"THE GREAT WHITE ALSO"
Two minutes later Naki came running along the path. Even his solemn face
was aglow with excitement. Ceally was close behind him. Just after them
danced Mollie, who was followed by Miss Sallie. The latter had deserted
her novel at the critical moment of the story. She must discover what
Mollie was talking about. The child was too excited to explain.
[Illustration: A Long Coil of Rope Floated Down from the Sky.]
When the little party reached the clearing where Bab stood it was easy to
see what had happened. An aerial navigator had come to grief and was
calling for assistance.
As Naki joined Bab, the aeronauts dropped more ropes from their basket,
which hung beneath the great balloon. The big guide seized hold of one;
his wife grabbed another; before Miss Sallie could stop her, Bab was
swinging on a third.
"Great heavens child, let go!" Miss Sallie called out in tones of intense
alarm. "You will be rising up in the air in another moment!"
"Oh, no!" laughed Bab out of breath. "There's no danger now. Don't you
smell something horrible?"
The delicious air of the woods was being permeated with a detestable
odor. The great balloon above their heads was shrinking. It was growing
smaller and smaller. The gas was being allowed slowly to escape from it.
"Why, it looks like an enormous slug," cried Mollie, "now that we can see
the thing closely."
By this time the balloon had neared the ground. Two men sprang over the
sides of the basket, both alighting on their feet. Half a moment later
the older of the two was bowing politely to Miss Sallie and wiping his
glasses. Landing from a balloon on top of a mountain was apparently an
ordinary occurrence with him. His companion was busy with the airship,
which now lay on one side on the ground. It was shuddering and exhaling
deep breaths.
"Madam," said the aeronaut addressing Miss Sallie, but looking at
Barbara, who stood by her side. "More than I can express I thank you for
your assistance. We were, I think, in rather a dangerous position and we
might very easily have been killed. At best, in trying to alight without
help, I should have torn my balloon in the branches of the trees. Perhaps
you ladies would like to examine the balloon more thoroughly. This is my
nephew, Reginald Latham."
A young man arose from the ground. He wore a close fitting tan costume, a
cap with a visor and short trousers.
He brought his heels together with a click, and bowed low to Miss Sallie.
Then he extended his hand to Mollie and Barbara. "It was immensely clever
of you," he spoke, with a slightly foreign accent, "to have helped us out
of our difficulty. Tying us to the tree, while we were obliged to wait,
really saved the situation. I do not think the balloon is injured at all,
except for the broken rudder."
The young man spoke of his balloon as tenderly as though it were a
cherished friend. He looked about twenty-three or four years old. He was
thin and dark, with clever eyes; but an expression of restlessness and
discontent spoiled an otherwise interesting face.
"I am Winthrop Latham," his uncle continued. "I have a summer place down
here, but my nephew and I spend most of our time, both summer and winter
in Lenox. We have a house in my grounds where we are both working on
models for airships."
Mr. Latham paused. It was natural that he should expect some explanation.
What was a handsome, middle-aged woman doing on top of a mountain? Why
were her only companions two charming young girls and a rough looking man
and his wife?
"I suppose," Miss Stuart replied, laughing, "that you are almost as much
surprised at our appearance as we are at yours! I am sure no thanks are
necessary for our part in your rescue! We were delighted to assist in
such a novel and up-to-date adventure." Miss Sallie looked smilingly at
Mollie and Barbara. She was rather enjoying their unusual experience.
Moreover, she had heard of Mr. Latham's beautiful home in Lenox. And was
assured they were in the best of company.
"We are camping on this hill for a few weeks," she continued. "I am Miss
Stuart, of Chicago. My niece and I, and three girl friends, are the
entire camping party, except for our guide and his wife. Won't you come
to our hut? Can we be of any assistance to you?"
"Indeed, you can!" heartily declared Mr. Latham, who was evidently an old
bachelor of about fifty-five years of age, with charming manners. "I
wonder if you will take care of my balloon for me until my nephew can get
down the hill to send a wagon up for it. That very inferior looking
object you now see collapsed on the ground is really my latest treasure.
It is one of the best dirigible balloons invented up to the present
time."
