The Motor Boys in the Clouds; or, A Trip for Fame and Fortune

by Clarence Young

  CHAPTER XXIX

  OVER THE MISSISSIPPI

  "Who is in the pilot house?" asked Mr. Glassford.

  "Ned is steering."

  "Tell him to turn the craft about. We'll go against the wind a bit,until I see what damage has been done. You come with me, Jerry; I mayneed your help."

  Jerry and Mr. Glassford climbed up to a long, narrow platform,suspended above the roof of the cabin of the airship, and held up bycords attached to the net holding the gas bag. Then they walked along,inspecting the vapor container for signs of a hole.

  "I've found it!" cried Jerry. "Here it is. My, but that's a strong gas!"

  "Yes, don't breathe it," cautioned Mr. Glassford. "It is quitepoisonous, though comparatively harmless in the open air. I'll see if Ican't mend the tear."

  But it proved to be a larger one than could be repaired with thefacilities at hand. It seemed to have been made by some object beingfired through the material of which the bag was made, and at firstJerry was inclined to think that it was caused by one of the bulletsfrom Noddy's airgun. But a closer inspection by Mr. Glassford showedthat a nut had come loose from one of the iron braces of the portpropeller. The propeller had evidently whirled it with great forceagainst the thin material, tearing quite a rent in it.

  "Well, we'll have to lose part of our gas," admitted Mr. Glassford ashe told Jerry to descend.

  "Will it cause us to descend much?"

  "Not a great deal. I can throw overboard some of the sand ballast, andwe will have about the same buoyancy as we had before."

  There was nothing else to do save to let the gas escape. Mr. Glassfordopened some of the bags of sand and allowed the contents to run out.The effect was to keep the motor ship about at the same level.

  "It seems to be going along as well as ever," said Jerry. "You werewise to divide the gas bag into sections."

  The _Comet_ continued to speed on. There was now no sight of any of thecompeting airships, and our friends were hoping that they had leftthem behind. One thing worried them, however--the fact that the windwas still bearing them westward.

  It was about noon when Ned, who was looking from the cabin window,uttered a cry.

  "We're approaching a big body of water," he said. "I can see itsparkling below."

  "That's a river, and it's a mighty big one," said Jerry, coming to thewindow and looking down. "I must tell Mr. Glassford. Perhaps it willgive him his bearings."

  But the inventor had already seen the stream. As Jerry had said, it wasa very wide one.

  "That's the Mississippi River," declared Mr. Glassford. "Now I knowwhere we are, but just how far south I can't say. I think I'll dropdown a bit, and perhaps we can get some information."

  "Can't we drop some messages, too?" asked Jerry. "I think the folks athome will be anxious about us. Let's write some messages containing arequest that whoever picks them up should report us."

  "A good idea," declared the inventor. "Write your messages, boys, andI'll send the motor ship as close to the earth as is safe. But I'll notdo it until we cross the river. I have no desire for a bath now."

  The airship, deflected by the depressed rudder, went lower and lower.As the travelers came closer the river loomed larger and larger, untilthey could make out boats upon it. Then they saw a large city, slightlyto the south.

  "Let's cross that," suggested Ned. "We can find out where we are, then."

  The _Comet_ was headed right across the city, and as it approachedlower and nearer to it the travelers could see people running about thestreets in great excitement and pointing upward.

  "Take the telescope and see if you can make out the names on any of thebuildings," suggested Mr. Glassford, and Ned did so.

  "It's Vicksburg!" he cried. "I see the name 'Vicksburg National Bank.'"

  "I did not think we were so far south as that," remarked Mr. Glassford."If we don't look out we'll be over the Gulf of Mexico. Better dropyour messages, boys."

  The telegrams, with a note of explanation, had been encased in lightwooden cylinders, with ribbons attached. As the motor ship passed overthe center of the city the boys dropped their messages. They could seethe people running after them, waving their hands, and shouting, butthey could distinguish no words.

  "We'll go up now," observed the inventor; and while a vast concourse ofpeople gazed upward at the strange sight, the _Comet_ was headed upward.

  A little later it was sailing over the broad Mississippi River, and thetravelers in the air crossed from the State of Mississippi to that ofLouisiana.

  They continued to go up for some time, and then Mr. Glassford, desiringto make as long a flight as possible, now that it was impossible toland at New Orleans, steered due west, intending to cross over intoTexas if possible.

  "We must make as long a flight as we can," he explained, "and if wego much farther south we'll be over the Gulf. Our ship is behavingadmirably, and there is no reason why we cannot cover part of Texas."

