CHAPTER VI
NODDY IN A ROW
Following the noise of the swiftly-running motor, the shouts of thecrowd and the crash as the lemonade stand was demolished, there came aperiod of silence. No one seemed to know what to do or say.
Jerry and his chums watched Noddy pick himself up from a pile of softdirt, where he had leaped just before his tin fly crashed into thestand. The bully was a sorry-looking sight, his clothes being thicklyencrusted with soil, and his hands and face grimy. He staggered forwardand gazed at the wreck.
"Well, it didn't fly, and I knew it wouldn't," observed the fat man. "Itold you it was too heavy."
"Don't--don't speak to me!" exclaimed Noddy wrathfully.
"Don't speak to you! Well, I like that! I guess I will speak to youlong enough to ask you for my hundred dollars. I won it on a fairwager, and I want it. Here," he said to the man who had held his shareof the bet, "give me my money. I'm entitled to his, ain't I?"
"You sure are," said several in the crowd who had heard the bargainNoddy had made.
"I wish I'd made him put his money up," went on the fat man. "Come onnow, Professor Nixon, or whatever your name is, fork over that hundreddollars. It will come in handy for me. That thing fly! It'll never flyin a hundred years!" and he began to laugh, which further nettled Noddy.
"I'll make it fly yet!" said the bully, gritting his teeth. "Somethingwent wrong with the machinery."
"I should say it did," went on the fat man.
"It'll need a lot of repairs before it will flop its wings again,"observed Andy Rush, who was in the front rank of spectators. Noddyheard him, and turned savagely on the little chap.
"You mind your own business!" he exploded. "If I catch you around mymachine I'll have you arrested. I believe you sneaked in and monkeyedwith it so I couldn't fly. I've a good notion to punch your head."
"Better not try it," advised Jerry quietly. "And you have no right tosay Andy did anything to your machine. He was nowhere near it, exceptwhen we were with him."
"Well, maybe you had a hand in it," murmured Noddy. "You're jealous ofme, that's what you are."
"Here, you drop that kind of talk!" exclaimed Jerry, striding forward."We know you, Noddy Nixon, and we know your crony, Bill Berry. If youdon't keep a civil tongue in your head we'll see that you're put outof this carnival. We never touched your crazy tin fly, and we're notjealous of you. If we couldn't get up a better airship than that wewouldn't have any."
"That ship is all right. All it needs is a little fixing," went onNoddy, taking care to keep well away from Jerry.
"Who owns this thing?" suddenly asked the stand owner, as he came froma silent contemplation of the wreck and ruin and approached the crowd.
"He does!" exclaimed half a dozen persons, pointing at Noddy.
"You did that on purpose! You know you did! I saw you steering straightfor my stand," cried the man. "I want damages now--heavy damages!Everything is spoiled, and it cost me fifteen dollars to build thestand, besides all the things I had. I must have damages."
"Oh, dry up!" retorted Noddy, who had had about all he could stand inthe way of misfortune.
"'Dry up,' eh? I'll show you!" cried the man. "Are you going to pay mefor my things?"
"It was an accident. I couldn't help it."
"What difference does that make to me? That won't bring back mylemonade. That won't wrap up the popcorn in packages again. That won'tmend the broken bottles of ginger ale. I want damages, and I'm going tohave 'em."
The man was so insistent, and stood close to Noddy in such a threateningmanner, that the bully was alarmed. He shrank back.
"It was an accident," he repeated. "I couldn't help it. Something wentwrong with the engine. I'm--I'm sorry."
"A heap of good that does me!" cried the angry stand owner. "I want mythings, or I want pay for 'em. I must have fifty dollars, or I'll haveyou arrested for malicious mischief. I saw you steer your crazy machineright my way. You could easily have flown above me, instead of landingin my stand."
"He couldn't fly--that was the trouble," said the fat man, chuckling."He couldn't fly. I guess we'll call what's left of his machine the'flyless-fly,' instead of the _Firefly_. Ha, ha! Ho, ho!"
"I'll--I'll----" spluttered Noddy, but he did not know what to say.
"Well, are you going to pay me damages?" demanded the stand owner. "Iwant fifty dollars."
"I--I haven't any money here," said Noddy.
"You haven't any money? And yet you made a wager with me for onehundred dollars!" cried the fleshy individual. "I like your nerve! Howwere you going to pay me, I'd like to know?"
"I didn't think I'd lose," explained Noddy. "I thought I'd fly."
"And where is my fifty dollars coming from?" again demanded the standowner. "I want it and I'm going to have it. Here the carnival hasopened, and I can't do any business until I get a new stand. I ought tosoak you a hundred dollars."
"That's right! Make him pay!" cried the throng.
"Look here!" exclaimed Noddy angrily, "I haven't any money, and I can'tpay."
"Then you had no right to make a wager with me," said the fat man. "Iput up my money, and you said you'd put up yours."
"I want my fifty dollars!" was the burden of the cry set up by thestand owner. "You're a nice one, to go smashing people's property, andthen not pay! If it had been an automobile man he'd pay me right off,but you airship fellers ain't no good."
"Oh, let me alone!" cried Noddy. "If any one bothers me any more I'llpunch his head. Let me get my machine out of that stand."
"Not until you pay me my fifty dollars," insisted the lemonade man.
"And I ought to hold at least one wing as security until I get myhundred," put in the fat man.
Noddy was beside himself with rage. He looked as if he wanted to fightthe whole crowd. There was a movement on one edge of the throng, and aman pushed his way through.
"What's the matter, Noddy?" he asked quietly.
"It's Mr. Nixon, Noddy's father," exclaimed Jerry.
"Oh, I--I had a little accident," explained Noddy to his parent, whohad just arrived on the grounds, expecting to see his son sailing aboutin an airship, for Noddy had boasted much of his _Firefly_.
"An accident? I should say you did," remarked Mr. Nixon, who, though heusually took the part of his bullying son, could at least see such anobvious happening as was spread all about.
"Yes, he busted my stand all to pieces, and I want damages," said theowner, seeing a possible chance for reimbursement.
"And I'd like the hundred dollars I won from him," added the stout man.
"That's right," chorused the crowd, as Mr. Nixon looked at his son forconfirmation of these charges. "He made the bet and he smashed thestand."
"Hum!" murmured Mr. Nixon. "Very well, I will settle for him. Where isyour tent, Noddy?"
The owner of the wrecked _Firefly_ pointed to the canvas structure.
"Come over there," went on Mr. Nixon to the fat man and the standowner, "and I will pay you. Come, Noddy."
"But--but my airship?"
"Let it go. It's only junk now. You can take the engine out later, andthrow the rest on the scrap pile."
Mr. Nixon led his son away, and the crowd dispersed, for it wanted tosee the other sights. Thus ended Noddy's first attempt to navigate theair. The accident was destined to have an effect on the future of themotor boys, as you shall see.