CHAPTER XVI
STARTLING NEWS
There was no alarm among those aboard the _Comet_. Our heroes had, bythis time, become used to accidents happening even higher in the airthan they now were. In fact their machine was constructed purposelyto render them safe in case of a breakdown, for they could instantlychange from an aeroplane to a balloon, and thus float even with themotor motionless.
This was what they did in the present emergency. Jerry saw that it wasuseless, with one cylinder out of commission, to try to get any speedout of the engine.
"Shut down!" he ordered Bob and Ned, and the big propellers ceasedrevolving.
"It's tough, just when we were after a record," remarked Ned.
"Can't we go down, fix her up and try again?" asked the stout lad.
"No use, Chunky," declared the tall youth. "It will take several daysto put in a new cylinder. No, we've got to give up. But we ought to besatisfied with the prize we won."
They were not, however; in fact human nature never is, and Jerry andhis chums were no different from other lads. As they began fallingdownward they could hear from below murmurs of fear, for the greatcrowd thought the motorship was wrecked.
"Throw in plenty of gas!" called Jerry to his chums, and a moment laterthe descent of the craft was checked as the lifting vapor rushed intothe bag. Then she floated lazily in the air, and, in a few minutes, toreassure the watching, anxious throng, Jerry sent her about in dips andcircles, to show that they had her under full control.
A cheer greeted this evidence of skill in aeronautics, and then, therebeing no necessity for descending farther the boys remained there towatch from that vantage point the other machines climbing upward.
The big Wright passed close by them, the two occupants calling to knowwhat the matter was.
"Broken cylinder," answered Jerry.
"Too bad, old man!" came the sympathetic hail, and then the biplanecontinued to poke her nose toward the upper regions.
In turn a Bleriot monoplane, a Curtiss biplane, a "Baby" Wright, aSantos Dumont, and a Farman shot upward, while our heroes had to lookon mournfully, being out of the race.
A little later, when all the competing craft had reached earth, it wasannounced that a biplane had made the best record, having reached aheight of over 15,000 feet, establishing a new record.
"We could have beaten that if our engine hadn't gone back on us," saidNed mournfully.
"I believe we could," assented Jerry. "Well, we'll be out of it theremainder of the meet I guess, but let's get busy, put in a newcylinder, and start for the West to help the professor capture hisflying frog."
"That's it, boys!" joyfully exclaimed the little scientist. "I have hadvery good success here, and only to-day I caught a little black lizard,very rare and valuable, but I want to get after the frog."
An examination showed that they would have to take out the cylinder andput in a new one, and the preliminary work was started that evening.
Jerry and Ned were laboring in the motor room, and Bob had been sentto tell the secretary that the _Comet_ could not, as her owners hadpromised, take part in a final exhibition stunt. The stout lad cameback in a hurry, exclaiming as he entered the tent:
"Hey, fellows, Noddy Nixon is going!"
"Going where?" asked Jerry pausing, monkey wrench in hand.
"Going to leave. He's taking out his biplane, and he and Bill are goingto cut the rest of the show just as Ned said. But they're going off instyle. I thought he'd pack up his airship, but he's going off in her."
Out on the grounds could be heard the rattle and bang of a powerfulmotor in operation. Our friends crowded to the tent entrance in timeto see the _Winner_ shoot up into the air, with Noddy and Bill inthe seats. Then the craft, describing a long curve, shot off towardHarmolet.
"I wonder where he's going?" mused Ned.
"No telling," was Jerry's opinion. "But come on, let's get busy.We'll have to go to Harmolet to-morrow, and see if we can get anothercylinder in place of this cracked one."
There was a trolley line not far from the aviation grounds, and ourthree boys, catching a car early the next morning, were soon on theirway to the city where, so some of the birdmen had assured them, theycould easily get a new cylinder, or other parts of their machine orengine. In fact, in anticipation of such calls being made during themeet, one of the automobile dealers in Harmolet had laid in a stock ofairship parts.
Passing through a pleasant country, the boys shortly found themselvesin a good-sized city. The car was passing through the principal streetwhen, as it went by a bank building, the attention of Jerry and hischum was attracted by a large crowd standing in front. The peopleoverflowed the sidewalk out on the trolley tracks.
"What's the matter, a run on the bank?" asked Jerry of the conductor.
"Something like that," was the reply.
"Did the cashier skip off with the funds?" inquired Ned.
"No, the safe was blown open last night, and fifty thousand dollars incash was taken, besides more in securities. It was quite a sum for thebank to lose, and I guess some of the depositors are nervous. But mostof the crowd is there out of curiosity. The police are inside lookingfor clews. I heard the news on my first trip this morning."
"Fifty thousand dollars taken!" exclaimed Bob. "That's a neat sum.Let's get off here, fellows, and see if we can get a glimpse of thewrecked vault or safe. I've got my camera, and maybe they'll let metake a snap-shot. That would be a picture worth getting."
"All right," agreed Jerry. "There's no special rush about the cylinder."
They joined the throng about the bank, but looked in vain to see someplace where the side wall had been blown out with dynamite, or someother explosive.
"Guess it wasn't much of a blow-up," remarked Ned in somewhatdisappointed tones.
"Oh, it's all inside," a man in the crowd informed them. "They nearlyblew the doors off the big safe, but nothing shows from the outside.They got the money all right. Half the police in town are on the jobnow, but last night, when the explosion took place, not a soul heardit."
"I wish we could get inside and see it," murmured Bob "I'd like to takea picture." But there seemed no chance of this, as the police werekeeping the crowd back from the front of the building.
The Motor Boys on the Wing; Or, Seeking the Airship Treasure Page 16
