GRAND HAVEN.
Jerrold soon demonstrated the fact that the Eagle was a much faster
craft than the Hawk. As already stated, there was scarcely any wind, so
the Eagle had practically no adverse air current to contend against.
Pointing the air ship east by south, Jerrold tuned up the engine, and
the speed they made was marvelous. They could form a tolerable idea of
the swiftness of their flight by watching the surface of the earth,
some five hundred feet below them.
"She's certainly a swifter craft than the Hawk," remarked Ferral.
"I will improve the Hawk for you," said Jerrold, "so she will be just
as swift as the Eagle."
"Oof ve efer ged der Hawk pack, vich ve don'd know," struck in Carl.
"We _must_ get her back," averred Matt.
"The biggest trouble with air ships equipped with gasoline," continued
Jerrold, "is the fact that the slightest change in the temperature
affects the buoyancy. Even a cloud over the sun will cause the gas to
contract, and the difference in heat thrown off by the sun at morning
and noon will expand the gas and also disturb the equilibrium. Now I
have an improvement that remedies that. It consists of a smaller bag
inside the gas bag, filled with a vapor of my own invention. When the
buoyancy of the outer bag decreases, that of the inner bag increases,
and _vice versa_. That gives us a unit of buoyancy which is always the
same, and leaves the propeller free to carry us in any direction."
"Greadt!" cried Carl. "I don'd ondershtand vat you vas gedding ad,
aber I bed it vas somet'ing fine. Ach!" and he looked downward, "here
ve go ofer der lake. I hope dere iss some ships all along der vay, so
dot oof anyt'ing habbens ve can trop down ondo vone oof dem."
"Don't worry about our dropping into the water, Carl," smiled Jerrold,
"for there is absolutely no danger of that."
In an hour the Eagle was out of sight of land. The sails of one or two
schooners could be seen far away on the horizon, but they were too far
off to be considered "company."
As the Eagle plowed on and on through the sunny air, with never a hitch
or a sign of anything going wrong, Carl's fears slowly subsided and he
took delight in this novel experience of crossing a large body of water.
For a time, Matt relieved Jerrold at the motor. So far as the young
motorist could see, the Eagle handled as easily as the Hawk; besides
that, there were points of superiority about her, in addition to speed,
as compared with the Brady air ship.
For three hours the Eagle was over the lake, and then Ferral, with a
shout, announced:
"Land ho, messmates, right under our fore foot!"
Harris examined the shore line, critically. A little later, when they
were nearer, he turned to Jerrold.
"We're a bit south of Grand Haven," said he, "about two miles, I should
judge. I can see the cottages on the trolley line that follows the lake
shore."
Jerrold was about to shift the steering rudder so as to point the Eagle
directly for the town, when Matt interposed.
"It strikes me," said Matt, "that it would be better for us to land
outside the town and go in on the trolley. If we took the Eagle over
the place, the whole town would be out to see us. That would make it
impossible for us to take this Ochiltree by surprise, and might give
Brady and his gang a chance to clear out."
"That's a level-headed suggestion," declared Harris. "An air ship
arouses everybody's curiosity, and if Brady and his gang saw us, or
heard about us, they'd know at once that we were on their track with
the Eagle. Make a landing on the lake shore, Jerrold. That ought to be
easy, as the beach is clear of obstructions and covered with good white
sand."
"It's never hard for me to make a landing with the Eagle," said
Jerrold. "I can come down anywhere, and ascend from anywhere."
He took a look over the side.
"Right ahead looks like an excellent place," he went on, as he drew
back. "The trees run right down to the beach, and there are no houses
near. That means that our descent will be screened, and that we'll not
arouse so much curiosity as we would if we alighted in a more populous
place."
Instructed by Carl, Ferral, and Harris, Jerrold brought the air ship
to rest on the beach without the slightest difficulty.
"Now to call on this fellow Ochiltree," said Harris briskly, as he
stepped out of the car. "We can't all go, and I'd suggest that Carl
stay here with Jerrold and watch the car while Matt, Ferral, and I
call on the police department here and see if we can find out where
Ochiltree lives."
Carl's face fell. If there was going to be any trouble, he had hoped
that he would have as big a part in it as any of the rest of them.
Ferral, noting Carl's long face, clapped him on the back.
"Don't go into the doldrums, my hearty," cried Ferral. "If Brady and
his gang should find out that the Eagle is here, you and Jerrold may
have more trouble on your hands than the rest of us."
