CHAPTER V
A FEARFUL GALE
“Well, boys, you seem to think there is something strange in my newquest,” remarked Professor Snodgrass, looking from one to the other ofthe motor boys. “Don’t you care to go off on expeditions with me anymore? I know you used to be fond of traveling. And now, when I come toyou with this proposition, you seem to think it is too much.
“As soon as I received the commission to get a hermit crab--one thatlives in the shell of some mollusk--I thought of you boys. I said tomyself that you were not afraid to sail through the air, so naturallyyou wouldn’t back out when it came to going under water. And now----”
“It isn’t that, Professor,” interrupted Jerry, respectfully. “It’s justthe suddenness of it, and a peculiar coincidence. We haven’t thoughtmuch about a submarine, though I’m sure we could manage one if wetried. It’s just a certain happening that occurred yesterday that madeus seem so surprised. We’ll tell you all about it.”
“One moment!” exclaimed Mrs. Hopkins. “I didn’t object very much,Jerry, when you wanted to take up aeroplaning, though I was veryanxious. But I am afraid I must draw the line at submarines. I am _so_afraid of them. Professor Snodgrass, if I had known this was the natureof your new quest, I’d never have let you mention it to the boys,” andshe playfully shook her finger at him.
“There will be no danger--no danger in the least, I assure you, Mrs.Hopkins,” said the little scientist, with an old-fashioned bow. “Iknow the boys are brave and if we do go to the bottom of the sea in asubmarine we will come back safely. Don’t worry.”
“I just can’t help it,” Mrs. Hopkins rejoined. “But I feel sure that itwill be a long time before the boys will be able to build a submarineand go down in it.”
“I don’t know about that,” answered Jerry, with a smile. “But,Professor, let us tell you how strangely your quest fits in with alittle experience we passed through yesterday.”
Then, by turns, each adding something, the boys told of the sight ofthe submarine, and of the storm through which they had passed.
“Hum! Yes,” said Mr. Snodgrass, when Ned had spoken of reading aboutthe German boat. “I also recollect that. The man’s name is Klauss, Ibelieve.”
“And is his boat really so wonderful?” asked Bob.
“Yes, from the brief accounts I saw of it I should say it was thelast word in submarines,” replied the scientist. “I wish I had anopportunity to examine it, and if it is in this country, which seems tobe the case, we may get a chance.”
“Not if he acts the way he did when we saw him,” commented Jerry. “Hedidn’t seem to want to be interviewed, and dived down as soon as hecould.”
“Oh, well, maybe he was afraid of the coming storm,” went of Mr.Snodgrass. “Even the best submarine can’t stand being filled withwater, you know, and they have very little free-board when runningawash. However, let us now consider this new quest of mine. I reallymust make an attempt to get some of these rare hermit crabs, and theonly way I know how to do it is to get to the bottom of the sea in asubmarine. If you boys have no idea of making one perhaps I can getsomeone else. But I would rather go with you.”
“And I think we’d like to go!” cried Jerry, looking about to make surehis mother did not hear him. He knew she would let him go when thetime came, after she had been assured of the comparative safety of thecruise.
“Then it’s all settled!” cried the professor, as if that was all thatwas necessary. “I’ll leave the details to you boys. When you havethe submarine ready we will go. Meanwhile, I can be collecting otherspecimens. At present I must put away this rare lady bug that I gotfrom Susan. It is really quite valuable, and I must make some notesconcerning it before I forget them.”
He went into Jerry’s house, where he was always a welcome guest,leaving the boys to stare in surprise at one another.
“Well, if he isn’t the limit!” exclaimed Ned. “He tells us to let himknow when the submarine is ready, just as though it was only a call toa meal.”
“Or as if we could produce a submarine at a minute’s notice, the waythe magician in the show brings a rabbit out of a hat,” added Jerry.“The professor expects us to do wonders. A submarine, and we haven’teven so much as a ballast tank!”
“Well, maybe we could buy a second-hand submarine, if we could not haveone made,” suggested Bob.
“Ha! Chunky is getting up his spunk,” spoke Ned. “Well, we’ll have tothink this over. Meanwhile I guess I’d better be getting on home. Comeon, Jerry, we’ll put away the _Comet_ and to-morrow, or next day, wecan talk over this latest stunt. I’m rather for it, myself.”
“So am I,” said the tall lad.
But the boys were not destined to immediately consider ways and meansof obtaining a submarine. Hardly had Jerry and his chums put away theairship in the big shed than the storm through which they had passed,out near Boston, reached Cresville. The blow began gently enough, andfor a time it seemed that there would be no special disturbance. But,as the day advanced, the fury of the gale grew until the wind hadattained the force of a hurricane.
“Say, we seem to be taking a special course in storms,” remarkedJerry to his mother and the professor that afternoon, when one or twoshutters had been blown from the Hopkins house. “This is almost as badas the one at sea when we saw the submarine.”
But the professor was oblivious to everything but writing out factsconcerning the rare lady bug, and with making memoranda concerning thehermit crabs, of which he soon hoped to start in search.
Jerry was kept busy tying back window blinds, and in mending arain-pipe leader that had become displaced, letting the water flood thecellar.
Attired in a raincoat and rubber boots, the tall lad was working awaywhen Ned came splashing through the storm. He seemed much excited.
“What’s the trouble?” panted Jerry, ceasing from his labors.
“Say, this is a fearful blow!” burst out Ned. “Two or three houses intown have been unroofed, and when I came past the newspaper office justnow I saw a bulletin to the effect that out at sea it was much worse.It is feared that a number of ships have been sunk.”
“Then I’m glad we’re safe on land,” remarked Jerry. “Say, lend me ahand for a minute, Ned; will you? Just hold that piece of pipe until Islip this section into it. The wind blew it out of the fastenings.”
“This wind would do almost anything!” cried Ned, as he helped his chum.“I could hardly walk up the street. The chimney blew off the roof ofMr. Black’s house, and some of the bricks just missed me.”
“‘A miss is as good as a mile’,” quoted Jerry with a laugh. “But itsure is some blow, all right! I’m glad we’re not out in it in the_Comet_.”
“Same here. Whew! That was a fierce one!” cried Ned as a blast of windalmost tore the rain pipe from his grasp.
“Look out!” cried Jerry. “Duck!” and he pushed his chum aside just intime, as a slate from the roof sailed past them and crashed to pieceson the stone walk at their side. Ned turned a little pale.
“Thanks, old man,” he said quietly. “You saved me from a bad cut.”
“I saw it just in time,” returned Jerry. “So the bulletin says thestorm is even worse out at sea; eh?”
“It does, and say--Bob’s uncle and cousin! They must be out in it. Hesaid their boat would arrive in a day or so!”
“By Jove!” cried Jerry. “I never thought of that. It may be bad for theSheldons. I wish we could help them, but I don’t see how we can. Poorold Bob will worry, and----”
“Here he comes now!” interrupted Ned, as he saw a figure splashingalong the street. “He acts as though he had news, too!”