Cresville was reached, without incident, in much less time than the journey had taken our friends in the auto. They had but one slight accident. A leak was discovered in one of the compartments of the gas bag, but no stop was made to repair it, as the ship could be used independently of the bag, as an aeroplane. The leak was of small importance from the fact that the bag was divided into several sections, so that if one or two were emptied of gas the Comet would still be buoyant.
“Here we are!” announced Ned, the same afternoon that they had left Platville, and he looked toward a town that was looming up into sight. “There’s Cresville.”
The boys’ parents were anxiously awaiting their arrival for, though they had been informed by telegraph of the success of the quest, they did not know all that had taken place. The story of the chase, and the disappearance of Mr. Bell, was soon told.
“Is Noddy Nixon back in town?” inquired Bob, of his father.
“I don’t know,” replied Mr. Baker. “But I wouldn’t have anything to do with him, if I were you.”
“We don’t intend to,” spoke Ned, “only we’d like to get on the track of that mystery.”
Inquiries, however, showed that Noddy had not come back. Nor had Jack Pender, and as Mr. Nixon was a man who never considered that his son did wrong, there was little use in appealing to him.
“We’ll work this out ourselves,” decided Jerry, and his chums agreed with him. The airship was housed in the shed, and, when the broken bolts on the big front doors had been repaired, Sud Snuffles was again placed in charge, with strict orders to admit no one except the motor boys, or some one accompanied by them.
“And you can make up your minds that I’ll be careful,” declared Sud, feeling of the lump on his head, which swelling was still in evidence. “They’ll have to get rid of me first, before they get in this shed now.”
That night there was a consultation among the motor boys and their parents. Jerry showed the letter Noddy had dropped, which seemed to indicate that an attempt would be made on the part of Noddy and his cronies to get control of the gold mine in Arizona.
“I think we ought to go out there,” declared Jerry, “to protect our mine, and also to see if we can’t locate Mr. Bell and his mysterious friends, whom he is so anxious to aid.”
“Oh, Jerry, are you going on another one of those dangerous trips?” exclaimed Mrs. Hopkins, in much anxiety.
“It’s not so dangerous, mother. We always come safely back from them.”
“You have, so far,” remarked Mr. Slade. “But there is no telling. I don’t much fancy airships.”
“They are safer than automobiles,” declared Bob. “You can’t hit anything in the air.”
“No, but you can come down and hit the earth pretty hard,” observed his father, grimly.
“Oh, but we don’t intend to come down,” said Ned. “Can’t we go, dad?”
The parents considered the matter in a sort of executive session, the boys being barred. Finally the lads were called into the library of Mrs. Hopkins’s home, where the conference was taking place. The boys looked anxiously at the faces of the older folks.
“Well?” inquired Jerry nervously.
“You may go,” replied his mother, with a little catch in her voice. “But you must promise to be very careful. You are going on a long trip—across the Rocky Mountains, as I understand it—and there may be all sorts of dangers.”
“Oh, we’ll be careful,” readily promised Jerry, and his chums eagerly assented.
Once all objections to their trip were removed, the boys lost no time in making their preparations. There was little to do to the Comet as it was nearly ready for a flight across the continent, but supplies and provisions must be put aboard and these took some time. At length, however, all was in readiness.
“I think we’ll give it a trial to-morrow,” said Jerry to his chums one night. “I want to see how the deflecting rudder works since I changed the angle. Then, if all is well, we’ll start the next day.”
As the three chums were about ready to start on the little test trip the following day, having run the airship out of the shed, they heard voices in conversation on the side of the gas bag opposite to them.
“Oh, would you dare take a trip?” asked some one, evidently, from the tones, a young lady.
“I would if they asked me, but I don’t suppose they will,” was the reply.
Jerry looked under the bag, and caught a glimpse of three girls. Without changing his position, he called out:
“You may consider that you are asked, Mollie. Would you and Helen and Alice like to take a little trip?”
