Clarence Young

“ What do you want?” demanded Jerry, but he received no answer.
With a quick spring Ned was at the cabin door that opened out into a sort of cockpit, and thence, by a short companionway to the deck. Throwing the portal open, Ned flashed on a small searchlight. As he played it about the river he picked up a small boat, containing two persons, who were rowing quickly away.
“What did you want? Were you on our boat?” demanded Ned, and then, as the two in the small craft maintained a silence, Ned flashed the light full in their faces. As he did so he gave a cry that brought Jerry and Bob out to him. ”

“ The boys and Professor Snodgrass were walking back toward the Express, and were somewhat by themselves, when Jerry noticed the figure of a man lying on a pile of seat cushions on the railroad embankment.
“Let’s carry him back to the doctor!” cried Ned, and he advanced to take hold of one corner of the seat, which was like an improvised stretcher. The man on it never moved. ”

“ The place of the aero meet was deserted, and the hangars looked gloomy in the big expanse of open field.
“Wonder which is ours?” ventured Ned, as he and his chums alighted from the trolley car.
“There it is,” remarked Jerry, pointing to a big shed with the word “COMET” in large letters across the big doors.
“And now for a good flight!” cried Bob. “No more train wrecks for ours. Off for Snake Island and the radium!”
“And my two-tailed toad,” added Professor [142] Snodgrass, looking carefully on the ground as he advanced for a possible rare specimen. ”

“ Oh, even now, my mind is not right!”
“There, there!” exclaimed the professor soothingly, as he would have talked to a child. “You are with friends. You will soon be away from here, and in your own home. We are going to restore you to the world again. You have seen the last of Snake Island.”
“The last of Snake Island! Oh——” but the unfortunate castaway could say no more, for he had fainted, and would have fallen, had not Jerry and Ned caught him.
“Quick! Carry him to the Comet,” directed the professor. “When he comes to, he must find himself in brighter surroundings.” ”

“ OFF FOR THE CANYON
Jerry, who was in the lead of the chase after Noddy and his cronies, came to a sudden resolve. What was the use of capturing the bully, when the recovered airship might need attention? Clearly it would be more profitable to look after their craft, and let Noddy escape, for the time being. So Jerry shouted:
“Hey, fellows, never mind. Let ’em get away. We’ll only have a fight on our hands, and it isn’t worth while. Let’s see how much damage they’ve done.”
“But, don’t we want to catch ’em?” demanded Bob, who, though much out of breath, had managed to catch up to Jerry and Ned. ”

“ Go down!” yelled Jerry. “Go down before I force you, and, if I do, I won’t be responsible for the consequences!”
There was no help for it. Noddy’s unpleasant [172] face, scowling in anger, peered from the window of the pilot house. Jerry saw him pull the lever of the deflecting rudder, for the bully had sneaked around the shop of the motor boys often enough to learn the rudiments of running the Comet.
Down and down she went, fairly forced by the Chaser above her, by the Chaser, that frail little craft of the air, compared to which the Comet was like a battleship opposed to a torpedo destroyer. ”

“ THE EXPRESS AHEAD
“Come on, fellows, tumble out!”
Thus Jerry called to his two chums, but they needed no urging. The curtains of their berths were violently shaken as the lads drew on their clothes, and leaped out into the aisle.
“Has anything happened?” asked the professor, hardly awake, even after his first question.
“Not to us,” answered Jerry. “Our luck seems to have turned. But there must be a lot of people badly hurt on the Limited. Come on, we’ll do all we can to help.”
Without stopping to dress fully, the three boys hurried out of the car. ”

“ THE RADIUM TREASURE—CONCLUSION
“Bless my soul!” exclaimed Professor Snodgrass.
Bob, with a catching of his breath, and a nervous tremor, started to run in a panic. But Jerry caught him by the shoulder.
“Hold on!” the tall lad cried. “It’s only a man.”
“A—a man!” gasped the fat lad. “I thought——”
“Stop thinking!” commanded Jerry.
The man in the cave advanced, and the boys and the professor saw that he carried a torch made from some resinous wood that burned with much smoke.
“Who are you?” again demanded the man, holding his torch on high. “Who comes here to disturb me? ”

