CHAPTER XXIV
"THEY'RE OFF!"
Though Hoswell, in removing the lever, had done no material damage tothe ship, he had unscrewed so many bolts and nuts, and had made so manychanges, that it was no small matter to get everything in proper shapein the limited time which remained.
But the boys and Mr. Glassford were earnest workers, and they had muchat stake. They toiled with a will all the remainder of the day, andtoward evening they saw success ahead of them.
"There, it's on!" announced the inventor as he stepped back to gaze atthe work. "Now, boys, if you'll get busy and tighten up the stay andguy wires I'll arrange the gas-generating machine. We'll barely havetime enough, as it is, to fill the bag."
"And we can't make any trial flight," said Jerry. "All the othermachines had try-outs to-day."
"It's out of the question for us," responded Mr. Glassford. "But I haveno fear of what the _Comet_ will do. She has proved herself able to dowonders in the air, and though we may not win the race, we will make agood attempt. Now, boys, get busy."
It was late that afternoon when the inventor pronounced everything ingood shape, save the generating of the gas, and this was proceeding asrapidly as possible.
"I think we can take a little rest now," said Mr. Glassford. "By theway, where is the professor? He is going along to-morrow, is he not?"
"I don't believe he'd miss it for anything," declared Jerry. "He saidhe was going, when I saw him early this morning."
"And where was that?"
"He was starting for a pond he had heard of, where he said he intendedto catch a new species of pollywog--a kind with little horns on itshead. But that was before we had located the lever. I don't knowwhether he is aware that we will start in the race as soon as possibleto-morrow morning."
"We must tell him to-night, then. If you boys like you may go back tothe hotel. Everything has been done here that can be done, and I willwatch the gas machine. You might look up the professor."
As the boys were going toward their hotel, Ned, who was a little inadvance, uttered an exclamation as he turned a corner.
"What's the matter?" asked Jerry. "Slip on a banana peel?"
"No, but I'm almost sure I saw Noddy Nixon dodge into that fruit storeover there. It looked just like him."
"I thought he had left the city," observed Jerry. "I wish he wouldbefore the race."
"Why?" asked Bob.
"Because, Chunky, it makes me nervous to think of what trouble he mightmake."
"Oh, I don't believe he'll come within a mile of us," declared Ned."He's too frightened. If that was him just then, he dodged like ascared rabbit."
"All the same, I'd feel easier if he was a few hundred miles away,"went on Jerry.
"Why, what can he do?" inquired Bob.
"There's no telling. But I think I can arrange matters so as to getahead of him. I'm glad Ned saw him. It puts us on our guard."
That evening Jerry was seen in conversation with the hotel detective atthe inn where they stopped, and though Jerry said nothing to his chumsof what he and the officer talked about, Bob and Ned heard the lattersay, as their friend left him:
"I'll get you a good man, all right, and I'll have him on the grounds.If there's any funny work he'll stop it."
"That's what I want," replied Jerry.
The boys found Professor Snodgrass, prowling about the big corridor ofthe hotel, with an intent look on his face.
"Are you looking for any one, professor?" asked Ned.
"I am looking for a very rare species of moth that I saw flying abouthere a while ago," replied the scientist. "I had one specimen, but itwas so small that it escaped through the meshes of my net. I went backto my room, made a net of a handkerchief, and now I expect to capturethe moth. Only it seems to have flown away."
"Did you get any horned pollywogs?" asked Jerry.
"Not a one. I fished around in the pond all day, but I caught a newkind of dragon fly, so I am just as well pleased."
The professor was told to be on hand in the morning, and then, as theyknew they had to be up early, the boys went to bed. Mr. Glassford camein about midnight, having left a man on guard in the airship tent.
After a hasty breakfast the little party, who soon expected to besailing through the air, went to where the _Comet_ was kept. They foundthe gas bag fully distended, and the big ship was tugging and swayingaway, almost lifting the extra heavy ballast that had been attached tocounterbalance the added lifting power of the gas.
"How about food?" asked Bob rather anxiously as he walked about themotor ship. "We're likely to be in the air for some time, aren't we?"
"If everything goes well we shall be," replied Mr. Glassford. "But thepantry is well stocked, Bob; don't worry."
"I won't, if that's the case," was Chunky's answer.
"How long a trip do you expect to make?" asked the professor, while hiseyes roved about in search of any possible stray insect worth catching.
"Well, I hope to be up in the air at least two nights," said Mr.Glassford. "Of course, one can never tell exactly what is going tohappen. You know there are two prizes of twenty-five hundred dollarseach. One will be given the owners of the motor ship which remainsup the greatest number of hours, and the other to the machine whichtravels the longest distance."
"Then there is a possibility of us getting both prizes, is there not?"
"A possibility, yes, but no probability, though I hope we will get oneprize."
