JERROLD'S GRATITUDE.
"The letter," explained Harris, "was written by Brady, and was
evidently entrusted to the men in the Hawk for delivery to some one
else. It's full of pointers, and a slicker bit of evidence it would be
hard to find. And to think how it dropped into the hands of Motor Matt!
The whole affair sounds like a 'pipe.'"
"Tell me about that!" cried Jerrold, his shock of joy having passed and
left him leisure for other things. "Who is this Motor Matt, and how did
he happen to get hold of the blue prints?"
"Ve vill go ofer dot lader, Misder Jerrold," said Carl, impatiently.
"Schust now, dough, I vant to hear vat der ledder say. Readt him oudt,
Harris! I vas so uneasy ofer it I don'd vas aple to sit shdill."
"It's addressed to a man called Whipple," went on Harris, "and here's
the way it runs:
"'Grove, Needham and Harper, with one of my improved jimmies, are
going to make another try for those blue prints of Jerrold's. If they
get them--and I think they can, for our plans are well laid--they'll
carry the papers to Willoughby's swamp in the Hawk and leave them
with you. We will quit our operations in South Chicago, clean out the
balloon house (I have already sold the building for old lumber) and
make our future headquarters in the swamp. It will be safer there.
After we improve the Hawk according to Jerrold's plans, we will
have a ship in which we can go anywhere, and with which we can do
anything. All we need is a competent motorist--Harper's good enough
for an amateur, but we need a professional. I'll try and bring one
with me, when I come. Meanwhile, until I show up at the swamp, I want
you to take good care of the blue prints.
"'H. B.'"
A great light dawned on Carl during the reading of the letter--a light
so strong that it left him blinking.
"Py chimineddy," he gurgled, "I know now vy dot Prady run off mit
Matt! He say in der ledder dot he vants some brofessional to run dot
air-ship. Vell, Matt knows more as anypody aboudt modors, und so Prady
dook him off. Vat a high-hantet pitzness! Und Prady has captured a
hornet oof he dit pud know it! He vill t'ink he has a handtful ven he
dries to make Matt vork for him."
"From this," proceeded Harris, waving the letter, "it seems that Brady
had already laid his plans to quit South Chicago. In the letter,
over his own signature, he admits sending three of his men to steal
the blue prints. By a chance, and owing to the course of events in
keeping the driver of the air-ship from getting away with the other two
thieves, this roll and the letter dropped into the hands of Motor Matt.
Undoubtedly, Motor Matt has been taken to Willoughby's swamp."
"Und vere iss dot?" asked Carl.
"I know about the swamp," went on Harris, "for I helped some Chicago
officers run down a couple of escaped prisoners there, once. It's a
bad hole, but there is a sort of island in the middle of it that has
been the resort of criminals for a good many years. To get through the
water, and mud, and tangled bushes to the island is a hard job for any
one who has to go on foot. Still, it can be done. Brady and his men, of
course, can use the Hawk, and all they have to do is to sail through
the air and drop down where they want to go. The difficulties of the
swamp won't bother them at all. The place is about four miles from Lake
Station, Indiana."
"Vell," said Carl, eagerly, "led's go dere. Der kevicker vat ve go, der
kevicker vat ve can helup Matt. He iss my bard, und he needs me now."
The Dutch boy got up and started for the door. Bounding from his chair,
Jerrold overtook him and grabbed his arm.
"Wait!" he commanded, "I've only got a faint grasp of the situation,
but from what I can figure out you're going to need me. First, though,
I want to hear all about this Motor Matt. He has done a whole lot for
Hamilton Jerrold, and Jerrold is a man who always tries to pay his
debts. Tell me how the blue prints got into the hands of Motor Matt."
"Aber ve vas in a hurry!" cried Carl. "Villoughpy's svamp iss a goot
vays off, und----"
"You'll save time in the end by losing a little here and now," averred
Jerrold, drawing Carl to a chair and pushing him down into it. "Go on!
Give me the whole of it, between you, and be quick."
There was a compelling note in the inventor's words and manner, that
demanded attention. Carl yielded and struck into an explanation of the
events of the preceding afternoon. Whenever his impatience led him
to skip any of the details, Harris, who recognized the advantage of
letting Jerrold know everything, picked up the ignored detail and made
Carl go over it.
Jerrold's interest and excitement increased as he listened. When Carl
described how he and Matt had fought with Brady and Pete at the balloon
house and kept them from getting the blue prints, Jerrold clapped his
hands and shouted "Bravo!" And when Carl told of the bogus telegram
that had brought the boys to South Chicago, Jerrold's face clouded with
indignation and anger.
"Motor Matt," declared Jerrold, when Carl had finally finished, "has
done a lot for me, and he's going to find that Hamilton Jerrold knows
how to be grateful. I agree with Harris that there is hardly a doubt
but that Brady has taken young King to Willoughby's swamp. Brady wants
the young motorist for the Hawk, and intends to have him, whether or
no. According to Harris, the swamp's a difficult place to get at for
those not equipped with an air-ship. That's where I come in. This way,
friends!"
With that, the inventor caught up his candle and led the way through
the house and out at a back door.
By then it was nearly three o'clock, and the very darkest part of the
night. A gust of wind blew out the candle, which had been about as
effective as a glow-worm, and the three were left at the foot of the
rear steps staring at a fluttering expanse of canvas.
The canvas formed a sort of V-shaped tent, long and high and secured
with many guy-ropes. Because of the darkness it was difficult to get
any kind of an idea as to the size of the tent, but that was a minor
point.
