Clarence Young

“ At that instant Professor Snodgrass happened to glance beneath the big driving wheels. In a moment he was all excitement. His face lighted up, off came his big hat, and, rapidly divesting himself of his many boxes he dropped on his knees close beside the rails.
“What’s the matter?” cried Jerry.
“He’ll be killed!” yelled Bob.
“Look out!” shouted Ned.
“The man has been taken with a fit! Pull him away from the engine!” begged the station master. ”

“ They sailed up to a dizzy height, came down in spirals, volplaned to earth as an aeroplane with the gas entirely out of the bag, floated lazily in the air as a balloon, and went after a height record. The last they did not accomplish, for they had only gotten up about three miles when they ran into a violent snowstorm, and Jerry, not wanting to take any chances with the time of the meet so near at hand, made a quick descent.
“We’ve gone higher on other occasions,” he said to his chums, “and we know we can do it, so there’s no use taking too many risks. Otherwise the Comet never did better.” ”

“ The Comet was a roomy craft. There was a good-sized dining room, plenty of sleeping apartments, a storeroom, a large motor compartment, a neat little galley or kitchen, where Bob spent much of his time, and a living room, where they all gathered during the day to read, talk or make observations as they scudded through space, high above the earth.
“I wish Bob would come, if he’s going to get here,” went on Jerry. “He is always more or less late. We won’t have time to get anywhere before we have to be back again to meet the professor.” ”

“ So, after a glance about in order to pick out the most sheltered spot, the tall lad yanked the lever of the deflecting rudder over still farther.
“Here we go!” he cried. “Look out, boys! Shoot the hydroplanes out when I give the word!”
Jerry turned off the power. The great propellers ceased revolving. The airship was now diving rapidly downward under her own momentum.
“Ready!” suddenly shouted Jerry; and Bob and Ned pulled on the levers, folding up the bicycle wheels, and shunting into place on the toggle-jointed arms the hydroplanes that would keep the Comet afloat. ”

“ Jerry was about to tilt the lifting planes, there came a faint hail from back near the shed.
“Hold on—wait—give me a ride—I’ve got some news!”
“It’s Andy Rush!” exclaimed Ned.
“We can’t stop now!” shouted Jerry. “Here we go!”
He yanked the plane lever toward him. Up went the nose of the Comet, and the next instant she was sailing gracefully through the air, mounting higher and higher.
“Works better than ever,” was Bob’s opinion.
“Yes, I wish we had time to go to the lake, and try the hydroplanes,” said Jerry, “but we haven’t. I rather like landing on the water and starting from the surface. ”

“ We can go in the Comet if it’s far,” said Jerry eagerly.
“It’s not far enough,” said Mr. Halwell, “and besides it would create too much talk if we descended in an airship. In a case like this the less talk you stir up the better. If the burglars don’t know that we’re so close on their trail they won’t be in such a hurry to move on. We’ll go out in an auto. They’re common enough.”
They found Mr. Hardy, the hotel keeper, to be an elderly man, of a genial disposition. ”

“ Tell Bob to watch out for a clearing.”
Eagerly they all watched, while the darkness gathered more densely. The storm had not abated a bit, and it was now raining again, the drops whipping against the airship almost like hail, such was the force of the wind.
Suddenly Bob, who had donned a rain coat, and a rubber hat with a flap that came to his shoulders, uttered a cry, and pointed downward and to the left.
“What is it?” called Jerry.
“A clearing—a big place—make for it!”
Ned sprang to his chum’s side.
“A clearing!” he shouted. “That’s a lake—a big lake! Good enough, Jerry! Head for that. ”

“ NEWS OF BROWN AND BLACK
“Well, it seems like old times,” remarked Ned as he took an easy chair in the living room, back of the pilot house, and watched Jerry manipulating the various wheels and levers, as the big motorship mounted upward on a long slant.
“Yes, we’re under way again,” agreed the tall lad. “I wonder what will happen to us this trip?”
“What makes you think anything will happen?” asked Bob.
“Well it generally does, Chunky. Either we run over a spotted calf, or rip a cornice off a barn, or have a run-in with Noddy Nixon. ”

“ The race was half over when Jerry opened the gasolene throttle wider. At once the Comet shot well to the fore. As if only waiting for this the others followed suit, all save the Antoinette, which had to drop out. This left five contestants.
“Now the real race begins,” remarked Jerry grimly, as he took a firmer grasp of the steering wheel.
“And here comes Noddy,” added Ned.
Indeed the race was now on in earnest. Faster and faster flew the airships, their motors crackling and spluttering in a deafening manner. ”

“ The boys eagerly promised, and making sure that the two strange men were deep in a conversation, our friends slipped out of the hotel rear door, Jerry taking the key.
“Who’d ever think those fellows were birdmen?” asked Bob, as they went along.
“No one,” agreed Ned. “There’s something mysterious about them. Why are they so afraid of any one seeing their machine?”
“Give it up,” answered Jerry. “We’ll soon have a peep at it, and perhaps we can tell then. But I don’t blame them for not wanting a lot of farmers crowding around when they’re trying to land or make a flight. ”

“ As they approached a turn in the road, they heard behind them frantic tooting of an auto horn, and the loud throbbing of a cut-out muffler.
“Some one’s in a hurry,” observed Jerry, steering over to one side.
“Maybe it’s a doctor on an emergency case,” suggested Bob.
“Doctor nothing!” retorted Ned, after a look to the rear. “It’s Noddy Nixon, and he’s coming on at a terrific clip. Look out Jerry! He’ll do something spiteful just for fun. Keep over.”
“I’m over as far as I dare go,” replied the tall lad. ”

