CHAPTER VI
"THE GREAT WHITE ALSO"
Two minutes later Naki came running along the path. Even his solemn facewas aglow with excitement. Ceally was close behind him. Just after themdanced Mollie, who was followed by Miss Sallie. The latter had desertedher novel at the critical moment of the story. She must discover whatMollie was talking about. The child was too excited to explain.
A Long Coil of Rope Floated Down from the Sky.]
When the little party reached the clearing where Bab stood it was easy tosee what had happened. An aerial navigator had come to grief and wascalling 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 wasswinging on a third.
"Great heavens child, let go!" Miss Sallie called out in tones of intensealarm. "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 yousmell something horrible?"
The delicious air of the woods was being permeated with a detestableodor. The great balloon above their heads was shrinking. It was growingsmaller 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 seethe thing closely."
By this time the balloon had neared the ground. Two men sprang over thesides of the basket, both alighting on their feet. Half a moment laterthe older of the two was bowing politely to Miss Sallie and wiping hisglasses. Landing from a balloon on top of a mountain was apparently anordinary occurrence with him. His companion was busy with the airship,which now lay on one side on the ground. It was shuddering and exhalingdeep breaths.
"Madam," said the aeronaut addressing Miss Sallie, but looking atBarbara, who stood by her side. "More than I can express I thank you foryour assistance. We were, I think, in rather a dangerous position and wemight very easily have been killed. At best, in trying to alight withouthelp, I should have torn my balloon in the branches of the trees. Perhapsyou ladies would like to examine the balloon more thoroughly. This is mynephew, Reginald Latham."
A young man arose from the ground. He wore a close fitting tan costume, acap 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 cleverof you," he spoke, with a slightly foreign accent, "to have helped us outof 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 acherished friend. He looked about twenty-three or four years old. He wasthin and dark, with clever eyes; but an expression of restlessness anddiscontent spoiled an otherwise interesting face.
"I am Winthrop Latham," his uncle continued. "I have a summer place downhere, but my nephew and I spend most of our time, both summer and winterin Lenox. We have a house in my grounds where we are both working onmodels 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? Whywere her only companions two charming young girls and a rough looking manand his wife?
"I suppose," Miss Stuart replied, laughing, "that you are almost as muchsurprised at our appearance as we are at yours! I am sure no thanks arenecessary for our part in your rescue! We were delighted to assist insuch a novel and up-to-date adventure." Miss Sallie looked smilingly atMollie and Barbara. She was rather enjoying their unusual experience.Moreover, she had heard of Mr. Latham's beautiful home in Lenox. And wasassured they were in the best of company.
"We are camping on this hill for a few weeks," she continued. "I am MissStuart, of Chicago. My niece and I, and three girl friends, are theentire camping party, except for our guide and his wife. Won't you cometo our hut? Can we be of any assistance to you?"
"Indeed, you can!" heartily declared Mr. Latham, who was evidently an oldbachelor of about fifty-five years of age, with charming manners. "Iwonder if you will take care of my balloon for me until my nephew can getdown the hill to send a wagon up for it. That very inferior lookingobject you now see collapsed on the ground is really my latest treasure.It is one of the best dirigible balloons invented up to the presenttime."
Barbara was already down on her hands and knees beside the balloon. Asher new acquaintance explained the details of its construction to her,his face burned with enthusiasm. Mollie, watching him, thought he lookedalmost handsome. Nevertheless she didn't like Reginald Latham. Bab,however, was delighted. She had a thirst for information and here was ayoung man who could intelligently talk to her about the most marvelousinventions of the century, the airship and the aeroplane.
"I think," Bab volunteered, "if the balloon can be folded without harmingit, we might carry it to the house in our small express wagon. We couldeach hold up a side of it, and it would be better than carrying italtogether."
The queer procession started for the cabin. Miss Sallie and Mollie walkedon in front. Mr. Latham, Reginald Latham, Naki and Ceally, each supporteda 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 theircabin, 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 amazedfaces of Ruth and Grace. "Sometimes it is the stay-at-homes who have theexciting experiences come to them."
"Do come in and have tea with us, Mr. Latham!" urged Miss Stuart. "Nakiwill go down to a farmhouse, only a mile or so away, where he keeps hishorses, 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 ashungry as living on a hilltop, the tea may be acceptable for its ownsake."
"Of course I want to come into your castle," laughed Mr. Latham. "I feelso certain I have run across a party of fairies that I must peep intoyour dwelling to see if you are real people."
"You are not ahead of us, Mr. Latham," laughed Barbara, "Mollie and Ithought 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 theseyoung ladies to see my place in Lenox. Reginald and I promise not to talkairships 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 appearin a more conventional fashion."
That night, when the girls were undressing, Mollie announcedunexpectedly: "I don't like that Reginald Latham."
"Why not, Mollie?" asked Bab. "He is a very interesting fellow. Hismother is a German and he has been educated in Germany. His father, whowas Mr. Latham's younger brother, is dead. I think Reginald is hisuncle's heir. He told me he and his uncle mean to devote all their timeto inventing airships. He studied about them in Germany, even before hecame to live with his uncle three years ago."
"Mercy!" Mollie ejaculated. "Then he is even more queer than I thoughthim. What a useless life for a man of his age. I don't like him even ifhe is ever so clever, and though his uncle is a dear. Girls, if I tellyou something will you promise me not to laugh? Cross your heart andbody. 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 toherself. "Do you know what I suddenly thought, when Bab and I saw thatgreat white object come sailing over our heads this afternoon? Like aflash it popped into my mind. Here comes 'The Great White Also!'"
Barbara shrieked with laughter in spite of her prom
ise. "Oh, you funnyMollie!" she exclaimed.
"What is the child talking about?" inquired the puzzled Ruth. "The GreatWhite Also! What utter nonsense!"
Mollie blushed. "Do you remember," she asked, "a paragraph in the firstgeography you studied at school? It read: 'The brown bear, the blackbear, and the great white also inhabit the northern regions of NorthAmerica.' Well, when I was small child I always thought 'the great whitealso' was some strange kind of animal. For a long time I wondered andwondered what it could be. Finally I asked mother and Bab to explain thesentence to me. Of course they thought it a lovely joke; but, just thesame, I never could get over my first impression. It flashed into my headthis afternoon, when I saw that strange white thing struggling in theair--at last here comes 'The Great White Also!' Wasn't it too absurd? Ihave been laughing to myself ever since."
"Children, what on earth is the matter?" inquired Miss Sallie, appearingat the bedroom door in her dressing gown. "You will waken the dead withyour racket. Ruth, come to bed, at once, and tell me what you arelaughing about."