CHAPTER I
THE AIRSHIP STOLEN
"Well, we ought to settle this question about our vacations, one way oranother, fellows," remarked a tall, good-looking lad, with somethingof an air of worriment, as he glanced at his two comrades who werestretched out in the shade of a big maple tree one hot afternoon. Heplucked some blades of grass from the well-kept lawn, that extendedback to a large, white house, with big pillars, put the spears of greeninto his mouth, and chewed them reflectively. Then he added: "Why can'tyou and Chunky agree, Ned? What's the use of disputing? It's too hot."
"Of course it is," answered the smaller of the two lads thus addressed.
"Hot nothing!" puffed the stout youth, whom the first speaker hadcalled "Chunky" in tribute to his fleshiness. "It's only hot becauseyou imagine it, Ned Slade."
"Bob says that because he wants to go South," retorted Ned. "Eh, Jerry?"
"Now don't you agree with him, Jerry Hopkins!" cried Bob Baker. "Be onmy side for once," and he looked an appeal at his tall chum. "Ned wantsto go to Canada."
"I'd like to go to the North Pole to-day," responded Ned, turning over,as if to find a cooler place in the grass. "But, speaking seriously, Ithink I've got as much right to insist that the next trip we take inour airship shall be to some new locality, as Bob has to suggest thatwe go South."
"Of course you've got a right to insist," agreed Bob, puffing over hisexertion of turning on one side. "Of course you have, Ned. Who startedthis argument, anyhow?" and he spoke rather sharply.
"Guess I've got as much right to start an argument as you have, Bob,"was Ned's retort, and there was an unpleasant tone in his voice, atwhich Jerry looked troubled.
"Come, fellows," spoke the tall lad, soothingly. "It's too warm tobicker. Get down to business. We'll take a vote on it. Where shall wespend this vacation in our airship?"
"I say South!" exclaimed Bob quickly.
"He's thinking of the Florida everglades, where the Seabury girls hadtheir houseboat, or else he wants to try to locate another buried cityin Mexico," broke in Ned.
"I do; eh? Well, what attracts you to Canada?" demanded the stout lad.
"Maybe he's heard that the Seabury girls are going there," suggestedJerry, with a smile.
"No," answered Ned. "I only thought it would be cooler. I'm willing toleave it to you, Jerry."
"So am I," agreed Bob, more amiably, and the little cloud that seemedto threaten to come over the friendship of the chums, had almostvanished.
"I was going to suggest a Western trip," proposed Jerry quickly,wishing to strike while the iron was hot, "but as we have been therebefore, perhaps Ned will object."
"It depends on what part of the West you'd aim for," came from Ned. "Goahead, Jerry, and tell us some more."
"Sure," agreed the tall lad, pleasantly. He glanced quizzically at histwo chums. Bob was idly chewing a leaf, and Ned was gazing up into theblue sky through the leaves of the maple tree.
The three chums, whose devotion to vehicles of the gasolene type, frommotor cycles to airships, had gained for them the title of "The MotorBoys," lived in the town of Cresville, not far from Boston. Bob Baker'sfather was Andrew Baker, a rich banker; Ned was a son of Aaron Slade,who was the proprietor of a large department store, and Jerry Hopkinswas the only child of Mrs. Julia Hopkins, a wealthy widow.
The boys had had many adventures together, and the beginning of themwas told of in the first book of this series, entitled "The MotorBoys." Their activities started in a bicycle race, but they soonexchanged their wheels for motor cycles, and a short time after thatthey won a touring car, offered as a prize. In that they made a longtrip overland, and, later, went to Mexico, to which trip Ned referredwhen he mentioned the buried city, for the boys actually did discoverone, for which a friend of theirs, Professor Uriah Snodgrass, a notedscientist, was in search.
They returned home from Mexico across the western plains of the UnitedStates, and then, using some money they had made from a gold mine theyhad located, they bought a speedy motor boat.
The fifth volume of this series, entitled "The Motor Boys Afloat," tookup their adventures in connection with the speedy craft _Dartaway_.They had some stirring times around home, and then took quite a longtrip along the Atlantic coast. From there they journeyed to themysterious Florida everglades, to which Ned had also referred. But thehappenings there, strange and weird as they were, seemed, to the boysat least, to be more than equalled in a trip they made on the Pacific,though this voyage was in a motor boat they hired, as their own wassmashed in a freight wreck.
The growing interest in aeronautics soon led the motor boys toinvestigate the possibility of navigating through the air, and, shortlyafter their return from their trip on the Pacific, they began to buildan airship. In this they were assisted by a Mr. Rupert Glassford,and in the ninth book of this series, called "The Motor Boys in theClouds," there was related the particulars of a trip they took for fameand fortune.
Their airship, a combination of dirigible balloon and aeroplane, wascalled the _Comet_, and was one of the most completely fitted-up aircraft devised in recent years. There was ample accommodation for along trip, and the travelers could keep afloat in it a long time,provided no accident occurred. In it, as related in the ninth book,they won a substantial prize in competition with a number of balloonsand aeroplanes.
