CHAPTER XIII
RUNNING THE CABLE
The hopelessness of the crowds on both sides of the river had nowchanged to joyful anticipation. They had seen so many attempts fail toestablish communication that they had almost given up. Of course theyknew that in time the river would go down, and transit across it inboats would be comparatively easy. But it would still be several daysbefore the waters would subside, it was stated, because the river wasfed from many mountain brooks and rivulets, which were much swollen byheavy rains.
"And even if the river does get to its normal level," explained the manwith the megaphone, who introduced himself as James Duncan, "even thenit's dangerous."
"Why?" inquired Bob.
"Because of a number of rocks, and the rapids which are in this partof the stream. A bridge is the only safe way to cross, and it will besome time before that can be rebuilt. But the steel cable ferry willbe a big help. Are you ready to take it over now?"
"As soon as you are," replied Ned.
"I think we had better carry a rope over first," decided Jerry. "Thenyour friends on the other side can haul the cable over. If we attemptto carry the heavy wire rope in the airship it may sag, or foul, and dosome damage. But we can carry a stout rope across very easily."
"We have the rope right here," explained Mr. Duncan. "Come on,gentlemen," he called to some of his friends. "Get the rope ready. Theboys are going to take it across. Then the boat will begin running."
"Hurrah!" cried scores of voices.
Jerry, Ned and Bob now re-entered the airship, and began to prepare forrunning the cable. They looked to the motors, and set the gas machinein operation, to fully distend the big bag, as they needed all thereserve buoyancy, since the long rope would be a heavy drag.
"Here you are!" called Mr. Duncan, passing up the end of a rope, aboutan inch in diameter. "Better fasten it well, for a rope a mile long israther heavy."
Jerry saw that it was securely attached to strong braces in the afterpart of the _Comet_, and then he requested Mr. Duncan to see to it thatthe rope was paid out well from the shore.
"I'll station a man right near it, to see that it does not tangle,"promised Mr. Duncan, who seemed to be in general charge of matters."Here, Mr. Simon," he called to a very stout individual, "you keep nearthis coil of rope and see that it doesn't snarl. I'm going to get thewire cable ready, and see to the boat."
"Humph! That man might be a cousin to Chunky," observed Ned in a lowvoice, as he noted the rope custodian.
"Aw, cut it out," pleaded Bob, who was sensitive about his fleshiness.
"Where's the professor?" asked Jerry, suddenly, looking about. "Ihaven't seen him for five minutes."
The boys looked over the crowd. Most of the people were thronged aboutthe airship, inspecting it, but, off to one side there was a littlegroup, which seemed strangely agitated. Then there came an excitedexclamation, and a long handled net was thrust upward.
"There's the professor," observed Bob. "Probably he's capturing aslab-sided mud turtle, or some other queer creature."
"We can come back for him," remarked Ned. "He'll be better satisfiedto stay here and catch bugs than come with us while we're running thecable."
"I guess so," agreed Jerry. A few minutes later, as everything was inreadiness, the signal to start was given. The anchor ropes that hadheld down the _Comet_ were cast off, and the big craft shot up into theair, dragging the rope after it. Jerry headed it straight across theriver, and soon they were directly above the turbulent stream, whichboiled and bubbled over the hidden rocks.
"Ned, you watch the rope being paid out," directed Jerry. "I'll steer,and Bob can go to the motor room."
"What shall I do?" asked the stout youth rather dubiously, for Chunkywas not very fond of machinery, and a motorcycle or an automobile wasabout his limit.
"You shut off power when I tell you to," responded Jerry. "Somethingmay happen and then we'll want to stop suddenly."
They were not moving very swiftly for the heavy rope acted as adrag, and besides, Jerry had not turned on full power, as he wantedno accidents to occur. But they crossed the river without accident,pulling over the rope. When a landing was made on the eastern shore,scores crowded up around the craft, almost overwhelming our heroes withtheir thanks, and all eager to see the airship.
"Here, never mind looking at that circus machine," called one man, goodnaturedly. "Let's get busy and pull the wire rope over. I want to seethe ferry running. I haven't been home in two days, and I don't knowwhat my wife and children look like," and he laughed, for the firsttime in many hours, he told the boys.
It was a comparatively easy matter, now that a large rope wasstretched across the river, to haul over the wire cable. This was soonmade fast to anchorages, and then, to guard against accidents, anadditional cable was strung, for fear the first might break. A broad,flat-bottomed boat was in readiness, and it was so arranged that itcould be pulled along by means of the cable and a windlass, worked bytwo men, the craft being prevented from going down stream by the heavycable.
The ferry was soon in operation, and the boys watched the first boatload of people being transferred. It worked well, and the lads wereoverwhelmed with thanks. Some persons even offered them money, but ofcourse our friends would not take it.
"Well, we might as well be on our way again, I suppose," remarkedJerry, after they had watched the boat go back and forth several times.
"We might send telegrams home before we leave," went on Bob, "and letthe folks know we have gotten this far in safety. There must be atelegraph office around here."
"It is a good idea," commented Jerry. "Glad you mentioned it, Bob.We'll send word home."
They inquired the location of the telegraph office, and, as it was inthe centre of town, Ned and Bob remained with the airship, while Jerrytook the dispatches.
The telegraph office was in the railroad station, and while Jerry stoodon the platform, chatting with the agent, a freight train rumbled in,and stopped, while the engine got water at a distant tank.
Jerry, having accomplished his errand, was about to turn away, togo back to his chums, when, from the shadows of a freight car thatwas on a siding, he observed a man run quickly out, and cling to thebreak-beams of one of the refrigerator cars of the freight.
"Some tramp going to steal a ride," reflected the lad, but, just then,the gleam from a switch lamp, for it was now getting dusk, fell uponthe tramp's face. Jerry started and could hardly repress an exclamation.
"Bill Berry!" he murmured to himself. "Bill Berry, that towngood-for-nothing--that crony of Noddy's! What can he be doing here? Iwonder if he is following us?" For Bill Berry, as my readers know, had,more than once, been the cause of much trouble to the motor boys.
Bill was now out of sight under the car, well hidden from view. Jerryfirst thought he would speak to the agent about it, and then hereflected that this would do little good.
"Where is that freight bound for?" he asked, as carelessly as he could.
"That? Oh, that's a through freight for the West," answered thetelegraph operator. "It goes right through to California, just as itis. Right across the Rockies."
Jerry could not repress a start.
"Across the Rockies," he thought. "And that's where we're bound! NoddyNixon has already gone out there, and Bill Berry will probably joinhim. Then there'll be trouble for us!"
With apprehension in his heart Jerry turned to go back to the airship.