“ They could be raised or lowered at will, and allowed the Comet to float on the surface of water. If you boys have ever seen a water-spider, or bug, skimming along on the brook or lake, as you doubtless have, you will get a good idea of how the hydroplanes worked by recalling to mind the insect.
“Well, what are we going to do?” asked Ned, as he looked at the flood sweeping past. On the surface of the water floated all manner of débris, including much driftwood, and even whole trees. “We can’t stay here,” went on the lad, “for we may have a hole punched in us any minute.” ”

“ The only thing for us to do is to get there first.”
“Can we do it with this machine?” asked Ned.
“Well, it’s a pretty good craft,” replied Jerry, as he turned on more power, and did various evolutions in the air to ascertain how the Chaser responded to the helm. “Of course she isn’t as speedy as the Comet, but she might be, with Noddy tinkering with our machinery, and not getting the best out of it. We’ve got to take our chance.” ”

“ Noddy, with a backward glance, had ascertained that Jerry and his two friends were no longer in pursuit, and so the bully slackened his pace. His companions did likewise and, a sorry-looking trio indeed, they made their way across the plain above which the air game had taken place.
“Don’t you want to catch Noddy?” asked Ned.
“No; what’s the use?” inquired Jerry. “He’s done all the harm he can. The thing for us to do is to remedy it. We must see to our own airship, and then get back, pick up the professor, and head for Snake Island.”
“But what will we do with Mr. Montrose’s aeroplane?” ”

“ It’s chilly out here,” and he shivered.
“Yes, I guess it is more pleasant inside,” agreed Jerry. “Did you see anything of your toad, Professor?”
“No, not a thing, but I got several other valuable specimens, so my evening was not wasted. I guess I’ll go in with you.”
“What do you think those queer shapes [206] were?” asked Jerry of the scientist, when they were once more in the cabin.
“Well, it would be hard to say,” spoke Professor Snodgrass. “Of course none of us believe in ghosts, and yet there are queer manifestations, sometimes, that even science cannot satisfactorily explain. ”

“ Can’t you let a man sleep in peace? I’ve got to get up early!”
“Hello! Hello!” cried the professor. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” answered Jerry. “It isn’t us, anyhow,” he added, for the benefit of the fussy man.
Just then a brakeman came hurrying through the car.
“What’s up?” asked Jerry, poking his head through the curtains of his berth.
“Wreck!” was the brief reply. “The Denver Limited, right ahead of us, has jumped the track. Our engineer stopped just in time, or we’d have been into her.”
“The Limited wrecked!” gasped Jerry. “It’s a good thing, after all, that we missed it!” ”

“ They saw their plans for a fine summer outing partly spoiled, and their fine boat about to be wrecked.
Suddenly, from the bushes that lined the road, there ran out to the middle of the highway, and a little distance ahead of the galloping horses, a small man. At the sight of him Jerry cried:
“Look! It’s the professor!”
“He’d better get out of the way,” said the truckman grimly, in a low voice. “Nothing can stop these animals now, until they wreck everything. Look out!” he yelled to Mr. Snodgrass. ”

“ Is everything all right now?”
“I think so,” said Jerry, and he explained how he and Ned had started to have fun with Bob, how they had made up their minds to have a lunch, and how Professor Snodgrass had discovered the scorpion amid the bananas. He told what a learned man the scientist was, always on the lookout for specimens. Uriah Snodgrass was, by this time, painlessly preserving his scorpion, and making notes about it, forgetting his desire to eat. ”

