Motor Matt's Air Ship; or, The Rival Inventors

by Stanley R. Matthews

  CHAPTER VIII.

  JERROLD'S GRATITUDE.

  "The letter," explained Harris, "was written by Brady, and wasevidently entrusted to the men in the Hawk for delivery to some oneelse. It's full of pointers, and a slicker bit of evidence it would behard to find. And to think how it dropped into the hands of Motor Matt!The whole affair sounds like a 'pipe.'"

  "Tell me about that!" cried Jerrold, his shock of joy having passed andleft him leisure for other things. "Who is this Motor Matt, and how didhe happen to get hold of the blue prints?"

  "Ve vill go ofer dot lader, Misder Jerrold," said Carl, impatiently."Schust now, dough, I vant to hear vat der ledder say. Readt him oudt,Harris! I vas so uneasy ofer it I don'd vas aple to sit shdill."

  "It's addressed to a man called Whipple," went on Harris, "and here'sthe way it runs:

  "'Grove, Needham and Harper, with one of my improved jimmies, are going to make another try for those blue prints of Jerrold's. If they get them--and I think they can, for our plans are well laid--they'll carry the papers to Willoughby's swamp in the Hawk and leave them with you. We will quit our operations in South Chicago, clean out the balloon house (I have already sold the building for old lumber) and make our future headquarters in the swamp. It will be safer there. After we improve the Hawk according to Jerrold's plans, we will have a ship in which we can go anywhere, and with which we can do anything. All we need is a competent motorist--Harper's good enough for an amateur, but we need a professional. I'll try and bring one with me, when I come. Meanwhile, until I show up at the swamp, I want you to take good care of the blue prints.

  "'H. B.'"

  A great light dawned on Carl during the reading of the letter--a lightso strong that it left him blinking.

  "Py chimineddy," he gurgled, "I know now vy dot Prady run off mitMatt! He say in der ledder dot he vants some brofessional to run dotair-ship. Vell, Matt knows more as anypody aboudt modors, und so Pradydook him off. Vat a high-hantet pitzness! Und Prady has captured ahornet oof he dit pud know it! He vill t'ink he has a handtful ven hedries to make Matt vork for him."

  "From this," proceeded Harris, waving the letter, "it seems that Bradyhad already laid his plans to quit South Chicago. In the letter,over his own signature, he admits sending three of his men to stealthe blue prints. By a chance, and owing to the course of events inkeeping the driver of the air-ship from getting away with the other twothieves, this roll and the letter dropped into the hands of Motor Matt.Undoubtedly, Motor Matt has been taken to Willoughby's swamp."

  "Und vere iss dot?" asked Carl.

  "I know about the swamp," went on Harris, "for I helped some Chicagoofficers run down a couple of escaped prisoners there, once. It's abad hole, but there is a sort of island in the middle of it that hasbeen the resort of criminals for a good many years. To get through thewater, and mud, and tangled bushes to the island is a hard job for anyone who has to go on foot. Still, it can be done. Brady and his men, ofcourse, can use the Hawk, and all they have to do is to sail throughthe air and drop down where they want to go. The difficulties of theswamp won't bother them at all. The place is about four miles from LakeStation, Indiana."

  "Vell," said Carl, eagerly, "led's go dere. Der kevicker vat ve go, derkevicker vat ve can helup Matt. He iss my bard, und he needs me now."

  The Dutch boy got up and started for the door. Bounding from his chair,Jerrold overtook him and grabbed his arm.

  "Wait!" he commanded, "I've only got a faint grasp of the situation,but from what I can figure out you're going to need me. First, though,I want to hear all about this Motor Matt. He has done a whole lot forHamilton Jerrold, and Jerrold is a man who always tries to pay hisdebts. Tell me how the blue prints got into the hands of Motor Matt."

  "Aber ve vas in a hurry!" cried Carl. "Villoughpy's svamp iss a gootvays off, und----"

  "You'll save time in the end by losing a little here and now," averredJerrold, drawing Carl to a chair and pushing him down into it. "Go on!Give me the whole of it, between you, and be quick."

  There was a compelling note in the inventor's words and manner, thatdemanded attention. Carl yielded and struck into an explanation of theevents of the preceding afternoon. Whenever his impatience led himto skip any of the details, Harris, who recognized the advantage ofletting Jerrold know everything, picked up the ignored detail and madeCarl go over it.

  Jerrold's interest and excitement increased as he listened. When Carldescribed how he and Matt had fought with Brady and Pete at the balloonhouse and kept them from getting the blue prints, Jerrold clapped hishands and shouted "Bravo!" And when Carl told of the bogus telegramthat had brought the boys to South Chicago, Jerrold's face clouded withindignation and anger.

  "Motor Matt," declared Jerrold, when Carl had finally finished, "hasdone a lot for me, and he's going to find that Hamilton Jerrold knowshow to be grateful. I agree with Harris that there is hardly a doubtbut that Brady has taken young King to Willoughby's swamp. Brady wantsthe young motorist for the Hawk, and intends to have him, whether orno. According to Harris, the swamp's a difficult place to get at forthose not equipped with an air-ship. That's where I come in. This way,friends!"

  With that, the inventor caught up his candle and led the way throughthe house and out at a back door.

  By then it was nearly three o'clock, and the very darkest part of thenight. A gust of wind blew out the candle, which had been about aseffective as a glow-worm, and the three were left at the foot of therear steps staring at a fluttering expanse of canvas.

  The canvas formed a sort of V-shaped tent, long and high and securedwith many guy-ropes. Because of the darkness it was difficult to getany kind of an idea as to the size of the tent, but that was a minorpoint.

