large propellers, and made fine progress against rather a stiffbreeze. The ship was under perfect control, and Mr. Glassford was ableto direct it up or down, to right or left, or around in big circles assuited his fancy.
"Marvelous! marvelous!" cried Professor Snodgrass. "It is wonderfulwhat strides science is making these days. Now, if I could only seesome of the rare insects which I know must live in the regions of theupper air I would be perfectly happy."
"There's some sort of a bug!" exclaimed Andy, pointing to a small blackobject sailing through the air. "Maybe that is a new kind."
Instantly the professor was all attention. He leaped to his feet, andwith his small, long-handled net in readiness he watched the progressof the large insect.
"It is a new kind of June bug," he announced. "Very large, and withgreen and red wings. Oh, I must have that! It is worth considerable.No museum in America has one, and there are only a few specimens inEurope. It is rather late for June bugs to be flying, though. Could youput the ship a little more to the left, Mr. Glassford? I want to catchhim."
"That's something new--using a big motor ship to catch a June bug,"remarked the inventor with a smile. But he shifted the fish-tailrudder, and the _Comet_ obediently swerved over closer to the big,humming June bug.
But the insect apparently did not like the strange, big white-wingedcreature that was coming so close, and it made a sudden dart upward.
"After it!" cried the professor. "I must have it!"
Mr. Glassford tilted the ascending rudder so as to pull the shipupward, and it answered instantly, shooting toward the sky on an angleof about twenty degrees. This time the bug did not change its course.
The professor hurried aft to a little cockpit, in which the motor waslocated. As he did so the bug shifted its course, and took a positionjust above, and a little ahead of the pilot house. There it remained,keeping up a speed equal to that of the _Comet_.
"Don't move, now! Don't frighten it! I'll have him in a minute!" criedthe scientist, hurrying forward. He mounted to the top of the smallpilot house, right under the elevation rudder, and then thrust out hislong-handled net. He had the small cord bag almost over the flying Junebug when something happened.
The net was whirled from the professor's grasp as if a giant hadplucked it from him, and then it was sent over the side of the ship anddown toward the earth. At the same instant there was a crash of wood,and the port propeller ceased revolving.
"What's happened?" cried Jerry excitedly.
"The professor got his net in the way of the flying blades," explainedMr. Glassford as he quickly shut off the motor to see what damage hadbeen done.
"There goes the bug," said the scientist sorrowfully, as if that wasall that mattered.
"Yes, and there goes your net," added Ned. "I hope it doesn't hit anyone down on the earth. That's one disadvantage of living down there,"he went on. "You're liable to be struck with things falling fromairships."
"I--I hope I haven't damaged the craft," spoke the professor contritelywhen he realized what had happened.
"Nothing but what can easily be repaired," said Mr. Glassford. "Thenet handle must have broken, and a piece of it has become wedged in thesprocket chain that operates the propeller. I will ungear that one, andwe'll see what we can do by simply using the other. It will be a goodtest."
The inventor seemed to take advantage of every accident, the boysthought. He started the motor again, and though the ship did not makeas much speed as before, it sailed along fairly well. The slighttendency to go around in a circle, caused by using only one propeller,was counterbalanced by changing some of the planes, and they made aflight of a mile or more, sailing in various directions.
"Now I want you boys to get acquainted with the mechanism," said Mr.Glassford. "You must take turns steering and managing the ship. Jerry,suppose you begin. Come up here in the pilot house and I'll initiateyou."
Jerry's knowledge of an automobile stood him in good stead, thoughhe found that the _Comet_ answered her rudders much more readily andquickly than did the auto or a motor boat. When Jerry had been taughtthe use of all the wheels, levers and appliances, it was the turn ofNed and then of Bob.
While his chums were learning how to steer Jerry took a walk all aroundthe craft. Then he peered over the side, thinking he saw somethingdangling underneath.
It was a rope, with a stake attached, and he bent over to haul it in.He had just accomplished this when he uttered a cry of dismay:
"There it goes!"
"What?" asked Bob, who was approaching.
"My pocketbook! It just dropped out of my pocket."
"Did you have much in it?"
"About a hundred and fifty dollars. I was going to pay some bills formother after we came down."
"Too bad! Did you see where it landed?"
"No."
Nobody on the airship could do anything for Jerry. All were sorry overhis loss.
"Maybe you'll get it back," said Mr. Glassford. "Did it have your nameand address in it?"
"Yes. But I think it dropped in a woods. Nobody would be likely to findit there," returned the unfortunate youth.
They had been up in the air several hours now, and the thrill ofskimming along almost on a level with the clouds was wonderful. Theydid not want to descend. Professor Snodgrass was not enjoying himself,however, as he saw many curious insects, and as he had no other netwith him he could not catch any of the winged creatures.
"Can't you drop down, get my net, and come back again?" he asked.
"I think we'll go down, but I don't want to make another ascensionuntil I have repaired the propeller," said Mr. Glassford. "Though I'mafraid we'd have quite a task to locate your net."
"Never mind, I have seve
ral more. I'll bring two along next time."
"But please don't get them twisted up in the propeller," begged Jerry.
"I'll not."
Mr. Glassford, who had resumed charge of the ship, now sent it down tothe earth in a long slant. They had returned to a position over theirtent, around which quite a crowd was now collected.
"It certainly is a great ship," commented Ned. "I wish there wasanother aero carnival. We could enter it, and I'll bet we could beatanything they had."
"There's going to be a big airship carnival next month, boys," saidAndy Rush, who seemed to keep abreast of aeronautic matters. "I wasreading about it last night."
"There is? Where?" asked Jerry.
"Out at Park Haven, Indiana. It's an inter-State airship contest. It'sgoing to be the biggest affair of the kind ever held, and there areseveral prizes offered."
"What's the matter with our entering the _Comet_?" asked Bob.
"Nothing, I guess," replied Jerry.
"I don't see why you can't," added Mr. Glassford. "We will have achance before then to eliminate all the defects, I hope."
"Then let's do it!" cried Jerry eagerly. "We'll go in a race, and maybewe'll win."
"I don't see why we can't," observed Bob. "The _Comet_ is a dandy."
"Well, boys, find out more particulars, and we'll consider it," saidMr. Glassford as he steered the ship down to a smooth place in frontof the tent, after a most successful flight, in spite of the smallaccident.
Jerry and his chums went out on a long hunt for the lost pocketbook,but without success.
"Advertise for it," said Chunky. "I'd offer a reward."
"I will," said Jerry, and he was as good as his word.