To be sure that nothing was lacking to make the trip a success, Mr.Glassford, aided by the boys, went over every inch of the motor ship,and tested the motor. It seemed to work well.
An extra supply of gasolene and water had been put on board, togetherwith plentiful stores and supplies, the recording and measuringinstruments, and everything that ingenuity or science could suggest tomake the trip a success.
There were five other motor ships entered in the race. They were allforms of the dirigible balloon, of various shapes and sizes, but nonehad the aeroplane arrangement that the _Comet_ possessed. Three ofthe airships were larger than the craft of the motor boys, and theremaining two were somewhat smaller. All were powerful machines, andin tests all had shown that they could go up to a great height andmove with considerable speed in the air. Owing to Hoswell's action,the _Comet_ had been tried only once at Park Haven, and aside fromher owners, few felt that she would make much of a showing. The"favorite," if one may use such a term, was a large red balloon, andwhen Mr. Glassford saw it coming from the big tent, not far from wherethe _Comet_ was sheltered, he shook his head rather dubiously.
"That's a fine machine," he said. "Her propellers look to be morepowerful than ours, but I think we can do better if it comes on toblow, which it is very likely to do."
"Oh, we'll win," said Bob confidently.
Word was given for all six of the big balloons, that were to take partin the race which was to formally open the carnival, to prepare tostart. Some had already left the sheltering sheds or tents, and now the_Comet's_ nose was poked out.
She was buoyant, even with all the weight of ballast and the restraininghands of scores of men who volunteered to help lift the motor ship outand into position. The big gas bag tugged and swayed in the network ofcords as if anxious to be free.
There was some little delay at the start, and Mr. Glassford tookadvantage of it to give the motor another test. The crowd leaped backin alarm as a series of sudden explosions sounded from the machine, andthe big propellers revolved slowly, for the full speed gear was notthrown into place.
"I guess it'll do," said Mr. Glassford at length. "Now, I wish they'dstart."
But it appeared that one of the ships had developed a small defect atthe last moment, and it was announced that the start would be delayedan hour. Mr. Glassford and the boys entered the cabin of their motorship and sat down.
All at once there was excited shouting off to their left. The crowdbegan to run in that direction.
"Something's happened!" exclaimed Bob, hurrying fr
om the cabin.
"It does sound so," admitted Jerry.
The shouting came nearer. Then the crowd approached closer to theanchored _Comet_. A moment later something big and shining, withmonstrous, flapping wings, and which emitted a sound like a battery ofGatling guns in action, seemed to rush past the motor ship.
"It's a new animal! It's a wonderful new animal!" cried ProfessorSnodgrass, grasping his butterfly net. "I must have it for mycollection."
The object, whatever it was, made a sudden change in its course, andcame back toward the _Comet_. Bright metal wings could be seen flashingin the sun, and what looked like long steel legs or arms opened andshut, like the limbs of a kangaroo in full flight.
"It's Abernot's flying grasshopper!" cried Jerry. "He's trying it!Look, here he comes!"
Sure enough, that curious form of airship was approaching at full speed.
"He may run into us!" cried Mr. Glassford.
It did seem as if there was some danger, but just as the clumsy machinewas within twenty-five feet of the _Comet_ the motor, with a sob andmoan, ceased working, and the flying grasshopper came to a stop. Thenit could be seen that a man was seated just where the big wings werefastened to the body.
"Does it work, Mr. Abernot?" asked Jerry, calling to his friend.
"Well," replied the inventor dubiously, "the centrifugal plates areall that I could wish. The powerful springs in the legs seem tooperate, but I can't understand why I didn't rise in the air. The wingsare certainly large enough, and they vibrated very rapidly. I can'tunderstand it."
"Perhaps your apparatus is too heavy," suggested Mr. Glassford.
"Maybe it is," agreed the inventor of the flying grasshopper machine,which, however, was more like a jumping frog. "I believe that's thetrouble. I shall make my next one lighter."
He started the motor again, twisted the steering wheel, and the legsbegan to kick out. The machine carried its inventor over the ground ina series of surprising leaps, but, though the wings flapped harder thanbefore, there was no "flying" to it.
"Another freak," murmured Jerry.
A man, sent from the committee in charge of the start, hurried up toannounce that the repairs had been completed on the balloon which wasthe cause of the delay.
"Shall we go now?" asked Mr. Glassford.
"When you hear the pistol shot. It will be fired in five minutes."
Those five minutes seemed the longest that ever a watch ticked off, butthey finally passed. Mr. Glassford had stationed a man at the rope, apull on which would release all the ballast bags at once.
_Crack!_
Through the curiously still air sounded the revolver shot. The crowd,every person in which seemed to be holding his breath, gave vent to ashout. Six great bodies leaped from the earth.
"They're off!" yelled the throng, and then there came a perfect roar ofcheers and applause that sounded like hail pattering on a tin roof.
The great race was under way.
"THE GREAT RACE WAS UNDER WAY."]