  "Have we gasolene enough?" asked Jerry.

  "Enough for about six hundred miles yet, and that will just about doit," said the inventor.

  CHAPTER XXX

  WINNING THE PRIZES--CONCLUSION

  Aided by a favorable wind, the _Comet_ sailed on and on. Mr. Glassfordwas now running the motor to the limit of speed, as he wanted to coveras much ground as possible, and he knew that his gas would not lastmuch longer and that his gasolene was getting low.

  "We made two hundred and fifty miles to-day," he announced one eveningto the boys. "If we do as well to-morrow we shall have almost crossedTexas."

  After breakfast the next morning, Mr. Glassford made an inspectionof various gages and registering instruments, and then came into thecabin. Jerry was in the tower, steering.

  "Well, boys," said the inventor. "I think we'll land pretty soon."

  "Why?" asked Ned.

  "Because we're on the last pint of gasolene. I shall be content to dropdown now. I think we have gone over a large extent of territory."

  There came a sort of gasp from the motor. The explosion suddenlyceased. Mr. Glassford hurried to the pilot house, but before he reachedit Jerry called out:

  "Gasolene's gone. I guess we'll have to go down, Mr. Glassford."

  "Wait a minute. Don't open the gas valves, Jerry."

  "Why not?"

  "Because there's a good stiff breeze, and it will carry us severalmiles yet. We want to make all the distance we can."

  Her own motive power having given out, the _Comet_ was now carriedforward by the wind. The motor ship proved a good craft, even underthese conditions, but toward afternoon the wind died away, and aftertaking an observation through the telescope and seeing a good-sizedtown a few miles ahead, Mr. Glassford depressed the elevation rudderand opened the gas valves.

  Down, down, down, on a long slant, started the airship, after herlengthy voyage. She was at such an elevation that the slanting descentcarried the craft to the very center of the town, the inhabitantsflocking out by hundreds to see the wonderful sight.

  Mr. Glassford so manipulated the aeroplanes that the _Comet_ landedalmost as gently as a feather. Then, in order that it might not takeflight again when the passengers alighted, all the gas was let out ofthe bag. The motor ship's voyage was over for the time being.

  "Where ye from, strangers?" cried a big man as he pushed his waythrough the throng that had gathered about the airship.

  "From Park Haven, Indiana," replied Mr. Glassford. "Ours is one of theships that took part in the race. Have you seen any others out thisway?"

  "Nary a one, stranger, and we don't want to see any more. It prettynigh frightened all our people to death, and half the hosses in townbolted when ye come sailin' down from the sky."

  "Where are we?" asked Mr. Glassford.

  "Albemarle, Texas."

  "What part of Texas?"

  "Within two miles of the Rio Grande. You're not far from Mexico."

  "Then we had a longer flight than I thought," said the inventor. "Come,boys, we must send some
messages."

  "Do you think it will be safe to leave the airship here?" asked Jerry.

  "I think so. We will not be gone long."

  "Ah, Santa Maria! The saints be praised! If it is not my very goodfriends the motor boys! And the little professor! Let me embrace them!It is a thousand years since I have seen them!"

  A man, who had every appearance of being a Mexican, pushed his waythrough the throng. He was smoking a cigarette, but as he advanced hethrew it away and held open his arms as if in welcome. The boys staredat him in some wonderment.

  "Ah, do not say you have forgotten me!" cried the Mexican. "Do you notrecall the terrible storm, and how you crashed into my houseboat?"

  "It is Don Alvarzo!" cried Jerry.

  "Ah! I knew they would not forget!" cried the man. "I am indeed DonMiguel Fernandez Alvarzo, your most devoted servant," and he took offhis sombrero, heavy with silver braid, and made a low bow. "How are youall?" he asked.

  "Is he a friend of yours?" asked Mr. Glassford in a low voice ofNed, for the man had hold of Jerry's two hands and was shaking themfrantically.

  "We met him when we made a trip through Mexico," said Ned as herecalled what had happened at the Don's house, as told in the thirdvolume of this series, "The Motor Boys in Mexico."

  The Mexican shook hands, in turn, with the other boys, the professor,and Mr. Glassford. He explained that he was now traveling about, buyingwool, and in the course of his travels he had arrived at this Texastown.

  "You must be my guests while you are here," he said, and he would nottake no for an answer. He insisted on the aeronauts coming to the hotelwhere he was stopping, and thither they went, followed by a curiousthrong.

  The boys sent telegrams to their parents, announcing their safearrival, and Mr. Glassford wired to the secretary of the aero carnival,reporting how many miles they had covered, and how long they had beenin the air.

