CHAPTER XIV
THE PROFESSOR IS MISSING
"What's the matter, Jerry?" asked Ned, as soon as the tall lad hadjoined his chums. The lights had been set aglow in the cabin of theairship, and around the craft was gathered a curious throng.
"Why?" replied Jerry. "Does anything look to be the matter?" and hetried to speak lightly.
"You look as if you had seen a ghost," answered Ned.
"Well, I did; sort of one," was Jerry's sober answer. "I saw BillBerry, and he's worse than a ghost."
"Bill Berry!" exclaimed Ned and Bob in the same breath. "Where?"
"Under a freight car."
"Was he dead?" demanded Bob.
"So that's why you thought him a ghost?" asked Ned.
"No, he wasn't dead," returned Jerry. "He was very much alive, and hewas on the through western freight, on his way to join Noddy and theothers of the gang, I suppose. Boys, we'll have to hustle to get aheadof them."
A little later, after warning the throng to stand back, Jerry enteredthe pilot house, and, lighting the big search lamp, started the motor.The ship arose, and the great propellers began to revolve.
"Good-bye! Good-bye!" shouted the people, and they cheered the boys whohad been of such service to them.
The lads answered with farewells, and then, with Bob and Ned in thecabin, the former getting ready to cook supper, and Jerry in the pilothouse, the _Comet_ was sent due west, as straight as the compassindicated.
Bob had just announced that "grub" was ready, and Jerry was about toadjust the automatic steering apparatus, so that he could leave theairship to itself, while he ate, when Ned uttered an exclamation ofdismay.
"The professor!" he cried. "Professor Snodgrass! We have left himbehind!"
For a moment the three stared blankly at one another. Then the truthdawned upon them. The scientist had resumed his fad of collectinginsects as soon as he was out of the airship, and, the excitement ofgetting the cable across the river, and Jerry's sight of Bill Berry,had driven all thoughts of their friend from their minds.
"Well, I'll be jiggered!" gasped Jerry.
"Wouldn't that put mustard on your egg sandwich!" exclaimed Bob.
"What's to be done?" asked Ned, after a pause.
"Done? Why we've got to go back after him, of course," was Jerry'srejoinder. "I wonder if we can find the place in the darkness?"
It was rather a risk, but, fortunately they had not gone far, and thelights of the town they had left were quite brilliant. Then, too, therewas no other place near it, save the one across the river, and this waseasily distinguished.
Soon they were skimming back, and in a little while they had landed onthe outskirts of Wakedell.
"You two had better stay here with the airship, and I'll go in town andsee if I can find the professor," said Jerry. "I don't believe I'llhave much trouble in locating him."
The tall lad was soon on his way through the principal street of thecity. He was at once recognized as one of the boys from the airship,and was cordially greeted.
"The professor--that little bald-headed man?" repeated several, whenJerry had questioned them. "No, we haven't seen him. But then we'vebeen so busy since the ferry started to run, that there's nothinguncommon in that. I say, but you lads did us a good service."
"But what can have become of the professor?" asked Jerry.
"Oh, you'd better see Mr. Duncan," was the advice given. "He's chairmanof the board of aldermen, and he knows everything in this burg. See Mr.Duncan."
Jerry sought out the man who had superintended the stringing of thecable.
"The professor?" he repeated. "Well, I think the most likely place tolook for him would be at the hotel. There is only one in the place,and, very likely, when he found you had gone off and left him, he wentthere. We'll go and make inquiries."
"How is the ferry running?" asked Jerry, more to show a polite interestthan for any other reason, for he was somewhat worried over manymatters, not the least of which was the absence of Mr. Snodgrass.
"Fine!" replied Mr. Duncan. "Couldn't be better! But here we are atthe hotel, where, I have no doubt, you will find your friend."
Jerry, accompanied by Mr. Duncan, entered the corridor. The ladinquired if Professor Snodgrass had put up there.
"You mean a little man, with not much hair on his head," asked theclerk, "who's always looking around as if he'd lost something?"
"That's the gentleman," replied Jerry, with a smile.
"He's in room sixteen. Front!" cried the clerk, and when a bell boyresponded, the man back of the desk added: "Show Mr. Duncan and hisfriend up to sixteen."
As Jerry and Mr. Duncan advanced along the corridor, led by the bellboy, they were met by a chambermaid, who was rushing wildly along.
"What's the matter, Mary?" asked the bell boy.
"Matter? Sure there's a crazy man in number sixteen!" was the answer."He's beating down the walls! I'm going to tell the boss!" and shedisappeared on the run.
Jerry, Mr. Duncan and the bell boy hurried on. As they came in frontof room number sixteen they heard a violent pounding on the walls.Certainly it did seem as if some one was trying to batter his way out.
"That's can't be the professor," remarked Jerry. "He wouldn't act thatway."
"Perhaps he has been attacked by a robber!" suggested Mr. Duncan. "Run,my lad, and get help," he added to the bell boy, whose small facecontrasted strangely with his large eyes.
Once more there came a violent pounding on the wall, so that the floorsseemed to shake.
"If that is the professor, perhaps he has been bitten by one of hissnakes, toads or queer insects, and has gone crazy," thought Jerry.Then, as the racket continued, he heard above the noise, a voicecalling:
"Come down! Come down off that wall or I'll get a ladder and catch you!Come down, I say!" Then the pounding started again, just as the bellboy returned, with the clerk and several janitors.
"It _is_ the professor," murmured Jerry, who did not know what tothink. "But he must be in great distress!"