Barbara was already down on her hands and knees beside the balloon. As
her new acquaintance explained the details of its construction to her,
his face burned with enthusiasm. Mollie, watching him, thought he looked
almost handsome. Nevertheless she didn't like Reginald Latham. Bab,
however, was delighted. She had a thirst for information and here was a
young man who could intelligently talk to her about the most marvelous
inventions of the century, the airship and the aeroplane.
"I think," Bab volunteered, "if the balloon can be folded without harming
it, we might carry it to the house in our small express wagon. We could
each hold up a side of it, and it would be better than carrying it
altogether."
The queer procession started for the cabin. Miss Sallie and Mollie walked
on in front. Mr. Latham, Reginald Latham, Naki and Ceally, each supported
a corner of the balloon, while Bab solemnly dragged the express wagon.
Her pile of evergreens had been rudely dumped out on the ground.
"Well, for goodness sake!" Ruth and Grace stood at the door of their
cabin, transfixed with surprise. "What on earth has happened this time?"
"Let nothing surprise you, girls, in this world of strange adventure,"
called Barbara. She had forgotten the strangers when she saw the amazed
faces of Ruth and Grace. "Sometimes it is the stay-at-homes who have the
exciting experiences come to them."
"Do come in and have tea with us, Mr. Latham!" urged Miss Stuart. "Naki
will go down to a farmhouse, only a mile or so away, where he keeps his
horses, and will bring up his wagon to take your balloon home for you.
You really must explain matters to my niece and her friend, Miss Carter,
or they will perish with curiosity! If traveling in the air makes one as
hungry as living on a hilltop, the tea may be acceptable for its own
sake."
"Of course I want to come into your castle," laughed Mr. Latham. "I feel
so certain I have run across a party of fairies that I must peep into
your dwelling to see if you are real people."
"You are not ahead of us, Mr. Latham," laughed Barbara, "Mollie and I
thought you were angels calling down to us from the sky."
"I hope, Miss Stuart," begged their visitor, as he was making his adieus,
"that you will soon come down from your high retreat and bring these
young ladies to see my place in Lenox. Reginald and I promise not to talk
airships incessantly. But, if you refuse to descend the hill very soon,
my nephew and I shall climb up to see you. Next time I promise to appear
in a more conventional fashion."
That night, when the girls were undressing, Mollie announced
unexpectedly: "I don't like that Reginald Latham."
"Why not, Mollie?" asked Bab. "He is a very interesting fellow. His
mother is a German and he has been educated in Germany. His father, who
was Mr. Latham's younger brother, is dead. I think Reginald is his
uncle's heir. He told me he and his uncle mean to devote all their time
to inventing airships. He studied about them in Germany, even before he
came to live with his uncle three years ago."
"Mercy!" Mollie ejaculated. "Then he is even more queer than I thought
him. What a useless life for a man of his age. I don't like him even if
he is ever so clever, and though his uncle is a dear. Girls, if I tell
you something will you promise me not to laugh? Cross your heart and
body. I won't tell you unless you do."
"Oh, then we have no choice, Mollie," laughed Grace.
"You may laugh a little," relented Mollie, who was giggling softly to
herself. "Do you know what I suddenly thought, when Bab and I saw that
great white object come sailing over our heads this afternoon? Like a
flash it popped into my mind. Here comes 'The Great White Also!'"
Barbara shrieked with laughter in spite of her promise. "Oh, you funny
Mollie!" she exclaimed.
"What is the child talking about?" inquired the puzzled Ruth. "The Great
White Also! What utter nonsense!"
Mollie blushed. "Do you remember," she asked, "a paragraph in the first
geography you studied at school? It read: 'The brown bear, the black
bear, and the great white also inhabit the northern regions of North
America.' Well, when I was small child I always thought 'the great white
also' was some strange kind of animal. For a long time I wondered and
wondered what it could be. Finally I asked mother and Bab to explain the
sentence to me. Of course they thought it a lovely joke; but, just the
same, I never could get over my first impression. It flashed into my head
this afternoon, when I saw that strange white thing struggling in the
air--at last here comes 'The Great White Also!' Wasn't it too absurd? I
have been laughing to myself ever since."
"Children, what on earth is the matter?" inquired Miss Sallie, appearing
at the bedroom door in her dressing gown. "You will waken the dead with
your racket. Ruth, come to bed, at once, and tell me what you are
laughing about."