  "Now we'll wait for an answer," he said, "and see if we have won aprize."

  "In the meanwhile, you must have some refreshment," declared the Don,and he insisted on an elaborate meal being served, to which he invitedall the city officials, and made the boys, Mr. Glassford and ProfessorSnodgrass guests of honor.

  In the midst of the banquet a boy brought in a telegram for Mr.Glassford. He read it quickly.

  "Good news, boys!" he cried. "We win!"

  "Do we get a prize?" asked Bob.

  "Two of them," replied the inventor. "We win the long-distance prize,for we traveled two hundred and sixty-five miles farther than the bigred balloon, and we were in the air four hours and a half longer!"

  "Hurrah!" cried Ned. "That's the stuff!"

  "Senors!" exclaimed Don Alvarzo, "I call for three American cheers forthe brave travelers of the upper air!"

  The cheers were given with a will.

  A little later telegrams of congratulation were received from theboys' parents. One of the telegrams, from Mrs. Hopkins, stated thatthe pocketbook Jerry had dropped from the airship had been found by afarmer living near Broadlands, and he had returned the same with itscontents, and claimed the reward.

  "That's all right!" declared Jerry, highly pleased. "I was afraid I'dnever hear of that money again."

  The rest of the day was spent in an impromptu celebration, the wholetown, in which lived many Mexican friends of the Don, joining in, gladof any excuse to have a holiday.

  That night the airship was packed for transportation, and though theDon urged the travelers to make their visit longer, they departed forCresville the next morning.

  "Well, it was a success," said Jerry as they were rapidly steamingnorth. "I didn't think we would get both prizes. It more than pays usfor the expenses we were under."

  "Then we can take more trips," said Bob quickly. "We will try a longerflight next time."

  "Oh, yes; I hope our adventures in the air have only just begun," addedNed.

  The boys did have further adventures, as will be related in the nextbook of the series, to be entitled "The Motor Boys Across the Rockies;Or, A Mystery of the Air." In that story we shall meet all of ourfriends again in adventures even more thrilling than those encounteredin the past. We shall also see what Noddy Nixon, who escaped from thehands of the law, did to injure them.

  There was a great crowd at the Cresville depot waiting to welcome themotor boys and their friends, for Jerry had sent a telegram home,telling his mother when they would arrive, and the news spread.

  "Hurrah! You're the stuff! Win two prizes! Shoot through the air! Nevercome down! I wish I had been there! Whoop-la!"

  This was, of course, little Andy Rush.

  "Let's form a procession!" he cried. "Come on, strike up the band!"

  And sure enough, a small brass band, which the irrepressible youth hadhired, began to play "See the Conquering Hero Comes!"

  "March 'em through town!" went on Andy. "Here they are, girls!"

  "Oh, weren't you dreadfully frightened?" cried Mollie Horton, who, withAlice Vines and Helen Gale, besides several other girls, had come downto the station to greet the boys.

  "Not a bit!" cried Bob.

  Then the band struck up another air, Andy ran to form the procession,taking his place at the head of it, and, though they did not exactlylike it, the motor boys were forced to allow themselves to be thushonored.

  The procession moved away from the depot and crossed the little squarewhere the flagpole was set up.

  "Speech! speech!" cried several as they caught sight of the band-stand."Give us a speech about your trip."

  "I'm not going to make any speech," murmured Jerry, who was ratherbashful. Nor was Mr. Glassford accustomed to talking in public.

  "Professor Snodgrass!" cried Andy.

  "Certainly, I shall be delighted," replied the scientist. "Friends,"he went on, stepping forward and making a low bow, "we had a mostwonderful trip. High up among the clouds as we were, far above theearth, skimming along with the speed of the wind, free, unhampered,masters of the upper regions, there----"

  "Hurrah!" cried the crowd.

  "There, if I may be permitted to continue," went on the scientist, "Ifound more kinds of bugs than I ever imagined there were. It was a mostdelightful trip."

  "Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the throng, half of the people nothearing what Mr. Snodgrass was saying.

  But the scientist had said all he cared to. He bowed, the crowd cheeredagain, and Jerry whispered to his chums:

  "Come on, let's get out of here. I've had enough."

  They slipped from the platform, and before those who sought to honorthem could interpose, the motor boys were hastening toward their homes,greatly pleased with their first trip in the clouds.

  THE END

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  Transcriber's Notes:

  --Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text in bold by "equal" signs (=bold=).

  --Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.

  --Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.

  --Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.