Clarence Young

“ With the motor firing a regular volley of explosions, and Noddy sitting desperately in his narrow seat, the Firefly dashed forward. But if the crowd expected it to sail aloft over their heads [43] they were much disappointed. It continued to lurch forward, and then, whether Noddy pulled the wrong lever or cord, or whether it was the nature of the contrivance, was never clearly established, but it turned squarely about and started back.
“It’s afraid! It’s scared at the crowd!” yelled the fat man, who seemed delighted at Noddy’s discomfiture. ”

“ You’ll not be the first inventor who was laughed at—especially those who build airships. If you can’t stand being made fun of you’ve no business to go into this carnival. Now let me hear of no more disturbances in your tent, or I’ll close you up. Of course, you boys can stay. The idea of him trying to prevent you!” and the man looked at Noddy in disgust as he withdrew.
Much crestfallen, Noddy walked into a smaller tent erected within the larger one, and there he nursed his wrath, while Jerry and his chums walked about viewing the Firefly from various sides.
It was a curious machine. ”

“ But that same afternoon Joffy was back again. This time he crawled under the tent, and before the boys were aware of his presence he had knocked a heavy wrench down from a bench and broken one of the bamboo braces of the air planes.
“Here, you! You’re worse than the kids!” cried Jerry. ”

“ Then Noddy pulled a rope, which shifted a sort of box-kite arrangement that was mounted on supports above the wings, and, to the surprise of the motor boys and the others in the crowd, the clumsy-looking tin fly began to move forward, slowly at first, but, gathering speed, it skimmed over the ground, moving along on the wheels of the platform on which it rested.
“There he goes! There he goes!” cried the throng. “He’s going to fly!” ”

“ I used to work for Glassford, but he discharged me after stealing my plans for the airship—this same ship he sailed in to-day.”
“Was that ship built on your plans?” asked Noddy quickly.
“It certainly was. I am the inventor of it, not Glassford. My name is Giles Hoswell.”
“Why don’t you sue him and make him give you back the plans?”
“Because I can’t afford it. I am a poor man, and he evidently has plenty of money.”
“Not much. Jerry Hopkins and his chums furnished the cash to build this airship.” ”

“ After a hasty breakfast the little party, who soon expected to be sailing through the air, went to where the Comet was kept. They found the gas bag fully distended, and the big ship was tugging and swaying away, almost lifting the extra heavy ballast that had been attached to counterbalance the added lifting power of the gas.
“How about food?” asked Bob rather anxiously as he walked about the motor ship. “We’re likely to be in the air for some time, aren’t we?”
“If everything goes well we shall be,” replied Mr. Glassford. “But the pantry is well stocked, Bob; don’t worry.” ”

“ It’s my machine,” replied Noddy proudly.
“What’s it for—plowing?”
“Plowing! This is an airship,” answered Noddy indignantly.
“An airship! Good land, that’ll never rise [37] one inch off the earth. It’s too heavy,” declared the fat man.
“Oh, it is, eh?” asked Noddy. “Maybe you know a lot about airships?”
“I do,” replied the man quietly. “I’ve made more than a hundred balloon ascensions, and I tell you that your machine will never fly. What’s to make it go up?”
“What makes a fly go up? The wings, of course.” ”

“ If a motor ship did not cost too much we might build it.”
“Do you mean that?” exclaimed the man, a hopeful look coming into his face.
“Certainly. I have been thinking of it for some time. Ever since I heard of this carnival. I don’t know how my chums feel about it, but, as for me, I’m for an airship.”
“And we’re with you!” cried Ned and Bob.
“Get an airship, Jerry,” added Ned.
“One with planes, so if we fall we’ll come down easy,” put in Bob.
“Chunky’s so heavy he doesn’t relish a fall from the clouds,” remarked Alice.
“Are you boys really in earnest?” asked Mr. Glassford. ”

“ That night Jerry and his chums spent several hours in the big tent, taking cautious observations outside, every now and then, to see that neither Noddy nor Joffy were sneaking around to spy on them. The motor boys were not much bothered by the lads of the town, for they had promised all the youngsters, who did not annoy them by trying to gain admittance to the tent at forbidden times, a trip in the airship. ”

“ Glassford stood in the small pilot house. The airship continued to descend, but not so rapidly as before.
“Are we—is there any danger?” cried Jerry. “Shall I let go some of the ballast?”
“Not a bagful,” replied the inventor calmly. “Nothing has happened. One of the chains operating the propellers has broken, and I stopped the motor before it could get tangled in the wheels. Then I let out a little gas to bring us down. We must make a descent, but there is nothing serious the matter. ”

