AN UNCONSCIOUS WATCHMAN
After the first moment of hesitation, the boys, including Andy Rush,
stepped within the big shed. It was as if they hoped to see the _Comet_
concealed somewhere in the place, but the expanse of the airship
planes, and the immense, bulging, gas bag did not greet their eyes.
“How long ago did you come past here, Andy?” asked Jerry, recovering
some of his usual calmness.
“Not ten minutes ago,” replied the little chap. “I was on my way to
town, and I thought I’d take this short cut. As soon as I came within
sight of the shed, I saw the open doors.”
“And what did you do?” asked Bob.
“Looked in, to see if you were going off on a trip,” replied Andy. “I
thought maybe you’d give me a ride. Then, when I saw the airship gone,
and noticed that the doors were broken open, I knew something must have
happened. I hurried off to find you--saw you sitting on the grass as
if nothing had happened--great excitement--airship stolen--robbers in
it--Noddy Nixon, maybe--airship wrecked--maybe--whoop!” and Andy ended
up with a gasp, so rapid had been his utterance.
“Now just calm yourself,” begged Jerry. “Tell us all you can, Andy.”
“That’s all I know,” replied the small, excitable chap.
“The bars on the doors are broken,” called Bob, as he made an
examination. “How do you s’pose that happened?”
“That’s so,” admitted Jerry, who had overlooked this part of Andy’s
account. “And I wonder where Sud Snuffles is? He ought to be around.
He’s paid enough to watch this place.”
“That’s right; where is Sud?” inquired Ned. “Maybe he went off in the
airship with the thieves.”
“Nonsense,” exclaimed Jerry. “Let’s look around.”
The boys proceeded to make an examination of the interior of the shed.
As Andy had related, it was in some confusion. Tools of various kinds
were scattered about, and several boxes and chests had been broken
open, and the contents, consisting of supplies for the craft, some
canned food stuffs and spare parts, had been taken out. A big hammer
near the front doors showed how the latter had been broken open.
“Those doors were smashed from inside!” cried Ned, after a more careful
scrutiny.
“What makes you think so?” asked Jerry.
“Because the hammer’s thrown down inside, and the way the bolts are
bent shows that the force was from within.”
“From within, eh?” murmured Jerry. “That’s interesting.”
“What does it indicate?” inquired Bob, who was not always so quick to
see a point as were his two chums.
“Why it shows that the robbers, whoever they were, got into this shed
from some other entrance than the big doors,” went on Jerry.
“Of course!” cried Ned. “The small door at the back! Why didn’t we
think of it before? That’s the way Sud Snuffles goes in and out nights.
I remember he said it was too much trouble to open the big double
doors, and Sud was never very fond of work.”
“Come on; we must look for Sud, and see if the side door has been
forced,” decided Jerry.
As they hurried through the big shed, to a small portal in the rear,
Andy Rush remarked:
“I wonder how the thieves dare take the airship in broad daylight?
Everyone around here knows it belongs to you fellows, and if Noddy
Nixon or anyone else was seen in it, the police would be notified. It
was a risky thing to do!”
“Maybe it wasn’t done in daylight,” suggested Jerry. “I was down here
last evening, before dusk, and everything was all right, and Sud was on
guard. He always stays all night. It may be that the ship was stolen
last night, and Andy was the first one to notice it this morning.”
“I guess you’re right,” agreed Ned. “But now to find Sud, and see what
explanation he has to make. If he has deserted his place, and gone off,
we’ll discharge him.”
By this time the lads were at the small door. Near it was a chair and a
cot, on which the watchman was in the habit of sitting or lying during
the night. Sud Snuffles had been hired by the motor boys shortly after
their return from their first long trip, for as the airship was in
a shed, some distance away from the nearest house, they feared some
mischievous persons might try to damage it. But, up to the present,
there had been no trouble. Sud was an odd character, somewhat
shiftless, and not much given to holding a steady position. He was
very fond of traveling, and the night job just suited him, because he
could roam about in the daytime, when there was no necessity for being
on guard. He seemed to have a faculty of getting into all sorts of
trouble, and slipping out again with ease.
“I don’t see anything of Sud,” remarked Jerry, peering about.
“Then he’s gone with the thieves!” decided Andy. “He’s in a conspiracy
with them! Helped steal the airship--gone off on a trip--he’s fond of
traveling--he’d go ten thousand miles--never come back--whoop!”
“Andy, _will_ you be quiet,” begged Jerry. “This may be a serious
matter. Look around and see if you can find any traces of Sud, boys.”
“He seems to have slept in the cot,” observed Bob. “The clothes are all
mussed up.”
They began a hasty search of the rear of the shop, Andy joining in.
But though they looked in several closets where tools or supplies were
kept, and peered into all sorts of odd nooks and corners, there was no
sign of the watchman.
“I’m afraid he has gone off,” began Jerry, but, the next moment, he and
the others were startled by hearing a groan.
“What’s that?” cried Bob.
“Somebody’s killed!” gasped Andy, his face turning pale.
“Nonsense!” cried Jerry.
“It sounded from under the cot,” observed Ned.
His words were a signal for all to rush to the little bed. Jerry lifted
up the clothes that draped over the front edge, concealing a view
underneath. As the lad raised the coverlets, there was disclosed a
pitiful sight.
Old Sud Snuffles, tied with numerous ropes, his head enveloped in a
bag, lay under the cot. He was as helpless as a baby, and, as the boys
looked at him in wonder and alarm, a stifled groan came from the bag.
At the same time Jerry sniffed the air suspiciously.
“Boys!” he cried, “Sud has been drugged--chloroformed! We must bring
him to consciousness, and then, maybe, he can tell us about the theft
of our airship. There’s been some queer goings-on here!”