Chapter 9 A DISASTROUS FLIGHT

Higher and higher soared the Comet, mounting upward on the wings of the wind until it was more than a mile in the air. Then Jerry brought her to a level keel, and turned on more power.

"Where you heading for?" asked Ned, noting that the machinery was running almost at the limit of speed. "What's the haste, Jerry? Are you trying for a record?"

"Not especially, though we might as well hit it up to see how the renovated motor works."

"It works fine, if you ask me," came from Bob. "We haven't traveled so fast since we were after Mr. Jackson. But then I guess if we're going to try for a prize at the meet we'll need speed."

"That's one reason," conceded Jerry. "Another is, that I'm going to try to get to Lake Martin and back before night."

"Ha! I see your game!" cried Ned. "You haven't had a chance to try the hydroplanes lately, and you are afraid they won't work."

"Not at all afraid of that," declared the tall lad, "but I do want to give them another try-out."

"It's quite a trip to Lake Martin and back again-especially when we haven't much food aboard," ventured Bob.

"Oh, what's the matter with you, Chunky?" cried Jerry. "You're always thinking of eating. Forget it once in a while. We can easily make the lake, and be back for supper."

"If we don't have any accidents," put in the fat boy, somewhat dubiously. "I'm going to see what we have got in the galley," and despite the laughing objections of his companions he departed to inspect the larder. He came back grinning cheerfully.

"Well?" asked Ned.

"Enough for a week!" exclaimed Bob in satisfied tones. "I forgot that we stocked up the other day. It's all right. Go as far as you like."

It was quite a trip to Lake Martin, but Jerry knew the Comet could easily make it. They had gone farther than that in one day, and he wanted to try the hydroplanes on a large body of fresh water. He knew, or was practically certain, that they would work all right, but they had not been used since the trip over the ocean, when the boys rescued Mr. Jackson.

It was about an hour after they had started, and the Comet, was speeding swiftly along, when Mr. Snodgrass quickly arose from his seat amidships, and with a cry of delight, rushed toward the stern of the craft.

"There's one!" he exclaimed. "One of the upper-air mosquitoes. Look out, Bob, and I'll get him!"

With uplifted net the scientist headed for the very end of the Comet. Buzzing just out of his reach was a large insect, and so intent on its capture was Mr. Snodgrass that he never noticed his own danger.

The rear of the airship ended in a sort of open deck or platform, that was used for various purposes. Usually a stout iron railing enclosed it, but, in order to make some changes, this railing had been taken down, and had not been replaced, though Jerry intended to do it before going to the meet. But now the end of the craft was unprotected, and the professor was running quickly toward it.

Eager as he was to capture the insect, there was every likelihood that he would hurl himself off into space if he was not stopped. Ned saw his danger and yelled:

"Professor! Professor! Stop! The railing is down! Look out!"

The scientist either did not hear or did not heed, but kept on.

"Stop the ship! Stop her! Send her down! He'll be killed if he falls!" cried Ned to Jerry. There was little doubt of this, for the Comet was now two miles above the earth.

The professor was now within ten feet of the end of the platform, and it seemed that nothing could save him. But Ned and Jerry, who were looking with horror in their eyes at their friend, reckoned without Bob. The stout lad was on the after part of the motorship, at one edge of the platform. He looked up as he heard the cries, and saw the scientist coming. Then Bob acted.

Instead of calling to Mr. Snodgrass, the fat lad fairly rolled out directly in his path, and lay there. There could be but one result. The professor, his eyes fixed on the insect that was fluttering before him, did not see Bob. But he could not avoid him.

The next instant he had stumbled over him, and went down in a heap, about four feet from the end of the platform, his net slipping from his grasp, and falling off into space.

"Ugh!" grunted Bob, as the breath was knocked from him by the impact with the professor.

"Oh, my dear boy! Did I hurt you?" exclaimed the scientist as he slowly arose.

"Not-not much," gasped the fat youth.

"Oh dear! My best net is gone! And the insect has disappeared!" lamented Mr. Snodgrass.

"And in another minute you would have disappeared!" declared Jerry half angrily. "You must not take such chances, Professor. Only for Bob you would have been killed."

"Well, I'm much obliged to Bob, I'm sure," said Mr. Snodgrass with a curious air. "Very much obliged. I wonder where I can get another handle for the new butterfly net which I must make?"

"And that's all he thinks about his narrow escape," commented Ned. "Say, he'll give us heart disease if he keeps on this way."

"A miss is as good as two miles," observed Bob, as he rubbed his hip where the professor had fallen on him. "I'm glad he didn't go overboard," he added as he looked at the earth far below them.