“ Glassford, realizing the danger, had shifted the lever to tilt the rudder, and the Comet began to ascend. But as they went higher the storm became worse, until they were right in the midst of it.
All at once the wind shifted, and instead of blowing from the northeast, so as to send the ship in a southeasterly direction, it blew from the east, full, driving the travelers to the west.
“That isn’t the way we want to go,” remarked Bob. “New Orleans doesn’t lie in that direction.”
“I guess we can’t help ourselves,” spoke Ned. “It’s a bad storm.” ”

“ Glassford as the flap of the tent was closed on the curious crowd that surged forward, “are you satisfied with the ship?”
“We sure are,” answered Jerry. “It did better than I thought it would.”
“Even if we did have an accident,” added Ned.
“That accident was nothing,” declared Mr. Glassford. “It showed that even when one does happen we are as safe in the upper air as we are on the earth. But I think I will change the propellers. I want to make them four-bladed. That will give us more power, and our motor will stand it. We can then navigate against a pretty strong wind.” ”

“ Mr. Glassford now started the motor from the pilot tower where he was, and the Comet shot forward. It certainly went faster and better with the large propellers, and made fine progress against rather a stiff breeze. The ship was under perfect control, and Mr. Glassford was able to direct it up or down, to right or left, or around in big circles as suited his fancy.
“Marvelous! marvelous!” cried Professor Snodgrass. “It is wonderful what strides science is making these days. ”

“ He turned to behold Mollie Horton, one of the girls of Cresville, with whom he and his chums were on friendly terms.
“Hello, Mollie!” called Jerry. “Come and have lunch with us.”
“You’d better wait until you see who’s with me,” she replied. “Perhaps you will wish to recall your invitation. Alice Vines and Helen Gale are right over here.”
“Bring them along,” invited Ned. “That’ll be one apiece for us, and Andy can be chaperon.”
“One what apiece?” asked Bob, who was looking at a man selling box-kites.
“Girls, of course, you chump. Don’t you want a nice girl to take to dinner?” ”

“ There was some disappointment and murmuring by the crowd, but when the canvas front of a shed near the platform opened and a curious machine was wheeled into view, there were exclamations of satisfaction.
“They’re going to have some sort of a test, anyhow,” remarked Bob.
The aeroplane which was being wheeled toward the platform was like many others which you boys have either seen in pictures or actually observed. It consisted of a structure like an immense box-kite, canvas being stretched over a bamboo frame. ”

“ There are pictures of all sorts of airships, but I didn’t see any that looked like a firefly.”
“Queer,” murmured Jerry. “I wonder what sort of a machine Noddy has?”
“I can tell you,” exclaimed a voice behind the motor boys. “It’s great—regular fly—tin wings—flop up and down—faster than you can count—whoop! there they go—up goes the machine—down again—round in a circle—flip-flap-flop! Start the motor—twist the rudder—look out—here she comes—that’s the way!” ”

“ PROFESSOR SNODGRASS ON HAND
The trick with the dummy and the box-kite proved very effective, as far as Sid Joffy was concerned. The boys heard later that he arrived in town all out of breath, and much frightened.
He told a queer tale of a flaming figure hovering over his cabin, and wanted some of the town police to go back to his hut and exorcise the spirit. But no one paid any attention to Joffy, as he was known as a worthless character. He was so frightened that he would not go back home, but remained in the village all night, sleeping under the hotel shed. ”

“ NODDY IS TRAPPED
“Come on!” cried Ned, when the little party, having left the lawyer’s office, stood in the street. “This car goes out to the grounds.”
“We’ll do better than that,” said Jerry. “Let’s hire an auto. I wish we’d brought ours. We don’t want to lose any time. There are some autos to hire just around the corner. One will hold us all.”
“Good idea,” said the lawyer, who accompanied the boys and Mr. Glassford. Professor Snodgrass was off somewhere hunting bugs and insects. ”

“ We must provide for going against as stiff a breeze as we’re likely to encounter, and that is no small item, for with the large area of the gas bag for the air currents to act upon, it will need all the power of our motor to send the ship ahead at times. There is no use disguising the fact that [115] a motor ship is at more of a disadvantage in a wind than is any other kind of a craft. However, with the planes, I hope to overcome many difficulties that now beset machines of this kind. ”

“ Glassford made good his boast. All that afternoon he was slowly creeping up on the red balloon, though the crew of it made strenuous [233] efforts to increase their lead. The inventor of the Comet did not want to speed his motor too much during the heat of the day, as it was air-cooled, and had no water jacket. But as soon as the sun began to decline and it became cooler, he opened it up, and with an increase in the explosions that made it seem as if the Comet was saluting her rival, the motor ship passed the red airship, being several hundred feet above her in the air. ”