CHAPTER XVII
HELD PRISONERS
"Look out or we'll turn turtle, if we hit the barn!" yelled Bob.
"Yes, we can't go down this way!" added Ned. "Do something!"
"All right, I'm going to start the gas machine," said Jerry. "Keep coolnow, there's no danger. By Jinks! But we seem to be having all kinds ofbad luck lately. First we kill a calf and now we rip a barn apart. Well,it can't be helped."
The gas bag had been partly inflated ready for a landing at the balloongrounds, so that the _Comet_ did not come down as rapidly as wouldotherwise have been the case. Jerry soon started the vapor machine,forcing more of the lifting gas into the container, and this furtherchecked the descent.
Almost as lightly as the proverbial feather, the _Comet_ came down,resting on the ground near the barn. As soon as she settled to rest,the anchor also dropped beside her, for there being no longer anyupward strain on the sharp points to force them into the wood, theweight pulled them out.
The farmer stood there defiantly, covering the boys with his gun, asthey lined up on the deck of the airship, with Professor Snodgrass, hisarms filled with specimen boxes, behind them, a puzzled look on hisface.
"What d' ye mean, goin' around th' country, rippin' folks' barn apart?"demanded the farmer in surly tones.
"It was an accident," replied Jerry gently. "Our anchor and rope musthave come loose, and were dragging along through the air."
"Come loose! I should say it did come loose!" spluttered the man. "Sodid nearly half my barn come loose! But I'll have satisfaction for it.Hey, Bill--Sam! Come here an' help me take care of these folks!"
He raised his voice and two husky hired men came running from thedirection of the house which the boys could just make out through thetrees of the orchard.
"Now then, grab 'em!" yelled the farmer, pointing his gun first atJerry, then at Bob and then at Ned, and then beginning at Jerry again."Grab 'em!" he cried, "an' tie 'em up! There's plenty of clothes line,an' th' women folks ain't goin' t' wash t'-day."
The hired men, grinning in appreciation of the plight in which ourfriends found themselves, advanced slowly.
"There's no necessity for resorting to harsh measures," said Jerry withdignity. "We're not going to run away."
"I'll bet ye ain't!" chuckled the farmer. "Not when I git through withye! Tie 'em up, Sam an' Bill."
"Look here!" cried Jerry, seeing that it did no good to be polite, "ifyou lay a hand on us, you'll get into trouble! We won't stand for anysuch treatment from you! The damage we did was accidental, and we'rewilling to pay----"
"That's what ye will! Pay, an' pay good an' proper!" interrupted theunpleasant farmer.
"What do you think it's worth?" asked Bob, as Jerry went to look andsee if the strain of the anchor rope had done any harm to the airship.
"What do I think it's wuth? Why, a thousand dollars won't cover mydamage! I jest had that barn repaired t' hold my crops, an' here yecome along, an' rip it all t' smithereens! A thousand dollars----"
"What's that?" cried Jerry, reappearing at that moment. "A thousanddollars!"
"He says we damaged his barn that much," explained Bob.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the tall lad.
"No nonsense about it!" spluttered the farmer. "An' ef ye don't settleI'll have ye arrested. Sam an' Bill I reckon ye'd better git them cordsready arter all."
"Why, we have only torn off a small piece of the cornice and some ofthe eaves," said Jerry, pointing to where the damage had been done.
"Hu! It's easy enough fer ye t' say that, young feller, but it ain'tso easy t' git my barn fixed. Either ye pay me a thousand dollars, orye go t' jail, th' hull three of ye--no, by gum! There's another oneof ye--there's four!" as he caught sight of the professor who, seeingthat he could be of no service, was calmly looking over his note-books."Is he yer father?" asked the farmer. "If he is, he can pay th' damage.Folks what go about in airships must have lots of money."
"No, he's not our father," replied Jerry shortly, "and we haven't lotsof money. We are willing to pay you a reasonable sum for damaging yourbarn, but a thousand dollars is out of the question."
"It is, eh? Well, mebby when ye've been in jail a couple of days yewon't think so. Sam an' Bill, take 'em, an' tie 'em, while I hitch up,an' git ready t' bring 'em over t' Lafayette, t' th' court house. I'llshow 'em they can't make no monkey of me!"
"Nature did that for you," murmured Ned, "and saved us the trouble."
The two hired men, one of whom had secured a clothes line, now advancedon our friends. The farmer stood ready to back them up with his gun,and the boys had had no chance to get a weapon, even had they desiredto do so, which they probably did not, as they were not of the fightingclass.
"You'd better not touch us!" threatened Jerry.
"No! Hands off!" ordered Bob.
"Hear 'em talk!" mocked Bill. "Do ye think we kin handle 'em, Sam?"
"I reckon so. You take th' tall feller, an' I'll tackle th' other two.Th' old man looks harmless."
"I'll attend t' him," remarked the farmer. "I reckon Si Muggins ain'tforgot how t' shoot."
The two hired men came rapidly forward. Sam laid a hand on the shoulderof Bob. The fat lad shrunk away, and looked to Jerry for a signal as towhat to do. That youth, as Bill approached him, drew back his arm todeliver a blow. In another moment there would have been a fight, butthe professor, looking up, and probably realizing for the first timewhat was going on, exclaimed:
"Easy, boys. We'll arbitrate this. Let them take you, and don't resist.The proper authorities will settle this."
"That's what they will!" declared Mr. Muggins, shaking his gun. "Tie'em up, Bill an' Sam."
"There's no need for that," said Jerry more calmly. "We'll go whereveryou want to take us."
"All right; then lock 'em in th' smoke house until I kin hitch up,"decided the farmer, and, with feelings of bitter humiliation in theirhearts, but resolving not to give in to the extortionate demands of Mr.Muggins, the four meekly followed the hired men.
A little later they were locked up, prisoners in the stifling smokehouse, where, in the fall, hams and bacon were cured over a hickoryfire. It was dark, dirty and ill-smelling, and a great change fromtheir comfortable airship, which they could just make out through thecracks in the smoke house door, resting near the damaged barn.