It was about this airship that Bob, Ned and Jerry were talking thepleasant summer afternoon, on which I have, once more, brought themto the attention of my readers. As they sat there on the grass, theirminds went back to the wonderful air trip they had made and theythought of the efforts of Professor Snodgrass to capture strangeinsects and bugs, for that was the one hobby of the scientist. Theyalso recalled the dastardly attempt made by Noddy Nixon, a town bully,to injure them, by firing at their craft. Noddy had made an attempt tobuild a sort of airship, but had failed.
Now the motor boys were on the point of planning a second flight intheir craft, only, as has been indicated, they could not seem to agreeon where to go. The long summer vacation had arrived, bringing acessation of studies, and in the blood of the three chums there was adesire to be doing something.
For several seconds after Jerry Hopkins had announced his willingnessto tell his chums of his plan, he remained silent; so long, in fact,that Bob asked:
"Well, what about it, Jerry? Are you, too, thinking of the Seaburygirls?"
"Not exactly," was the answer, accompanied by a short laugh. "I wasjust considering the best method of presenting the matter to youfellows, so you wouldn't get on your ears again; that's all."
"Punch him, Bob!" cried Ned suddenly. "You're nearer than I am. Thenerve of him! Insulting us like that!"
Bob playfully raised his fleshy fist with the intention of thumpingJerry in the side, but the other, with a quick motion, snapped a pebblefrom his thumb, and the little stone struck Bob on the end of the nose,causing him to wince.
"Ouch! Quit that!" the stout lad cried.
"That was just my way of calling the meeting to order," declared Jerry."I'm ready to proceed, now. My plan would be to make as long a trip aspossible. It would be something of a record to fly from here to, say,Kansas or Colorado."
"Why not to Arizona while you're about it," put in Bob, still rubbinghis nose in a reflective manner. "Then we could see if Jim Nestor isgiving us our share of the gold from our mine, though, of course, Ionly said that last for a joke," he added hastily.
"You couldn't make Arizona on one supply of gasolene," objected Ned.
"Who said we could?" fired back Bob. The spirit of contention was notyet stilled, so Jerry hastened to add:
"Of course, it wouldn't be possible to make anything like as long atrip as that without coming down, but I calculated on that. We won'ttry for speed, only for distance. The reason I proposed the Westis that this season of the year is best for going out there: theprevailing winds are more favorable, and I think we would enjoy itimmensely. Of course it is nice down South, and, as for Canada, I haveheard that it is fi
ne there in the summer, but if you left it for me todecide, I'd say let's take the _Comet_ and go West."
"All right," agreed Bob, whose usual good spirits had returned. "I'mwilling. West it shall be," and he looked inquiringly at Ned, who wasnot the one to hold out against his two chums.
"I'm willing," he announced. "We'll get the _Comet_ ready for a longWestern trip--across the Rocky Mountains if necessary. We'll have afine----"
Ned's remarks were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a small ladwho rushed across the lawn toward where the three chums were sittingunder the tree. The newcomer was much excited. His hat had fallen off,one cuff was all awry, and his hair was tousled, while his cheeks wereflushed.
"I--say!" he cried, brokenly, not pausing in his rush. "I--just--camepast--the shed--where you--keep your airship. It's terrible--doorbroken open--lock smashed--things scattered all about--watchman notthere--airship gone!" The little lad had to pause for breath.
"The airship gone!" exclaimed Jerry, leaping to his feet, an examplefollowed by Ned and Bob. "What do you mean, Andy Rush? Is this a joke?"
"No joke at all--airship's gone--I saw the vacant shed," and Andy Rushsank down on the grass, completely exhausted by his run, and his rapidtalk, which latter was characteristic of him, by nature as well as byname.
"Did you see it go?" cried Bob.
"No, I didn't see it go--but it was gone when I came past," answeredthe excitable little chap.
"Who took it?" demanded Bob, clenching his fists, as if he wanted toattack some one.
"Don't know!" gasped Andy. "But--it's gone. First--I thought--youfellows--had it out, but when--I came up here--and saw you sittingdown--I knew it--wasn't you. But it's gone!"
"Come on, fellows!" commanded Jerry quickly. "Let's see what's up."
Followed by Andy they hurried off toward the shed where the _Comet_ waskept. This structure was some distance away from Jerry's house. It hadbeen specially built to house the airship, and was located in the midstof a large field, owned by Mrs. Hopkins, which field gave ample roomfor manoeuvring the craft. It was some distance from a road, and in anunfrequented locality.
It did not take long to arrive at the place. Before they reached theshed they could see that the big doors were opened. So far Andy's talehad been confirmed. A few minutes later the motor boys were staringinto the empty shed. The big air craft was gone!
"It's been stolen, boys!" exclaimed Jerry, as he stepped into the shed."Our airship has been stolen!"
"And I'll wager Noddy Nixon had a hand in it!" added Bob. "Let's getright after him!"