  "I'll have to get a lantern," said Jerrold. "Wait a minute."

  "I've got a dark lantern, Jerrold," interposed Harris, "and I guessthat will do."

  "Fine!" exclaimed Jerrold, as Harris switched on the current and swungthe beam of light around him. "This way," the inventor added, andducked through the end of the tent.

  In the gloomy interior a weird sight was disclosed--something so newand novel as to send an uncanny sensation along the nerves of Carl andHarris.

  Here was another cigar-shaped gas-bag, and another suspended car. Thecar itself was stationary, but the bag, because of the drafts thatsurged through the tent, was bobbing and swaying like some monster,anxious to be unleashed.

  The flickering gleam from the dark lantern could only disclose a partof the air-ship at a time.

  "Ach," muttered Carl, "dot makes my nerfs shake und shake likeanyt'ing. Sooch a horrible t'ing vat it iss!"

  "That's because you're not familiar with such a craft," said Jerrold."Payne and I have worked over it for years, and only yesterday saw thecompletion of our labors. It was six o'clock last night before the bagwas fully inflated. We had to use common illuminating-gas, too, andthe not more buoyant hydrogen. I have called the air-ship the 'Eagle,'and if you sweep that light along the side of the bag you will see thename."

  This was a bit of byplay that took time and was utterly needless, buta great pride throbbed in the inventor's words, and even the smallestdetail of the air-ship was fraught with the utmost importance to him.

  "Everything about the craft," Jerrold went on, "is of the verybest. The motor is the lightest, strongest and most powerful everconstructed. The car will carry half a dozen, easily. Sand-bags aresuspended from each end of the gas-bag. When I pull in the sand-bag atthe front end, the equilibrium is displaced, the bag points upward, andthe propeller forces the air-ship to rise. So, when I wish to descend,I pull in the sand-bag at the rear point of the bag. When both bags arehanging loose, the Eagle swims in the air on an even keel. Now, thesteering rudder, which also helps in maneuvering the ship, is a littleidea of my own and----"

  "Ach, hang der shdeering rutter!" broke in Carl, impatiently. "Harrisund I haf got to go afder Matt und ve can't vait aroundt here an
ylonger. Ve haf got to go py dot svamp, und----"

  "Exactly!" broke in the inventor. "The Eagle, fully inflated and witha tank full of gasoline, is waiting for a trial spin in the morning.I have the honor to propose that we use the craft now, proceed toWilloughby's swamp and rescue Motor Matt. That will save time, and awhole lot of hardships in forcing your way through mud and water andtangled brush in order to reach the island."

  Harris had already gathered the inventor's idea, even before hebegan putting it into words; Carl, however, had not anticipated thesuggestion, and he was dazed by it.

  "You mean to dake us py der svamp in der Eagle?" he asked, in sometrepidation.

  "Yes."

  "Ach, himmel! I nefer rode mit a air-ship. Vill I be seasick py it?"

  "I don't think so. You see, I have never navigated an air-ship myself,but I'll bank on the Eagle doing its work. I can run the engine."

  "Vat oof it shouldt durn oopside town mit us vile ve vas a mile in derair?"

  "I'll guarantee it won't do that."

  "Vell, vedder or nod," said Carl, "I am going afder my bard. Oof dertangers vas greadt, I take dem; und oof dey vasn't so greadt, den Itake dem, too. Matt vouldt do more as dot for me, yah, I bed you!"

  Harris was also afflicted with doubts.

  "The ground has always been good enough for me, Jerrold," said he, "andwhenever I get my feet off it and go up any distance I have a bad caseof vertigo. If I should get dizzy and fall off the car----"

  "You won't," interrupted the inventor; "people never get dizzy inballoons."

  "You're sure it won't tip over and spill us out?"

  "Positive."

  "You don't know much about it yourself, you know, having never been upin it."

  "That scoundrel, Brady, has used the Hawk with fair success, and theHawk is modeled on the same lines as the Eagle, only the Eagle hasimprovements which Brady was not able to get hold of and put on his ownmachine. Shall we go to the rescue of Motor Matt? Come, my friends,time is flying."

  "Und ve ought to be flying, too," said Carl, now eager to make theascension.

  "I'll take a chance," observed Harris.

  "Good!" applauded Jerrold.

  The next moment he had vanished in the darkness and could be heardpulling at some ropes. In less than a minute the entire top of the tentfell away, revealing the stars.

  "Get into the car," said Jerrold, "there, just forward of the driver'sseat."

  With the aid of his lantern Harris picked out the place where he andCarl were to stow themselves, and they climbed into the car as directed.

  Immediately after that, Jerrold got over the rail and took his seat atthe levers. It was impossible to see just what he was doing, but theclank of a lever came from his vicinity and slowly the front of thegas-bag began to point upward.

  "Now we're ready," called the inventor.

  The popping of a motor began and gradually gathered into a swift murmur.

  "And now we're off," added Jerrold. "Stay right where you are and don'tchange your positions unless I tell you."

  The whir of the propeller started, and the house and shrubbery beganslipping away from under those in the car.

  "Ach, du lieber!" gasped Carl. "Der eart' vas falling avay from us. Ivill say my brayers forvarts, packvarts und sidevays, oof it vill helupany."

  "I've got a bad case of rattles, myself," admitted Harris. "But it'sfor your pard, my boy."

  "You bed my life!" returned Carl, "aber I never dit anyt'ing pefore fordot bard oof mine dot dook so mooch nerf as vat dis toes. I vill shudmy eyes, und you dell me, blease, ven ve reach der svamp!"