The professor, after thinking the matter over, began to realize what he had escaped, and shook hands warmly with Bob. Then he forgot all about the matter, in the work of making a new handle for another net he constructed out of some thin cloth.

Meanwhile the Comet was speeding on, and in less time than our heroes expected they were at Lake Martin. Jerry sent the craft down to the surface of the water, and landed on the hydroplanes. Then, setting the water-screw in motion, he directed the motorship about on the lake, to the no small amazement of some motor-boat enthusiasts who were there. Dinner was eaten afloat, and after giving the professor a chance to look for the flying frog, but without success, preparations were made for the return.

"I told you we could make the trip easily in a day," observed Jerry to his chums, as, toward the close of the afternoon, they were nearing Cresville.

"Yes, the Comet is doing herself proud," declared Ned. "I hope we take a prize with her at Colton."

"Sure we will," insisted Bob, who was feeling very fine because of a good dinner.

"We wouldn't if we depended on you," said Jerry, "though I must say you keep us up to the mark on grub," and the fat lad grinned in appreciation of this compliment.

They were about three miles from home, and were slowing up their speed, and coming down on a long slant, when Ned, who was looking from the window of the pilot house suddenly exclaimed:

"There's another aeroplane down there, fellows!"

"Where?" demanded Bob.

"Hovering over that meadow. See, it's a big biplane, too."

They looked and saw the white planes of a large aircraft.

"It's a new one-see how white the canvas is," commented Jerry.

"Looks just like the Silver Star," put in Bob. "Maybe Brown and Black have come to apologize to us."

"Not much," answered Ned grimly.

"Say, fellows, that's Noddy Nixon!" cried Andy Rush, who, strange to say, had been rather quiet on this trip. "He has a biplane."

"So he has," agreed Jerry. "I shouldn't be surprised if it was Noddy, boys."

"Let's go down and see," proposed Bob. Accordingly the Comet was headed for the strange aircraft which was slowly skimming along over the big meadow, at no great distance above the ground. There were two figures in it, as our friends could observe, and they were guiding the aeroplane about in easy circles and figures of eight.

"It's Noddy all right," declared Jerry, when they had come near enough to make out the occupants of the machine, "and Bill Berry is with him."

"Let's watch him for a while," suggested Bob, and his tall chum shut off the propellers, let some gas blow from the compressor into the big bag, so that the Comet floated in the air like a balloon, at some distance above the slowly-moving aeroplane of Noddy Nixon.

The bully and his crony had noticed the air-audience and, probably to show off, they increased the speed of their craft, though they did not ascend any.

"Guess they're afraid," remarked Ned.

Then Andy Rush did something, which, if his companions could have anticipated they would have prevented. Leaning over the side of the Comet, and directing his voice at Noddy and Bill, he loudly shouted:

"Hey, why don't you go up? Don't be afraid! Be sports! Come on up, the air is fine! Show us what you can do!"

Whether Noddy imagined it was one of the motor boys calling thus mockingly to him was not learned, but at any rate the bully retorted:

"Huh! afraid, are we? I'll show you!"

There was an increase to the speed of his motor, as our friends could tell by the more rapid explosions, and the new aeroplane, boastfully named the Winner, shot upward.

"We'll show you what we can do!" cried Bill Berry. "Go right over their heads, Noddy!"

"I will!" declared Noddy, and he pointed the nose of his craft straight at the Comet on an upward slant.

"He's coming for us!" cried Ned.

"He may hit us!" added Bob.

"Not much danger I guess," replied Jerry. "He ought to be able to steer well out of the way."

But the Winner did seem to be coming alarmingly close to the Comet, and even Jerry was a bit apprehensive.

"Guess I'll get some steerage way on, and move up a bit, fellows," decided the tall lad. But before he could do this something happened.

The Winner was coming on rapidly. The malevolent faces of Noddy and Bill could be made out now. They were both grinning.

"We'll cut over your heads all right!" boasted Noddy. "We'll show you how to fly."

An instant later the nose of the Winner was tilted upward still more, as Noddy shifted his rudder. It seemed as if the new craft would clear the Comet, and that Noddy would make good his boast.

But just as Jerry got the propellers in motion, and as the motorship was slowly moving to one side the Winner topped her. Right over the heads of our heroes flew Noddy.

Then came an ominous ripping, tearing sound, a hissing as from compressed air, and the Comet began to sink.

"He's torn a hole in our gas bag! We're going down!" yelled Jerry, as he leaped toward the motor room. "Ned-Bob! Start the vapor machine or we'll crash to earth!"

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