“ Radium is used in colleges for experiments. I’ll do it! I’ll get Bill Berry, and we’ll find some other college professor, and start after that radium ourselves. I’ll get ahead of the motor boys for once in my life! Radium! It may be worth millions!” and Noddy’s eyes [32] gleamed as he unfolded to himself the plot he was hatching against our heroes.
“I’ll start as soon as I can,” he went on. “It isn’t very far to that Colorado canyon. That’s what I’ll do. Me and Bill will get that radium. I guess I can find Snake Island as well as Jerry, Ned or Bob. ”

“ Professor Snodgrass had already returned, without his toad.
“Boys!” he cried, “it’s going to be a deluge! There will be a lot of water, and the river is sure to rise very high. I think we had better get in the airship, and go up until it’s over. There may be air currents down here so powerful that we can’t make headway against them. My advice is to go up.”
The others thought this good, and so, in the midst of the pelting rain, and against a current of air that every moment grew stronger, the Comet arose out of the canyon. ”

“ It did seem as if the structure would turn turtle, but a swirl in the current righted it, and once more it floated on a level keel, so to speak.
[24]
“Help! Help!” cried Noddy, waving his hands at the boys in the motor boat.
“We’re coming!” shouted Ned. “Keep cool!”
“Wow! Steady! We’ll save you—don’t jump—it’s all right—not as bad as it might be—hold fast!” excitedly cried Andy Rush.
“Keep still!” ordered Jerry. “You’ll have him jumping overboard next, Andy.” ”

“ There are sudden storms, snow or rain, there are fogs—and you know you can’t see anything in a fog, even if you have an airship.”
“Oh, well, fogs don’t last forever,” declared Bob. “We’ll just have to keep on the lookout until we sight the island. Then we can lower ourselves, make a landing, get the radium, and come away, and——”
“You forget about the missing scientist,” suggested Ned.
“That’s so. Do you really think he’s there, Jerry?”
“Well, it’s hard to say. There’s just a chance that he landed on the island when the others were wrecked in their boat, and he may be there yet. ”

“ The three boys hastened their pace, and Jerry headed for one car, around which most of the rescuers were grouped.
“Here’s work for us, fellows!” he cried.
[131]
“That’s right!” shouted a brakeman. “Get busy!”
The motor boys could see the havoc wrought by the wreck. The engine lay on its side, down a slight embankment, and one car—a combined mail and express coach—had followed. The other cars were on the track, with the exception of one, which had fallen on its side, and was partly smashed. ”

“ I’ve got to let ’em run it out.”
“They’ll run us into the canal if they keep on much longer!” cried someone.
“Brace, everybody!” gasped Ned, as he felt the boat slipping nearer and nearer to the end of the truck.
“Put on the brakes!” suggested Bob.
“Got ’em on, but that’s all the good it does,” responded the truckman. “I’m afraid we’re goners, boys! Get ready to jump when you see the water. Whoa, there! Whoa!” he called in vain to the horses, who were still madly galloping down the hill.
“I guess it’s all up with the Dartaway,” murmured Jerry, as he pressed his shoulder against the craft. ”

“ Help!”
“Say!” suddenly cried Ned. “The rapids! He’ll be down in them soon, and they’re dangerous [19] with the water as high as it is now! That house will be knocked to pieces!”
“That’s so!” agreed Jerry. “Noddy ought to swim ashore while he has the chance. Otherwise he may be hurt! I forgot about the rapids.”
The “rapids” were really not very dangerous at low water, but when the river rose, and dashed over the jagged rocks, about a mile below town, they formed eddies and whirlpools that were exceedingly risky to navigate. In fact no boats dare risk them with the stream at flood. ”

“ But there are always a lot of travelers who like to stop off here for lunch. The train waits ten minutes for a freight to clear. So I always come back here after supper to serve a little lunch. I won’t have much left, though, if you people come in often,” and with a mischievous look on her face she glanced at Bob.
“A train to Denver!” cried Jerry. “That’s good news. I didn’t know there were any more. I supposed when we lost the Limited we were stranded here for the night. Boys, there’s a chance yet of beating Noddy Nixon!” he cried.
“Good!” exclaimed Ned. “Then we’ll do it.” ”