Carl brightened visibly.
"Py shinks," said he, "I hatn't t'ought oof dot. Aber you bed you can
drust us to dake care oof der Eagle."
Without waiting longer, Harris led Matt and Ferral through the timber
and to the tracks of the trolley line. They had not long to wait before
a car came along, headed toward Grand Haven. Apparently, neither the
conductor nor the motorman had seen the descent of the Eagle, for they
had nothing to say about the air ship.
"We're playing in great luck, right at the start-off," said Harris, in
a low tone. "In how many places in this country, do you think, could an
air ship come down without having a curious crowd around it inside of
five minutes? Not many, I'll bet; and yet, here we make a landing in
the midst of a summer resort and not so much as a dog comes out to bark
at us."
"A good thing for us, too," returned Ferral. "If there's anything to be
accomplished in Grand Haven, we can do it, for all the odds are in our
favor."
"Exactly," said Harris. "That's the point I was trying to make."
In ten minutes they reached Grand Haven, and in fifteen minutes they
were at police headquarters, and Harris was having an interview with
the head of the department. Harris was not long with that official, and
when he came out he took a chair between Matt and Ferral.
"Prospects are bright," said he. "The chief here knows all about
Ochiltree, and says he's a shady character and has a record. We've got
to wait for a few minutes for a plain-clothes man who is going with us
to call on the party."
"Did the chief say anything about another air ship?" asked Matt.
"I was coming to that," went on Harris. "Yes, another air ship was seen
crossing over the town about two hours ago. Everybody was out to look
at it, and the chief says there were four or five men in the car."
"That would be Whipple, Pete, Harper, and Brady," put in Matt.
"That's the way I had figured it out. Young Brady wasn't picked up by
the other four that got the Hawk away from you at the balloon house. It
would be a great piece of work if we could capture the whole gang."
Just then a small man, with a restless black eye and a beak-like face,
pushed up to where Harris and the boys were talking.
"My name's Dennison," said he. "The chief has told me what you wanted,
and I'm to take you to Ochiltree's place."
Harris gave Dennison his name and introduced Matt and Ferral.
"We hadn't better lose much time," suggested Dennison. "The fellow
we're looking for is usually at home this time of the day."
"The quicker we can wind this up, the better," said Harris. "Lead the
way, Dennison, and we'll be right behind you."
The course they followed took them across the river and then along the
opposite bank in the direction of the life-saving station. There, in a
patch of scrub, they came upon a small, shanty-like house.
As a precautionary move, Dennison went around to the back door, and
left Harris and the boys to present themselves at the front.
It was well this precaution was taken. Although Harris rapped and
pounded, no one answered his summons for several minutes. When a voice
was finally heard from within the house, it was Dennison's.
"Come in, Harris," he called. "If the front door's locked, come around
to the back of the house."
The front door, however, was not locked. Harris and the boys opened it
and walked in. They found Dennison, revolver in hand, standing in front
of a sulky, black-whiskered man, who was sitting in a chair.
"He didn't like your looks," explained Dennison, "and so he wouldn't
open the door. On the contrary, he tried to get away by the rear of the
house, and so ran into me. All that looks suspicious, on the face of
it."
"I'm tryin' ter do an honest turn," growled Ochiltree, "an' you cops
keep naggin' me. It's a wonder I don't go wrong, when ye're all
expectin' me to."
"What did you try to duck by the back way for?" demanded Dennison.
"I ain't anxious fer callers," was the sullen response.
"Has Brady been here to see you?"
"Brady?" queried Ochiltree. "Who's Brady?"
"Come, Ochiltree, that won't go down. You haven't forgotten your old
friend Brady, have you?"
"Never heard o' such a feller. If he's----"
Matt, who had been looking curiously around the room, glimpsed some one
through the front window, stealthily approaching the house.
"Hist!" the young motorist whispered, turning to Harris. "Here comes
Harper, now."
Ochiltree began to squirm uneasily in his chair.
"Luck again!" muttered Harris exultantly. "Keep Ochiltree covered,
Dennison, and be sure he doesn't open his mouth to call a warning. I'll
take care of Harper. He's one of the gang and can give us a line on
Brady."
Harris stole noiselessly to the door. Matt likewise crowded up close to
it on the other side.
The instant Harper rapped, Harris flung the door open, and he and Matt
grabbed the astounded caller and dragged him into the room.