CHAPTER VI
"HOLD THE TRAIN!"
"What time will the professor get here?" asked Ned, as he and Bob saton the broad porch of Mrs. Hopkins's house.
"On the afternoon train, he says," replied Jerry.
"And what sort of a bug is he after now?" demanded Bob.
"He doesn't say. Not that it makes much difference. All is grist thatcomes to his mill, and if he can't get an ant with pink legs, he'lltake a June bug with purple wings. But be on hand to meet him, fellows,and we'll go down to the station together to-morrow afternoon."
"Say, if he doesn't get in until then we'll have time in the morning tomake a flight in the _Comet_," suggested Bob.
"That's right. Then we can see what we have to do, to get it in shapefor the Colton meet," added Ned.
"I'm with you," declared the tall lad. "Let's go on out now and have alook at it. And say--you fellows stay to supper at my house, and we'llgo all over the _Comet_ this evening."
"Good idea," commented Bob, with a sigh of satisfaction. He knew of oldthe skill of the Hopkins cook.
"Very good--especially the supper part; eh, Chunky?" put in Ned with alaugh. "I'll telephone home, and tell mother that I'm going to stay."
Bob did the same thing, and after the meal, which Bob declared wasthe best he ever ate (though he was always saying that) the boys wentout to the aeroplane shed which was in a large field, owned by Mrs.Hopkins, and some distance from her house.
"Now Jerry, be careful," the widow cautioned them as they left. "Youremember once you had trouble at the shed, when Noddy Nixon bound SudSnuffles, the watchman, and took the aeroplane away. Look out for badcharacters there. I wish it was nearer the house--especially when nightcomes on."
"Oh, there'll be no danger from Noddy Nixon to-night mother," declaredJerry with a laugh. "Noddy is stuck in the mud too fast to get outin a hurry," and he told of the bully's plight. "But we'll be onthe lookout. We don't keep Sud on guard any more." For following hisunscrupulous theft of the motorship, the bully had been more carefulhow he interfered with the property of our heroes, and there was nonecessity of a watchman at the shed.
The boys spent some time going over the motorship. They had not used itin the past two weeks, on account of bad weather; but they found it ingood shape, and, after a few adjustments and a tightening of the guywires, it was ready for service.
"We'll take a flight in the morning," decided Jerry, as he and hischums left the shed, making sure that the doors were securely fastened.
"And maybe we'll meet that other aeroplane--the _Silver Star_,"suggested Ned.
"Not much likelihood of that," declared Bob. "Those fellows are up tosome game, I think."
"What game?" demanded Jerry quickly.
"Oh, I don't know," was the somewhat uncertain reply of the stout lad,"only I have my suspicions of them."
"So have I," admitted Ned, "only I don't know what I'm suspicious of."
"Well, I'm going to get to bed," announced the tall lad with a yawn."Be on hand early fellows, and we'll go off on a little flight."
Jerry and Ned were on hand in good time at the aeroplane shed the nextmorning. They wheeled the craft out into the broad, level startingplace, and proceeded to tighten the few wires they had overlooked thenight before.
As has been told in previous books of this series, the _Comet_ was acombined dirigible balloon and aeroplane. By means of a powerful gas,forced into a container above the aeroplane proper, it could ascend asa balloon, or it could scud along over the ground on bicycle wheelsand, when sufficient momentum had been obtained it could rise by meansof the tilted forward lifting planes, and maintain itself as long as itwas in motion.
"What's the matter with Bob, I wonder?" remarked Jerry as he went inthe engine room, to look at the motor.
"Oh, probably he's eating his second breakfast," replied Ned, who wasinspecting the gas machine.
"She isn't making vapor very fast," spoke Jerry, as he looked at thedial of the containing tank, and noted how much of the lifting gas wasin storage.
"No, it needs a new valve," decided Ned. "But we can go up as anaeroplane, and by the time we get up a mile or two there'll be gasenough."
The _Comet_ was a roomy craft. There was a good-sized dining room,plenty of sleeping apartments, a storeroom, a large motor compartment,a neat little galley or kitchen, where Bob spent much of his time, anda living room, where they all gathered during the day to read, talk ormake observations as they scudded through space, high above the earth.
"I wish Bob would come, if he's going to get here," went on Jerry. "Heis always more or less late. We won't have time to get anywhere beforewe have to be back again to meet the professor."
"There he comes now," exclaimed Ned, as he caught sight of a stockyfigure hurrying across the field. "And by Jove, if he isn't swallowingthe last of his breakfast on the run! He must have overslept."
"What's the matter, Chunky?" asked Jerry, as his chum approached,panting from his unusual speed.
"One of our rabbits got loose--had to chase it--might eat up theneighbors' fruit trees--never saw such a rabbit--thought I had it inthe cage half a dozen times--but it got out--that's what made me late."
"But you stopped to get your breakfast," observed Ned, as he saw tracesof egg on Bob's fat good-natured face.
