CHAPTER XVI
AN ANGRY FARMER
With a suddenness that was almost startling the incandescent lights onthe _Comet_ went out. The airship shot forward through the darknessshrouded in gloom--no, not completely, for the great search light stillglowed, and that offered a mark for the hissing rockets and aerialbombs.
"Quick! Out with the search lantern!" yelled Jerry. "You put that out,Bob, while Ned and I get to work on the engine and send the ship up.Start the gas machine, Ned!"
"Will it be safe, with all this fire around us? It might explode."
"That's so. We'll have to depend on the planes to take us higher. I'llspeed up the motor!"
"But why in the world are they firing at us?" cried Ned. "Hurry,Chunky, haven't you got that search light out yet? They can see to aimat us as long as it's going."
"I can't seem to shut it off!" cried the stout youth. "The lever isjammed."
"Give him a hand, Ned," called the tall lad. "I can manage the motorall right."
"Look!" suddenly cried Ned, pointing to the rear as he and his chummanaged to put out the light. "There is another airship following us!"
They all glanced to where he pointed. In the darkness they could see along, illuminated shape whizzing swiftly through the air.
"It's some sort of an aerial craft, all right," murmured Jerry. "Iwonder if Noddy Nixon----?"
"See! They're firing rockets at _her_ now," yelled Bob. "Say, thepeople down below must have some big objection to airships. First theyfire at us, and then at the next aeroplane that comes along."
Jerry, who had set the motor at higher speed to take them out of thezone of rockets, uttered an exclamation.
"I have it!" he cried. "I see through it now."
"What is it?" asked Ned.
"They took us for part of the illumination," went on the tall lad."They fired at us to see if they could hit us, and----"
"They've hit that other airship!" shouted Bob, pointing to it. "See!They've set it on fire! Oh, what an awful death those poor fellowsaboard it will have!"
"Let's save them!" suggested the professor.
"There's no one aboard her," put in Jerry more calmly than any of theothers.
"No one aboard her? Do you mean she's a runaway airship?" asked Ned.
"No, it isn't an airship at all. I'll tell you," and Jerry went to theengine-room, where he slowed down the motor, for the plan of puttingout the lights had been effective, and no more rockets were shot atthem.
"They took us for part of the celebration," went on Jerry when hereturned. "They probably arranged to have some sort of a miniature,automatic airship sent up, aimed to go across the place above where thefireworks were being set off, but high in the air. Then it was the gameto try and hit it with rockets."
This later was found to be the case.
"We came along, and they took us for the miniature craft and fired atus," Jerry continued. "It was all a mistake, but it was lucky theydidn't hit us. They must be puzzled, though, to see the second airshipcoming along."
"Well, they've done for that one, anyhow!" cried Bob. "See, it's allafire!"
It was blazing fiercely, and beginning to descend, while a showerof rockets, and aerial bombs shot all around it. Our friends werenow out of reach of the pyrotechnics, and ventured to turn on theirlights again. Down below could be seen the place of the celebration,brilliantly illuminated, but the glow soon died out, and it was evidentthat the destruction of the miniature airship brought the affair to aclose.
They did not get to sleep early, on account of the excitement, butfinally Jerry suggested that they take turns going on duty in the motorroom.
"For," said the tall lad, "we're flying low, and the machinery is sonew that we can't altogether depend on the automatic steering gear. So,to avoid accidents, some one will have to be on watch all night."
Morning came, with nothing having happened, and Bob was about early,bustling here and there getting breakfast. They were eating it, takingoccasional glimpses down at the country over which they were passing,and speculating on when they would arrive at the balloon meet, and whatwould happen when they got there, when, with a suddenness that wasterrifying, the _Comet_ was jerked backward.
The big aircraft trembled from end to end, and shivered throughouther length. Next followed a series of jerks, and then came a ripping,rending, tearing and splintering sound, hearing which, Jerry, with fearon his face, leaped to his feet.
"What's the matter?" cried Ned.
"Have we blown up?" demanded Bob.
"My specimens!" shouted the professor, making a dive for his room,where he kept the boxes.
Jerry rushed out on deck, and looked down over the rail. The airshipwas now stationary, though the propellers were buzzing around, and thetall lad soon saw the reason for the sudden halt.
They were over a farmyard, and the anchor rope, to which was attached agrapple, with several prongs, had caught under the cornice of a largebarn, holding the _Comet_ securely. And, strewn on the earth, at oneside of the structure, were splintered boards and pieces of timber thathad been ripped off, as the dangling, sharp-pointed anchor had caughtin the eaves and tore along, ripping off part of the roof. Then thecraft, as the anchor met a solid timber, had come to a stop.
As Jerry looked down, there rushed out from the farmhouse an angryfarmer. In his hands he held a gun, which he pointed at the airship.
"Don't ye dare t' move!" he yelled. "Don't ye stir! I've got th' dropon ye, an' I'm goin' t' keep it! Ye don't stir a step till ye comedown an' settle fer th' damage. Ye well-nigh ripped my barn apart, an'I jest had it fixed. Come down, ye rapscallions! Don't ye stir a steptill ye pay me!"
"YE DON'T STIR A STEP TILL YE COME DOWN AN' SETTLE FERTH' DAMAGE."]
He shook his gun menacingly.
"I guess we're not likely to stir, until we get the anchor loose, atany rate," remarked Jerry coolly, for he had gotten over his frightwhen he saw that the airship was not damaged.
Then, as the craft had no longer any forward motion, and as this isvitally necessary to every aeroplane, the _Comet_ began to settle downrapidly, almost on the roof of the barn.