“What’s the matter, Jerry?” asked Ned, as soon as the tall lad had joined his chums. The lights had been set aglow in the cabin of the airship, and around the craft was gathered a curious throng.
“Why?” replied Jerry. “Does anything look to be the matter?” and he tried 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 Bill Berry, 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 he was on the through western freight, on his way to join Noddy and the others of the gang, I suppose. Boys, we’ll have to hustle to get ahead of them.”
A little later, after warning the throng to stand back, Jerry entered the 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 who had been of such service to them.
The lads answered with farewells, and then, with Bob and Ned in the cabin, the former getting ready to cook supper, and Jerry in the pilot house, the Comet was sent due west, as straight as the compass indicated.
Bob had just announced that “grub” was ready, and Jerry was about to adjust the automatic steering apparatus, so that he could leave the airship to itself, while he ate, when Ned uttered an exclamation of dismay.
“The professor!” he cried. “Professor Snodgrass! We have left him behind!”
For a moment the three stared blankly at one another. Then the truth dawned upon them. The scientist had resumed his fad of collecting insects as soon as he was out of the airship, and, the excitement of getting 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’s rejoinder. “I wonder if we can find the place in the darkness?”
It was rather a risk, but, fortunately they had not gone far, and the lights of the town they had left were quite brilliant. Then, too, there was no other place near it, save the one across the river, and this was easily distinguished.
Soon they were skimming back, and in a little while they had landed on the outskirts of Wakedell.
“You two had better stay here with the airship, and I’ll go in town and see if I can find the professor,” said Jerry. “I don’t believe I’ll have much trouble in locating him.”
The tall lad was soon on his way through the principal street of the city. 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, when Jerry had questioned them. “No, we haven’t seen him. But then we’ve been so busy since the ferry started to run, that there’s nothing uncommon 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 chairman of 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 the cable.
“The professor?” he repeated. “Well, I think the most likely place to look 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 went there. We’ll go and make inquiries.”
“How is the ferry running?” asked Jerry, more to show a polite interest than for any other reason, for he was somewhat worried over many matters, not the least of which was the absence of Mr. Snodgrass.
“Fine!” replied Mr. Duncan. “Couldn’t be better! But here we are at the hotel, where, I have no doubt, you will find your friend.”
Jerry, accompanied by Mr. Duncan, entered the corridor. The lad inquired if Professor Snodgrass had put up there.
“You mean a little man, with not much hair on his head,” asked the clerk, “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 boy responded, the man back of the desk added: “Show Mr. Duncan and his friend up to sixteen.”
As Jerry and Mr. Duncan advanced along the corridor, led by the bell boy, 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 she disappeared on the run.
Jerry, Mr. Duncan and the bell boy hurried on. As they came in front of 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 that way.”
“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 face contrasted strangely with his large eyes.
Once more there came a violent pounding on the wall, so that the floors seemed to shake.
“If that is the professor, perhaps he has been bitten by one of his snakes, toads or queer insects, and has gone crazy,” thought Jerry. Then, as the racket continued, he heard above the noise, a voice calling:
“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 bell boy returned, with the clerk and several janitors.
“It is the professor,” murmured Jerry, who did not know what to think. “But he must be in great distress!”