CHAPTER II
AN UNCONSCIOUS WATCHMAN
After the first moment of hesitation, the boys, including Andy Rush, stepped within the big shed. It was as if they hoped to see the Comet concealed somewhere in the place, but the expanse of the airship planes, and the immense, bulging, gas bag did not greet their eyes.
“How long ago did you come past here, Andy?” asked Jerry, recovering some of his usual calmness.
“Not ten minutes ago,” replied the little chap. “I was on my way to town, and I thought I’d take this short cut. As soon as I came within sight of the shed, I saw the open doors.”
“And what did you do?” asked Bob.
“Looked in, to see if you were going off on a trip,” replied Andy. “I thought maybe you’d give me a ride. Then, when I saw the airship gone, and noticed that the doors were broken open, I knew something must have happened. I hurried off to find you—saw you sitting on the grass as if nothing had happened—great excitement—airship stolen—robbers in it—Noddy Nixon, maybe—airship wrecked—maybe—whoop!” and Andy ended up with a gasp, so rapid had been his utterance.
“Now just calm yourself,” begged Jerry. “Tell us all you can, Andy.”
“That’s all I know,” replied the small, excitable chap.
“The bars on the doors are broken,” called Bob, as he made an examination. “How do you s’pose that happened?”
“That’s so,” admitted Jerry, who had overlooked this part of Andy’s account. “And I wonder where Sud Snuffles is? He ought to be around. He’s paid enough to watch this place.”
“That’s right; where is Sud?” inquired Ned. “Maybe he went off in the airship with the thieves.”
“Nonsense,” exclaimed Jerry. “Let’s look around.”
The boys proceeded to make an examination of the interior of the shed. As Andy had related, it was in some confusion. Tools of various kinds were scattered about, and several boxes and chests had been broken open, and the contents, consisting of supplies for the craft, some canned food stuffs and spare parts, had been taken out. A big hammer near the front doors showed how the latter had been broken open.
“Those doors were smashed from inside!” cried Ned, after a more careful scrutiny.
“What makes you think so?” asked Jerry.
“Because the hammer’s thrown down inside, and the way the bolts are bent shows that the force was from within.”
“From within, eh?” murmured Jerry. “That’s interesting.”
“What does it indicate?” inquired Bob, who was not always so quick to see a point as were his two chums.
“Why it shows that the robbers, whoever they were, got into this shed from some other entrance than the big doors,” went on Jerry.
“Of course!” cried Ned. “The small door at the back! Why didn’t we think of it before? That’s the way Sud Snuffles goes in and out nights. I remember he said it was too much trouble to open the big double doors, and Sud was never very fond of work.”
“Come on; we must look for Sud, and see if the side door has been forced,” decided Jerry.
As they hurried through the big shed, to a small portal in the rear, Andy Rush remarked:
“I wonder how the thieves dare take the airship in broad daylight? Everyone around here knows it belongs to you fellows, and if Noddy Nixon or anyone else was seen in it, the police would be notified. It was a risky thing to do!”
“Maybe it wasn’t done in daylight,” suggested Jerry. “I was down here last evening, before dusk, and everything was all right, and Sud was on guard. He always stays all night. It may be that the ship was stolen last night, and Andy was the first one to notice it this morning.”
“I guess you’re right,” agreed Ned. “But now to find Sud, and see what explanation he has to make. If he has deserted his place, and gone off, we’ll discharge him.”
By this time the lads were at the small door. Near it was a chair and a cot, on which the watchman was in the habit of sitting or lying during the night. Sud Snuffles had been hired by the motor boys shortly after their return from their first long trip, for as the airship was in a shed, some distance away from the nearest house, they feared some mischievous persons might try to damage it. But, up to the present, there had been no trouble. Sud was an odd character, somewhat shiftless, and not much given to holding a steady position. He was very fond of traveling, and the night job just suited him, because he could roam about in the daytime, when there was no necessity for being on guard. He seemed to have a faculty of getting into all sorts of trouble, and slipping out again with ease.
“I don’t see anything of Sud,” remarked Jerry, peering about.
“Then he’s gone with the thieves!” decided Andy. “He’s in a conspiracy with them! Helped steal the airship—gone off on a trip—he’s fond of traveling—he’d go ten thousand miles—never come back—whoop!”
“Andy, will you be quiet,” begged Jerry. “This may be a serious matter. Look around and see if you can find any traces of Sud, boys.”
“He seems to have slept in the cot,” observed Bob. “The clothes are all mussed up.”
They began a hasty search of the rear of the shop, Andy joining in. But though they looked in several closets where tools or supplies were kept, and peered into all sorts of odd nooks and corners, there was no sign of the watchman.
“I’m afraid he has gone off,” began Jerry, but, the next moment, he and the others were startled by hearing a groan.
“What’s that?” cried Bob.
“Somebody’s killed!” gasped Andy, his face turning pale.
“Nonsense!” cried Jerry.
“It sounded from under the cot,” observed Ned.
His words were a signal for all to rush to the little bed. Jerry lifted up the clothes that draped over the front edge, concealing a view underneath. As the lad raised the coverlets, there was disclosed a pitiful sight.
Old Sud Snuffles, tied with numerous ropes, his head enveloped in a bag, lay under the cot. He was as helpless as a baby, and, as the boys looked at him in wonder and alarm, a stifled groan came from the bag. At the same time Jerry sniffed the air suspiciously.
“Boys!” he cried, “Sud has been drugged—chloroformed! We must bring him to consciousness, and then, maybe, he can tell us about the theft of our airship. There’s been some queer goings-on here!”