Jerry was working frantically at the machinery. Something seemed to be the matter with it, and he had a fear that perhaps the farmer or his men might have been tinkering with the motor.
“Why don’t we move?” cried Ned.
“Yes, let’s get out of here, or he’ll have us back in that smoke house again!” yelled Bob.
“Can I help?” demanded the professor, who having placed his precious specimen boxes in a safe place aboard the ship, was scurrying about the deck in the darkness, without any special object in view.
“I’m doing the best I can!” cried Jerry. “This lever seems to be stuck!”
“Hold on there!” yelled the farmer again. “I’ve got th’ drop on ye! I’m goin’ t’ shoot ag’in!”
There was another flash of fire and a loud report. By the gleam from the gun the boys could see Mr. Muggins leaning out of his bedroom window, pointing the weapon at them. But they heard the bullet sing through the air, high over their heads.
“He isn’t shooting at us!” cried Bob in a hoarse whisper. “He’s aiming high!”
“That’s just the trouble!” murmured Jerry. “He may put a hole through the gas bag! Hang it all. What’s the matter with this lever, anyhow?”
As he spoke he gave it another sudden yank. There was a clicking sound, a hum and purr that became a muffled roar and then the motor started. The big propellers whirled around and the Comet shot ahead.
“Now we’re safe!” cried Ned. “Shoot away, old man; you can’t hit us now!”
As if taking the lad at his word Mr. Muggins fired again, but they did not hear the sound of the bullet. Then, faint and far away, for they were now some distance from the farmhouse, came the threatening voice:
“I’ll catch you fellers yet! I know where ye’re goin’ in that there balloon machine, an’ I’ll be right arter ye! Ye can’t git away from old man Muggins that way! I’ll have the sheriff on yer trail!”
“Still, we did get away,” exulted Jerry, “and I’d like to see you catch us now, Mr. Muggins!” He turned more power into the motor and the craft shot ahead faster than ever, while, back in the darkness, an exceedingly angry farmer closed his window with a bang and muttered dire threats against the lads who had gotten the better of him.
Meanwhile our heroes were scudding along through the air. They did not venture to turn on any lights for some time, fearing that perhaps the ugly farmer, with a powerful rifle might manage to aim at them, and puncture the gas bag. But it did not take long to get out of range, and then they lit up.
“I know what I’m going to do,” declared Bob, as he started for the store room.
“What’s that, Chunky?” asked Ned.
“Get something to eat! That stuff Mrs. Muggins sent us was all right, but there wasn’t enough of it. Don’t you fellows want something? How about you, Professor?”
“Oh, you’re the limit, Bob!” cried Jerry. “But I suppose there’s no stopping you. Go ahead.”
“We must be near Danforth,” remarked Ned, a little later. “We don’t want to run past it, Jerry, for we can’t see it in the dark.”
“No, and for that reason I’m going to slow down now, and remain as stationary as the wind will let us. There is no use going a long distance out of our way. I’ll fill the gas bag, and we’ll float in the air until morning.”
This was soon done, and feeling very tired from the experience they had just passed through they all went to bed, leaving the Comet floating in space, blown here and there by gentle breezes which Jerry knew would not take them far out of their course.
“See anything of the grounds where the balloon meet is being held?” asked Jerry of Bob, who was up early to make coffee.
The stout lad took an observation over the rail of the craft before replying.
“Nothing like it in sight,” he answered. “We seem to be over a farming country, and I can see two or three men driving their teams along the road. They’re looking up here and waving their hands. That one fellow will dislocate his neck, if he doesn’t look out.”
“Well, see to it that the anchor isn’t trailing,” advised Jerry. “We can’t afford to rip off any more barn roofs. By the way, I wonder if we hadn’t ought to have left some money for Mr. Muggins?”
“He was too mean,” declared Ned. “But we must be careful not to have any more delays. I’m getting nervous about not seeing Mr. Jackson.”
“We’ll catch him to-day I guess,” declared Jerry, as he got up to take an observation. By looking at some maps which he had, he calculated that they were within a few miles of Danforth, having been blown a little out of their course in the night. The motor was started, and the Comet headed in the right direction.
Eagerly the boys kept watch for the first sight of the big park where the balloon and aeroplane meet was to take place. They knew it would be visible some distance away, for there would be tents erected as “hangars” for the balloons, and probably the canvas shelters would be gay with flags.
They were right. Half an hour later Bob, who had gone away up forward, where he had an unobstructed view, gave a shout.
“There it is!” he cried. “I see it! Crimps! but it’s a big one. We’re all right, fellows, let’s make a sensational landing, Jerry!”
“How do you mean?” asked the tall lad, “turn a somersault, or something like that?”
“No, but speed around, do some stunts and then come down in the middle of the park.”
“All right, we’ll try it.”
And indeed Jerry was not a little proud of what their craft could do, so he was willing to fall in with Bob’s idea.
The Comet was sent up, and then directed downward. Then Jerry put her through some intricate evolutions, to show what control he had of her.
Though it was early there was a big crowd on the grounds and they were much interested in what was going on. The boys could see thousands of persons gazing up at them. They noted numbers of tents and sheds which evidently housed the big aircraft. There were several balloons without shelter, the big bags, partly filled, swaying in the wind.
One dirigible in particular attracted their attention. It was very large, and seemed to have a large boat-shaped cabin attached below it. In fact, the lower part was not unlike their own Comet.
About this craft there was quite a throng, and men could be seen busily engaged, evidently in getting it ready for a flight.
“Well, I guess we’ve done enough,” remarked Jerry at length. “We’d better go down.”
“Yes,” agreed Ned. “I’d like to see what sort of a craft that one is,” and he motioned to the big dirigible.
Hardly had he spoken than there came a shout from below, and the balloon rose swiftly in the air.
“They’re making an early flight!” cried Bob. “We missed ’em.”
“Oh, we can see from here just as well,” said Jerry, as he checked the downward progress of the Comet for a moment.
Upward shot the big dirigible, amid the cheers of the onlookers, and then, wishing to make as good a landing as possible, and needing good speed and control to effect this, Jerry again sent the motor-ship downward.
A little later the motor boys landed in the midst of a big, green, open space, while the crowd thronged up around them, cheering their impromptu exhibition, and asking all sorts of questions.
“Here at last!” cried Ned, with a sigh of relief. “Now to find Mr. Jackson.”
Overhead the big dirigible was shooting forward through space, for her propellers had been set in motion. The boys watched her with great interest, little knowing how their own fate was interwoven in that of the strange craft.