CHAPTER VIII
A DISAPPOINTMENT
For a few moments the boys stood there almost spellbound, gazing at thestartled farmer, on whose face the look of pain increased.
"How did it happen?" demanded Jerry, when the intruder into theprofessor's room had succeeded in shaking off the two beetles, and waslooking critically at his injured thumbs. The insects had drawn blood.
"I'm sure I don't know," answered the professor, as he made a grabfor a large bug that was trying to get down a crack, for some of thescientist's specimens were very lively. "I'm sure I don't know. I wassleeping peacefully, when I was suddenly awakened by this man shouting."
"How did you come to get the beetles?" asked Jerry, looking severely atMr. Buttle.
"I didn't git 'em, they got me," he declared. "Th' consarned critterspinch wuss than lobsters."
"They _are_ a form of land lobster," the professor explained as hecarefully caught the two beetles in a box and closed the lid. "But Idon't see how they got out. I had the top securely closed."
"Perhaps Mr. Buttle can explain," remarked Ned significantly. Thatindividual squirmed uneasily.
"Wa'al, I got t' thinkin' in th' night, that maybe th' professor mightneed a drink of water," explained the farmer, "'count of him eatin'so much ham. So I brung some water up. There's the pitcher," and hepointed to one, in proof of his assertion. "I knocked on th' door," hewent on, "but th' professor didn't answer, an' then I thought it'd bea pity to wake him up. So I thought I'd jest push th' door open, an'leave th' water where he could git it.
"Wa'al, I done so, an' I were jest leavin' when them two big black bugsjumped out of th' darkness an' grabbed me. Then I let out a yell."
"Yes, we heard you yell," spoke Bob gently, and Ned felt like laughing,only the matter seemed to be too serious.
"I don't see how those horned beetles could get out when the boxes weretightly fastened," observed the professor simply.
"Wa'al, they got out all right, an' they got on me," went on thefarmer. "Ef I git blood poison I'll have t' sue ye."
"You had no right to come in the room of Mr. Snodgrass withoutknocking, or telling him," said Jerry.
"I didn't want to wake him up, when I brought in th' water. An' look atmy door--all busted!" proceeded the farmer indignantly, looking at theportal Jerry had smashed. "Somebody's got t' pay fer that."
"Yes, we'll settle," agreed Jerry, and then, as if fearing he might beasked embarrassing questions, Mr. Buttle suddenly departed, trampingindignantly down the stairs, and muttering meanwhile something about"crazy automobile folks thet carried wild animals with 'em!"
"Well, what do you think, fellows?" asked Ned, as they stood looking ateach other in the dim illumination of the electric light Bob held.
"It looks rather funny," declared the stout youth.
"It wouldn't have been funny if my specimens had gotten away," observedthe scientist. "He knocked down the whole pile of boxes at my head, andthat's how some of them must have come open."
"No, that's not the way," was Jerry's opinion. "I'll tell you whatI think. I believe our host is a dangerous character, and I think hesneaked up, hoping the professor had money in those boxes. He was goingto rob him, but the beetles turned the trick."
"Do you really think so?" inquired Mr. Snodgrass.
"I certainly do," replied the tall lad.
"And I agree with him," added Ned. "I remember now that the professorspoke of his 'valuables' in the boxes, and I saw Mr. Buttle looking athim rather sharply. That's just how it was. He thought he was going tomake a good haul."
"It's lucky we weren't all murdered in our sleep," exclaimed Bob, witha nervous look around.
"Oh, hardly as bad as that, I think," came from Jerry. "However, Mr.Buttle has had his lesson, and I think he won't sneak around us again.He must have unlocked the professor's door with a duplicate key, andwhen he pushed the chair across the floor that woke me up."
Jerry's explanation was accepted, and they went back to bed, but it wassome time before they got to sleep. When Jerry awoke again it was justgetting light, and as he was as anxious as was Ned to be on the roadagain, he roused his companions. Professor Snodgrass was already up,making a careful inspection of his specimen boxes by daylight, to seeif any of the bugs had escaped. He found them all intact.
"What shall we do; take chances on having breakfast with Mr. Buttle?"asked Ned, as they were ready to go down stairs.
