THE WRECK
“We’ve got good weather, anyhow,” remarked Ned, as he and his chums
stood in the pilot house of the _Comet_, which Jerry was guiding on her
aerial way. “It couldn’t be better.”
“That’s right,” agreed Bob. “I’m glad, too, for the sake of Uncle
Nelson and Cousin Grace--that is, if they are still alive. Bad weather
in an open boat at sea is terrible!”
“Oh, I think they’re alive,” spoke Jerry, cheerfully. “Just think how
many cases there have been of shipwrecked persons living for weeks in
open boats, with hardly any food and water.”
“But it’s awful, just the same,” sighed Bob.
“Oh, we’ll pick ’em up,” declared Jerry, with more cheerfulness than he
really felt.
The _Comet_ sailed steadily onward, high above the earth. It would be
an hour or more, on the route Jerry had selected, before they would be
over the ocean. Then the real search would begin.
Meanwhile the occupants of the motorship busied themselves about
various tasks. Bob, as might be expected, was in the galley, getting
ready the next meal. Ned went about the machinery, oiling it, and
seeing that all the apparatus was working properly. Jerry remained in
the pilot house. All of the boys took turns steering, but Jerry seemed
more fitted for this exacting task than either Ned or Bob.
As for Professor Snodgrass he was still engaged in making notes about
the new worm he had found. He paid little attention to the working of
the airship, though, in case of necessity, he always lent his aid.
The boys had gone on for perhaps ten miles when Ned, looking back, and
seeing a speck in the sky, called out:
“I say! What’s that? A bird?”
Bob, who had come out on the rear deck where Ned was, looked long and
earnestly.
“That isn’t a bird,” he said. “It’s another airship, or I’m mistaken.”
“Let’s tell Jerry,” suggested Ned.
“And get the glass to make a better observation,” added his chum. “It
seems to be following us.”
Jerry set the automatic steering gear, which, for a certain time, would
guide the airship without the attention of human hands. Then the tall
lad took a long and careful observation through the telescope.
“Well?” asked Ned, somewhat impatiently.
“It’s an airship, all right,” announced Jerry, “and, unless I’m making
a big mistake, it’s Noddy Nixon’s.”
“What!” cried Ned and Bob together.
“That’s what I believe,” went on Jerry. “Take a look, you fellows.”
In turn Ned and Bob viewed the speck in the air behind them. Both
agreed that it was an airship, but they were not of one opinion as to
the ownership. Ned was sure it was not Noddy’s, while Bob agreed with
Jerry.
“If it is Noddy, what are you going to do?” asked Ned. “Mind you, I’m
not dead positive it isn’t. Just suppose it is--what’ll you do?”
“Nothing,” answered Jerry, as he turned to go back to the pilot house.
“Just keep on--that’s all. When he finds that we’re going to stay out
over the ocean for several days, maybe he won’t be so anxious to follow
us. So we’ll just keep on; that’s all.”
The professor only looked up dreamily when told that they were being
followed by an airship. All he said was:
“I hope it doesn’t scare away all the rare insects.”
Then he went outside to sit on the after deck, and look for unusual
specimens that he might capture. Bob and Ned took turns watching the
other craft through the glass, while Jerry steered. It did not take
long for Ned to agreed with his two chums that it was indeed Noddy
Nixon’s craft that was following them.
“You fellows are right,” he said. “Are you still going to do nothing,
Jerry?”
“Well, we might try a little trick on him.”
“A trick--how?”
“Blanket him, as one sail boat does another in a race,” said Jerry. “We
can sail all around him, you know, even if he has a powerful craft.
So, when we get near the coast, we’ll just turn back, circle over him,
and get low enough down to cut off some of his air. That will stall
him, and he’ll be glad enough to volplane down to earth. He can do it,
for we’ve seen him lots of times. Then we’ll go on, and I guess Noddy
will have enough so he won’t want to follow--especially when he sees us
heading out to sea.”
Jerry slowed up the _Comet_ so that Noddy’s craft gained. By means of
the glass the figures of Noddy and Bill could be made out plainly now.
When Noddy found that he was approaching too close he tried to slacken
speed. But he was too late.
Turning on full power Jerry turned, and made a dash for his enemy. At
first Noddy feared a collision, and even cried out a protest. But
the tall motor lad knew what he was doing. A moment later, and just
as the seacoast came in sight, he soared closer to Noddy’s craft, and
hovered over it. This, together with the suction caused by the powerful
propellers of the _Comet_, created an “air pocket.” Jerry had counted
on this.
In an instant Noddy’s craft dived downward, but, as the tall lad well
knew, Noddy realized his danger and took the usual precautions. He
shut off his engine, and volplaned, or glided, down to earth. As Jerry
watched him nearing the white sands of the beach he swerved the _Comet_
and, with the throttles wide open, sent her out to sea.
“There, I guess he’s had enough of trying to follow us this time,” said
Jerry, grimly.
And, down on the beach, where they made a safe, but rather sudden
landing, Noddy and Bill accused each other of being to blame for the
accident.
Meanwhile the _Comet_ kept on, the motor boys chuckling to themselves
at the way they had made Noddy take to earth. He could not start upward
again in time to follow them, for the _Comet_ was soon out of sight of
land.
And now the real search began. Dinner was served by Bob, and a
bountiful meal it was. Down below glittered the calm sea--calm after
all the turmoil that had sent several gallant ships to the bottom.
Professor Snodgrass busied himself with his scientific work, now and
then making a capture of some upper-air insect, or making notes of
those already in his possession.
Ned, Bob and Jerry kept watchful eyes on the waters below them. They
saw many sailing and steam vessels, and were themselves the cynosure of
many eyes which gazed aloft at the fine air craft.
Jerry had worked out, as he best could, the approximate position of
the _Hassen_ as it was reported when she was last seen. Getting to a
place near this, the airship was sent about in ever-increasing circles,
covering a wide area over the surface of the sea.
The motorship worked to perfection. Not a trace of the former trouble
was noticeable. Jerry and his chums had done their work well.
The night of the first day of the search began to settle down. The big
search lamp was set aglow, and by the aid of its powerful rays the boys
looked for a sight of a wreck, or some small boat that might have come
from the _Hassen_.
If they expected to have success at once they were mistaken. But Jerry
pointed out that this could hardly be.
“It’s a chance--and a bare chance--that we’re taking,” he said. “The
only thing to do is to keep on.”
And keep on they did. All that night they circled about, taking
watch-and-watch. The morning dawned, finding them far at sea, and
without having sighted that which they sought.
It was toward the close of the second day when the professor, who was
out on the rear deck, trying to capture a strange bug that had been
following the airship, suddenly called:
“Look here, boys! What’s this? The submarine, or a wreck?”
The three rushed to his side, Jerry setting the automatic steerer as he
left the pilot house. The professor pointed down toward the water.
There, rising and falling sluggishly on the surface, was some craft.
And, at the sight of it Jerry cried:
“That’s no submarine! It’s a wreck, sure enough. A steamship, too.
Maybe she’s the _Hassen_! We’ll soon find out!”