“ We’ll go up for a short flight, and then if she’s all right, we’ll start out, and go as far as we can before dark.”
“Which way?” asked Bob.
“Toward the Grand Canyon,” answered Jerry. “That’s where Noddy and his crew will head for.”
“Get busy then!” cried Ned. “We’re on Noddy’s trail once more!”
Our motor boys were too experienced hands with all forms of airships to have much trouble with the fine one the unfortunate young man had perfected. It worked perfectly, and carried the three with ease. Of course it was nothing like the Comet, and could remain aloft but a comparatively short time. ”

“ There aren’t any other motor boats near by.”
“Where’s Noddy’s, I wonder?” asked Mr. Snodgrass, for he knew that the bully owned a power craft.
“He had a collision with the dock the other day, and sprung a leak,” explained Andy Rush, who had cooled down somewhat. “His boat is laid up for repairs.”
“Like our auto,” put in Ned, for the machine of our heroes was across the river, in a distant town, being overhauled.
“Well, if we’re going to save Noddy Nixon, we’d better be getting a move on!” cried Jerry. “Come on, fellows!” ”

“ The more trouble we can give him to pick us up the better—for us. I’m even going to get off the main road, if I can, and take a less-used route.”
“The nerve of him charging us with assault and battery, just because he happened to run over [105] a few tacks!” exclaimed Bob, with an air of virtuous indignation.
“Well, I suppose it did batter them up a bit,” remarked Jerry with a smile. “The auto stopped rather suddenly, you remember.”
“It sure did,” agreed Ned. “But say, I wonder who that other chap is with Noddy. I saw Bill Berry plainly enough, but I can’t imagine who the other fellow is.” ”

“ OFF FOR PITTSBURG
“So we start to-morrow,” observed Professor Snodgrass one evening, when the three chums were gathered about a table in the library of Ned’s home. “It seems like a month ago that we decided to make the trip.”
“And yet it was only about two weeks,” returned Jerry. “We have had a lot to do in the meanwhile, though.”
“But everything is in good shape,” remarked Bob. “We’ve got enough grub aboard to last until we get to Pittsburg, I think.”
“Oh, of course!” laughed Jerry. “You can trust Bob to look out for the ‘eats’ every time. ”

“ Bentwell, probably made valuable observations of what took place in this wonderful canyon of the Colorado.”
“Well, it isn’t doing us any good to stay here,” spoke Jerry. “It’s only making us more gloomy. I vote that we get out, and make a careful search for the radium. We won’t be bothered by Noddy and his crowd now, and there isn’t likely to be another flood, right away.”
“I agree with you,” said the professor. “We will be better off by doing some active work. I’ll take charge of what is left of the journal, and we’ll begin our search. What food is left we’ll pack away in the hut. ”

“ I think the best way is to do just as we have been doing—make [81] no map or sketch of where we’re heading for. In fact we can’t, for we’ve got to prospect around ourselves to find Snake Island.”
“Then we’ve got to be on our guard against Noddy,” suggested Ned.
“All the while I’m afraid, since he’s taken to trailing after us,” resumed Jerry. “I’d like to know who that fellow was with him. He looks like a sleek rascal.”
“Like Bill Berry, only different,” was Ned’s opinion. “I wonder where Bill is?”
“Oh, probably hanging around somewhere,” came from Bob. “He and Noddy generally travel together.” ”

“ The professor being engaged in capturing specimens, the boys had the test to themselves. They wheeled the aeroplane out in a big field, and, after trying the engine, and finding that it worked almost to perfection, got ready for a flight. Mr. Montrose and his wife, who could sit up in an easy chair, and Gladys, with her wounded doll, watched the lads from a safe distance.
“Of course this isn’t like our Comet,” said Jerry to his chums. “It’s just a straight aeroplane, [156] and if the engine stops we’ve got to volplane down. But I think she’ll enable us to get on Noddy’s trail. ”