“Oh, my goodness me! I didn’t s’pose anyone was around!” exclaimed Mollie Horton, who lived near Ned Slade.
“Don’t you dare go one step in it!” cried Alice Vines, while Helen Gale, another chum, joined her protest.
“How are you, girls?” greeted Jerry, as he and his companions went around where they could see the young ladies. “You may come for a trip, if you like. We’re not going very high, and there’s not the slightest danger.”
“Will you go, girls?” asked Mollie, of her friends.
They hesitated. Clearly they would like the experience, yet they hardly dared. While they were debating with themselves they were startled by hearing some one exclaim:
“Here we go—up in the air—above the clouds—down again—sail like a bird—turn a somersault—hit a star—bound for the moon—whoop! May I go?”
“You may if you will say that all over again, and repeat it slowly, backwards, Andy,” stipulated Jerry, as he caught sight of the excitable little chap. Andy tried, but it was of no use. His tongue got all “twisted” as Bob said. However, the small lad was so enthusiastic over a chance for a trip, and he seemed so fearless that the terrors of Alice and Helen were overcome, after a little more persuasion, in which Mollie did her share. The three girls and Andy Rush entered the cabin, not, however, without many exclamations, half of anxiety and half of pleasure. Then Jerry and his chums started the power, and they were soon sailing through the air. Owing to the timidity of the young ladies no very great height was reached, though Andy was constantly urging Jerry to go above the clouds. They descended without anything having happened.
“Why, how simple it all is!” exclaimed Alice Vines, as she stepped on the ground again.
“Yes, it’s easier than managing an automobile,” added Helen Gale.
“Except in a big wind,” said Jerry. “We’ll take you out in a storm, sometime.”
“No, thank you,” objected Mollie. “We’re much obliged as it is,” and then the girls waved a farewell to the boys.
The weather the following day proved all that could be desired. The boys were up early, for there were several small matters to attend to, but finally all was in readiness for the start over the Rockies.
Jerry had safely put away the letter Noddy had dropped, and he had the torn fragments of the one written by Mr. Bell. He thought he might need them as evidence.
There was quite a crowd assembled at the airship shed to see the start, and the parents of our heroes were there.
“Be sure and drop a letter occasionally,” called Mrs. Hopkins, to her son, and Jerry promised, while Ned and Bob also agreed to write to their parents.
“Is everything all right?” asked Jerry of his chums. He was in the pilot house, and his two companions were on deck.
“All ready to cast off,” announced Bob.
“Then let her go!” cried Jerry. “Good-bye, everybody!”
“Good-bye! Good-bye!” shouted their friends and parents.
“Good-bye!” cried Bob and Ned in a chorus.
They were about to release the ropes holding the airship to the earth when there was a sudden commotion in the crowd. It seemed to separate into two parts, and through the middle came running an odd figure.
It was that of a small man, with a bald head, which was easily discernible since his hat had fallen off. He was running as fast as he could.
“Hold on! Hold on, boys!” he cried. “Wait for me. I want to go with you!” His coat tails were flying out behind him like sails. Over one shoulder was a long-handled butterfly net, and slung on his back was a green box. The cover of the box had come open, and from it were falling all sorts of bugs, toads, lizards and insects. “Wait! Wait!” cried the little man. “Don’t go without me! I want to capture a new kind of flying lizard. Wait! Wait!”
Ned and Bob held on to the partly loosened guy ropes. The little man looked at the departing airship, and glanced back along the route he had traveled through the crowd—a route marked by all sorts of flying, creeping and hopping things.
“Wait, oh, wait, I beg of you!” he pleaded. “Am I too late? I must get that flying lizard!”
“Professor Snodgrass!” gasped Jerry, as he caught sight of the odd figure. “You’re just in time, Professor!” he shouted, leaning from the window of the pilot house. “Hold the ship for a minute, Bob and Ned, until the professor gets aboard. We never could go without him!”