"I vote that we pay him what we owe him, and go on to the next town forbreakfast," spoke Ned. "We can put the tire on, and make good time.It's stopped raining."
"Well, I'm pretty hungry," remarked Bob with a woebegone face, "andit's no fun putting on a tire without your breakfast, but I wouldn'twant him to poison us, and he might do it to get even."
"Then we'll start off and hunt our own breakfast," decided Jerry. Whenthey went downstairs they found no signs of their host. Evidently hedid not care to meet them face to face in daylight. So, after leavingwhere he would see it a sum of money sufficient to pay for their supperand the night's lodging, and also to repair the broken door, ourfriends departed. Jerry left a note, stating what the money was for.
They found their auto undisturbed, and soon had the tire repaired.They kept a lookout for the farmer, whom they believed to be a rascal,but saw no signs of him, and made good time to the next town, wherethey got a good breakfast at the hotel. There, having mentioned thefact that they had spent the night with Mr. Buttle, they were told thatthey had taken a big chance.
"That fellow's a regular hold-up man," said the hotel clerk. "He makesa practice of swindling autoists. It's been said that he puts tacks andglass in the road, so they'll get damaged tires right in front of hisplace, and then when they halt to make repairs, he comes out and offersto sell food at about three times the market prices. That's the way hemakes his living, instead of farming it. He 'grafts' on the autoists."
"Well, he'll be careful how he tackles this party another time,"remarked Jerry significantly.
They had left bad roads behind, and now, spinning over hard and smoothhighways, they found themselves, a little after nine o'clock thatmorning, in the city of Durham.
"Now for Mr. Jackson!" cried Ned, as they inquired the way to thesanitarium where the millionaire operator was staying.
Up the broad road, through the entrance gates went our heroes. Theplace was attractively laid out, and was quite celebrated as a healthresort for overworked men and women of the wealthy and fashionableclass.
"We'll let you do the talking, at first, Professor," decided Ned, as heguided the car around the turns in the road.
"Yes, I'll be glad to meet my friend Mr. Jackson again. I think--holdon just a moment, Ned. I think I see a rare kind of beetle."
The boys were in a hurry, but the memory of the good service theprofessor's beetles had done the previous night made them willing tostop the car. Mr. Snodgrass got out, and succeeded in capturing a bug,the possession of which seemed to give him great delight. Then Nedspeeded up the machine as the latest specimen was carefully put away.
They came to a halt in front of a sort of hotel-sanitarium, and Ned andMr. Snodgrass went to the front door.
"Well, now, I'm real sorry, but you've had your trip for nothing," themanager informed them, when they had stated whom they wished to see.
"Why, isn't Mr. Jackson here?" asked Ned anxiously.
"He was here, up to last night. But he went away suddenly, and he won'tbe back."
"Where has he gone?" asked the professor.
"Out to the big airship and balloon meet at Danforth."
"To a balloon meet?" repeated Ned in surprise.
"Yes. Didn't you know that Mr. Jackson was an enthusiastic balloonistand aviator?"
"I knew he had many fads," spoke the professor, "but I didn't know heincluded ballooning among them."
"Oh, yes," went on the manager. "He is much interested in all sorts ofair craft. In fact he talked of nothing else while he was here. He hasinvented some sort of diri
gible balloon, or aeroplane--some kind of airmachine. I'm not very well up on them, so I can't describe it to you.I believe he is going to enter it at the Danforth meet. I'm sorry, butyou're just too late to catch him."
"So are we," agreed Ned sorrowfully. He knew his father would be muchdisappointed, but there was no help for it. Despondently the merchant'sson turned and followed the professor out of the hotel. Jerry and Bobsat in the auto waiting for them.
"Well, what luck?" asked the tall lad, as his chum approached.
"He's just left," answered Mr. Snodgrass.
"Gone ballooning," added Ned. "Out to the Danforth meet and that's justoutside of New York. We'll never catch him, now."
"Yes, we will!" cried Jerry suddenly.
"How?"
"In our motor-ship _Comet_!" exclaimed the tall lad. "We'll fix thatup, and get right on the trail of Mr. Jackson again. Come on, Ned. Backtracks for Cresville, and then for another voyage through the air!"