"I'll have to get a lantern," said Jerrold. "Wait a minute."
"I've got a dark lantern, Jerrold," interposed Harris, "and I guess
that will do."
"Fine!" exclaimed Jerrold, as Harris switched on the current and swung
the beam of light around him. "This way," the inventor added, and
ducked through the end of the tent.
In the gloomy interior a weird sight was disclosed--something so new
and novel as to send an uncanny sensation along the nerves of Carl and
Harris.
Here was another cigar-shaped gas-bag, and another suspended car. The
car itself was stationary, but the bag, because of the drafts that
surged through the tent, was bobbing and swaying like some monster,
anxious to be unleashed.
The flickering gleam from the dark lantern could only disclose a part
of the air-ship at a time.
"Ach," muttered Carl, "dot makes my nerfs shake und shake like
anyt'ing. Sooch a horrible t'ing vat it iss!"
"That's because you're not familiar with such a craft," said Jerrold.
"Payne and I have worked over it for years, and only yesterday saw the
completion of our labors. It was six o'clock last night before the bag
was fully inflated. We had to use common illuminating-gas, too, and
the not more buoyant hydrogen. I have called the air-ship the 'Eagle,'
and if you sweep that light along the side of the bag you will see the
name."
This was a bit of byplay that took time and was utterly needless, but
a great pride throbbed in the inventor's words, and even the smallest
detail of the air-ship was fraught with the utmost importance to him.
"Everything about the craft," Jerrold went on, "is of the very
best. The motor is the lightest, strongest and most powerful ever
constructed. The car will carry half a dozen, easily. Sand-bags are
suspended from each end of the gas-bag. When I pull in the sand-bag at
the front end, the equilibrium is displaced, the bag points upward, and
the propeller forces the air-ship to rise. So, when I wish to descend,
I pull in the sand-bag at the rear point of the bag. When both bags are
hanging loose, the Eagle swims in the air on an even keel. Now, the
steering rudder, which also helps in maneuvering the ship, is a little
idea of my own and----"
"Ach, hang der shdeering rutter!" broke in Carl, impatiently. "Harris
und I haf got to go afder Matt und ve can't vait aroundt here any
longer. Ve haf got to go py dot svamp, und----"
"Exactly!" broke in the inventor. "The Eagle, fully inflated and with
a tank full of gasoline, is waiting for a trial spin in the morning.
I have the honor to propose that we use the craft now, proceed to
Willoughby's swamp and rescue Motor Matt. That will save time, and a
whole lot of hardships in forcing your way through mud and water and
tangled brush in order to reach the island."
Harris had already gathered the inventor's idea, even before he
began putting it into words; Carl, however, had not anticipated the
suggestion, and he was dazed by it.
"You mean to dake us py der svamp in der Eagle?" he asked, in some
trepidation.
"Yes."
"Ach, himmel! I nefer rode mit a air-ship. Vill I be seasick py it?"
"I don't think so. You see, I have never navigated an air-ship myself,
but I'll bank on the Eagle doing its work. I can run the engine."
"Vat oof it shouldt durn oopside town mit us vile ve vas a mile in der
air?"
"I'll guarantee it won't do that."
"Vell, vedder or nod," said Carl, "I am going afder my bard. Oof der
tangers vas greadt, I take dem; und oof dey vasn't so greadt, den I
take dem, too. Matt vouldt do more as dot for me, yah, I bed you!"
Harris was also afflicted with doubts.
"The ground has always been good enough for me, Jerrold," said he, "and
whenever I get my feet off it and go up any distance I have a bad case
of vertigo. If I should get dizzy and fall off the car----"
"You won't," interrupted the inventor; "people never get dizzy in
balloons."
"You're sure it won't tip over and spill us out?"
"Positive."
"You don't know much about it yourself, you know, having never been up
in it."
"That scoundrel, Brady, has used the Hawk with fair success, and the
Hawk is modeled on the same lines as the Eagle, only the Eagle has
improvements which Brady was not able to get hold of and put on his own
machine. Shall we go to the rescue of Motor Matt? Come, my friends,
time is flying."
"Und ve ought to be flying, too," said Carl, now eager to make the
ascension.
"I'll take a chance," observed Harris.
"Good!" applauded Jerrold.
The next moment he had vanished in the darkness and could be heard
pulling at some ropes. In less than a minute the entire top of the tent
fell away, revealing the stars.
"Get into the car," said Jerrold, "there, just forward of the driver's
seat."
With the aid of his lantern Harris picked out the place where he and
Carl were to stow themselves, and they climbed into the car as directed.
Immediately after that, Jerrold got over the rail and took his seat at
the levers. It was impossible to see just what he was doing, but the
clank of a lever came from his vicinity and slowly the front of the
gas-bag began to point upward.
"Now we're ready," called the inventor.
The popping of a motor began and gradually gathered into a swift murmur.
"And now we're off," added Jerrold. "Stay right where you are and don't
change your positions unless I tell you."
The whir of the propeller started, and the house and shrubbery began
slipping away from under those in the car.
"Ach, du lieber!" gasped Carl. "Der eart' vas falling avay from us. I
vill say my brayers forvarts, packvarts und sidevays, oof it vill helup
any."
"I've got a bad case of rattles, myself," admitted Harris. "But it's
for your pard, my boy."
"You bed my life!" returned Carl, "aber I never dit anyt'ing pefore for
dot bard oof mine dot dook so mooch nerf as vat dis toes. I vill shud
my eyes, und you dell me, blease, ven ve reach der svamp!"