"Sure I did! What do you think I am? Going off on a flight withoutsomething to eat! I had a good breakfast, and I brought along a packageof grub--I was afraid you fellows would forget it."
"Oh, Chunky!" cried Jerry with a hopeless laugh. "Will you ever getover your appetite?"
"I certainly hope not," declared Bob earnestly.
He stowed away in a locker the food he had brought, and then helped hischums in getting the _Comet_ ready for a flight. This was soon done.The sharp nose of the craft was pointed down the long smooth startingslope, and the motor started. The big propellers whirred around likethe blades of an electric fan, and the motorship quivered from end toend. The engine increased its speed under the skilful handling of JerryHopkins, and then, with a rush, the trim air machine glided forward.
Faster and faster it forged ahead, the motor thundering with its rapidexplosions. Just as Jerry was about to tilt the lifting planes, therecame a faint hail from back near the shed.
"Hold on--wait--give me a ride--I've got some news!"
"It's Andy Rush!" exclaimed Ned.
"We can't stop now!" shouted Jerry. "Here we go!"
He yanked the plane lever toward him. Up went the nose of the _Comet_,and the next instant she was sailing gracefully through the air,mounting higher and higher.
"Works better than ever," was Bob's opinion.
"Yes, I wish we had time to go to the lake, and try the hydroplanes,"said Jerry, "but we haven't. I rather like landing on the water andstarting from the surface. It's smoother than a land start."
The hydroplanes, as I related in a previous volume, were a new featureof the _Comet_, and worked well.
It was no novelty to our heroes to sail about through the air, andas soon as they were up sufficiently high they settled back to enjoythemselves. The gas machine had by this time generated enough vapor,so that they could float lazily along if they wished, or even hang inspace without moving, save as the wind blew them.
"Let's look around and see if we can sight the _Silver Star_," proposedNed, as he took down from the rack a small but powerful telescope.
"Oh, you'll have your trouble for your pains," declared Jerry, andso it proved. The strange biplane containing the two mysterious menwas not in sight. In fact no other air craft was visible, and, aftersailing around for several hours, and having their lunch about threemiles above the earth, our heroes descended, and stored their craft inthe shed once more.
"Wonder what Andy wanted?" mused Jerry.
"We'll soon know," said Bob. "Here he comes now." The excitable lad wasobserved hurrying toward the three chums.
"Why didn't you wait?" he demanded. "I had something to tell you--greatnews--he'll smash
all to pieces--whoop! up in the air--down again--raceyou motor boys--whoop!"
"He? Who are you talking about?" demanded Ned.
"Noddy Nixon. He's going to get an aeroplane and race you fellows--bigexcitement--going to some balloon meet--whoop!" and Andy hopped up anddown on one foot.
"Hump! Noddy must be up to some more of his tricks!" exclaimed Jerry."Well, if he bothers us as he did once before he'll get what's comingto him."
"I shouldn't think he'd want to risk any more air flights," venturedNed, "especially when he can hardly run his auto."
"Well, we'll see what happens," went on the tall chum. "Whew!" hewhistled as he looked at his watch. "We haven't more than time to getdown to the station before the professor's train will be in. We don'twant to disappoint him. Sprint for it, fellows, and we'll get to myhouse and go down in the auto. Come along Andy, if you like."
"Sure I'll go--anything for excitement--I can run--let me steer--blowup a tire--whoop!" and the excitable lad was off on a run with theolder boys.
They reached the station a little before the train pulled in, andwaited on the platform while a crowd of passengers alighted. Among themwas a little man, rather slight in build, wearing a pair of very strongglasses. He had on a broad-brimmed soft hat, and around his shouldersand hanging down his back were a number of insect specimen boxes, heldby straps or cords, while in one hand he carried a large butterfly net.
"There's Professor Snodgrass!" exclaimed Jerry. "Now to hear what newquest he is on."
"He looks the same as when he caught the flying-singing fish," remarkedNed.
"He never changes--he's like a mummy," declared Bob.
The little scientist caught sight of his three young friends, and gailywaved his hand, smiling a greeting. He advanced to meet them, passingclose to the panting locomotive. As he did so there came two shrillblasts of the air whistle, indicating to the engineer that he was readyto start.
At that instant Professor Snodgrass happened to glance beneath the bigdriving wheels. In a moment he was all excitement. His face lighted up,off came his big hat, and, rapidly divesting himself of his many boxeshe dropped on his knees close beside the rails.
"What's the matter?" cried Jerry.
"He'll be killed!" yelled Bob.
"Look out!" shouted Ned.
"The man has been taken with a fit! Pull him away from the engine!"begged the station master.
The professor heeded none of the cries. Raising himself slightly, hewaved his hand to the engineer who, after pulling the throttle partlyopen, was leaning from the cab window. The ponderous locomotive wasmoving slowly.
"Stop the train! Stop it!" commanded the scientist. "Stop it oryou'll kill him! Stop it I say!" and he fairly shook his fist at theastonished engineer.
The Motor Boys on the Wing; Or, Seeking the Airship Treasure Page 6