“ Professor Snodgrass, after seeing that all his specimen boxes were safely put away, had come out and was helping the two boys.
“I’ll have to give them a hand,” shouted Jerry above the noise of the storm. “Can we wheel the airship under the shed? I see you have one by the barn.”
“Not that shed—the one over here,” answered Mr. Rossmore pointing to another, somewhat removed from the big barn. “That shed ain’t safe. It might tumble down and smash your air machine. Wheel it over to that other shed, and then come in the house. Land sakes! This is a fearful storm.” ”

“ Jerry was in the pilot house, with Ned and Bob standing by to give their aid.
“Let her go!” cried the tall lad, as he turned on the power, while Ned turned over the auxiliary fly wheel that was connected with the big propellers. They whirred around with great swiftness, the Comet skimmed lightly over the ground, and a moment later had mounted easily up into the air.
“Whoop! La-la!” cried Andy Rush. “Here we go! Up in the air! Never say die! Never come down! Go on like the Flying Dutchman! Whoop! ”

“ The bully begged and pleaded by turns, and offered the boys a large sum of money; but though our heroes would have helped him, in spite of his former meanness, it was out of the question. They could not afford to damage their own car, and risk getting hurt by a breaking rope.
“Sorry to leave you, but we must,” called Jerry, as he sent the auto slowly ahead. They turned toward Cresville, leaving Noddy standing on the brink of the muck-hole, gazing disconsolately at his stalled auto, while the mud and water dripped from him at several points, and formed little puddles at his feet. ”

“ Once more the wheels of the pulling auto spun around. Still Jerry kept the power on.
Noddy’s car quivered in the mud that held it fast. It moved not an inch, however.
“Go on! Go on!” yelled the bully encouragingly.
“You’ll ruin our tires!” cried Ned.
[36]
Jerry, with a grim look on his face turned on the least bit more gasolene. Then, with a crack like that of a revolver the rope snapped, and one end of it flew dangerously close over the heads of our heroes in their car. For when a rope on which there is a great strain breaks suddenly, it is a dangerous missile. ”

“ Newton, as they had learned from a hasty inquiry just before they started, making their flight as the robbers had, from the roof of the bank, was a fairly large city about two hundred miles from Harmolet. It lay in a westerly direction, and so far that fitted in with the plans of Professor Snodgrass.
“First we’ll hear what Halwell, the private detective, has to say,” decided Jerry. “He may be able to give us a clew. If there were men in Newton, passing twenty dollar gold pieces right after the robbery, they were probably Brown and Black.” ”

“ Jerry spoke with great firmness, and the attitude of himself and Ned was such that the farmer was cowed.
“Rob—robbers!” he stammered. “Two hundred and ten thousand dollars! Why that’s nonsense! Those men are not thieves.”
“What are they then?” asked Ned.
“One of them has been wrongly confined in a lunatic asylum,” went on the farmer. “He is Mr. Hendrix, and the other man is Mr. Clark, a friend of his. Mr. Clark managed to get his friend out of the asylum, and was taking him away in an airship. ”

“ I ever saw on an aeroplane. We carry a lot on our Comet; but nothing like those, and we’ve got twice as much complicated machinery as those fellows have.”
“Sure,” agreed Ned. “Well, we’ll soon be out in the motorship again if we conclude to go to the aviation meet; and maybe they’ll have some new tools on exhibition there.”
“We’ll certainly go,” agreed Jerry. “Automobiling is all right if you’ve never sailed in the air, but once you have skimmed along above the clouds—”
“You want to keep at it,” finished Bob. “But say, we mustn’t forget to stop, and send help out to Noddy. ”

“ But as no one seemed capable of sustaining her weight, the fat lady concluded not to faint. Meanwhile there was considerable excitement, for the professor continued to kneel beside the locomotive, making signals to the engineer to bring the ponderous machine to a stop.
And the engineer did. With a face that went white under its coating of oil and grime he slapped on the air brakes with a suddenness that brought the train up with a smashing bang. ”

“ 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 [75] 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. ”

“ In accordance with his plan, Jerry set off that evening, leaving Professor Snodgrass at home classifying some of the specimens he had caught that day. There were many lights in the Nixon mansion, which was set in the midst of extensive grounds, for Mr. Nixon was quite wealthy.
“Looks as if they had company,” mused Jerry. “I guess I’ll find Noddy home. He always is if there’s any eating going on—like Bob,” and he smiled in the darkness. ”

“ Boys we’ve found the bank robbers!”
“Found the bank robbers?” repeated Ned.
“Yes. Brown and Black! They’re in there—in that harness room! I had a glimpse of them. They’re both wounded. They must have met with an accident. They can’t get away. We’ve found them!”
“Now for the ten thousand dollars reward!” cried Ned.
“And this is why that farmer didn’t want us to come in the barn,” went on Jerry. “He had these men hidden here!”
Hardly had he spoken when the farmer in question came fairly bursting into the barn, entering from the big main doors. Mr. Rossmore was greatly excited. ”

“ 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! [80] Be sports! Come on up, the air is fine! Show us what you can do!” ”

“ I—I’m stuck.”
“How’d you get there?” asked Jerry for want of something better to inquire about.
“I—I stopped my car too suddenly,” replied [31] the bully trying to wipe some of the mud from his face with a still muddier hand. “It skidded, and I put on the brakes hard, and I was flung out.”
“You didn’t pick out a very good place to land in,” grimly remarked Bob.
“Guess he didn’t have time,” suggested Ned.
“Oh, aren’t you going to help me out?” begged Noddy.
“Do you mean help you out, or your car?” asked Jerry. “Why can’t you wade over to solid ground? Then we’ll help you pull out your car. ”