CHAPTER XV
AT THE MINING CAMP
"What's the matter? What's the trouble?" cried the hotel clerk, runningup.
"Aw, dere's a guy in dere what's got bats in his belfrey, boss,"explained the bell boy, in his choicest slang. "He's a bug-house."
"Is he a friend of yours?" asked the clerk of Jerry.
"If it's Professor Snodgrass, he is," replied the lad, "but I can'timagine what makes him act so," for the pounding on the walls continued.
"Well, we'll soon see!" exclaimed the clerk. "Here, Jim, you and Jackbreak down that door, and stand ready to grab the lunatic. He'll smashthe hotel."
"Wouldn't it be better to see if the door is locked, before smashingit in?" suggested Mr. Duncan. "You may alarm the unfortunate manunnecessarily if you break it down."
"I'll open it," said Jerry, eagerly, and he tried the knob. It turnedreadily and Jerry stepped into the room. The others followed timidlybut they need have had no fears. For, no sooner had Jerry stepped overthe threshold than the professor, for it was the scientist in the room,cried out:
"Oh, Jerry, I'm so glad you've come. Help me to get him! I can't reachhim!"
"What is it?" asked the lad, looking about, and noting that nothing inthe room had been disturbed, in spite of the terrific racket.
"It's a new kind of water bug," explained the professor. "One with redstripes down his back. I must get the specimen, but it is so high up onthe wall that I can't reach it, even by standing on a chair. I tried tojar it down, by pounding on the walls, but the little beauty is stillthere. See, there he is!" and Mr. Snodgrass pointed to a curious insecthigh upon the wall.
"Was that what made the pounding?" demanded the hotel clerk, evidentlymuch chagrined.
"It was, my dear sir," replied the professor calmly. "I knocked assoftly as I could, yet I felt I must have that bug. It is worth ahundred dollars at least."
"Say, the hotel's full of 'em," murmured the bell boy. "I'll catch youa dozen for a quarter."
"Ah, but they have no red stripes down their backs," declared thescientist. "Help me get this one, Jerry."
Jerry said little. In fact there was not much he could say. Theprofessor gazed calmly at the crowd that had entered his room. Then heinquired mildly:
"Has there been a fire, or anything like that?"
"No, only a little excitement," responded Mr. Duncan, trying not tosmile. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, of course. Why shouldn't I be?"
"I didn't know," murmured Mr. Duncan, turning aside.
Jerry got on a chair, and, being tall, soon had the red-striped waterbug, which the professor carefully put in his specimen box. Then, asthe janitors, clerk, bell boy and chambermaid withdrew, the professorremarked:
"When I left the airship I saw a rare specimen of a Buffalo bug-mothon a lady in the crowd. I captured that and then I saw several othervaluable specimens. I was so busy making a collection, for this is awonderful town for bugs, that, before I knew it, night had fallen. Iinquired my way to the hotel, and I knew you would find me as soon asthe cable was strung. Isn't it nearly done, Jerry?"
"It's all finished," replied the lad. "We had started off without you,when we suddenly remembered that you were not with us, and we cameback. Then the chambermaid said----"
Jerry paused, somewhat embarrassed.
"Yes, what did she say?" asked the professor, innocently. "Did she knowof any more of these bugs?"
"I guess not," finished Jerry. "But I came back to get you, professor."He did not mention the alarm the scientist had innocently caused.
"Oh, you needn't have been in any hurry. I was enjoying myself here. Inever saw so many rare bugs in one town before, in all my life."
"Well, are you ready to go on with us?" inquired the tall lad.
"Oh, yes, I suppose so. I must soon begin to search for my flyinglizard amid the mountains. Yes, I am ready to go."
Looking carefully to see that he still had the red-striped water bug,the professor gathered up his belongings, and, after paying his smallhotel bill, left with Jerry.
Once more they started off, and all that night the _Comet_ made goodtime, skimming along just beneath the clouds. The next two days weredevoid of incident, and they covered a number of miles. Occasionally,in the next week, they descended to replenish their supply ofgasolene and oil, or to buy fresh provisions. The ship was behavingadmirably, and they expected, in about three days more, to reach theirdestination. They had telegraphed Jim Nestor, the veteran miner, thatthey would soon be with him.
They reached the first range of the Rockies late one afternoon, andthat night began their flight across them.
"Just think of it, boys," announced Jerry. "We'll soon be over Pike'sPeak!"
"If nothing happens," remarked Bob.
They recalled the remark of the stout lad the next day, when, as theywere sailing along over a high range, there came a sudden snap, and oneof the planes that had been damaged when Noddy had run away with thecar, broke.
Instantly the _Comet_ began to fall, since the gas bag was not filledto the usual capacity.
"We're going down!" yelled Ned.
"Keep cool," advised Jerry, as he shut off the power. "I think I canglide down safely."
"Shan't I start the gas machine?" yelled Bob.
"Yes," replied Jerry. "Maybe we can make enough to bear us up before wehit anything solid."
But the vapor could not be generated fast enough to do any good, andit looked as if the _Comet_ was going to strike the earth with forceenough to demolish it. Jerry, however, kept his head, and, by theskillful use of the deflecting rudder he threw up the head of the craftso that, striking a heavy strata of air, the ship slid down on it, likea sled upon the ice. The craft came to the ground with considerableforce, but the improved springs in the starting wheels took up most ofthe shock, and the boys suffered no more than a severe jolt.
"Well, we came down out of that fairly well," remarked Jerry, with asigh of relief. "Now we'll see if we can fix things."
"Guess we'd better wait until morning," suggested Ned, after a glanceat the broken plane. "We'll have to cut a new frame for it."
Jerry agreed with this, and, after tying the craft securely, to preventit being blown away during a high wind, the boys prepared to spend thenight on top of one of the higher ranges of the Rockies. They wereundisturbed, save for the far-off howls of some big mountain lions.
They set to work in the morning, and, by dint of hard work, had therepairs made by noon. Then, at Ned's earnest request they did go ona mountain lion hunt. But the lions seemed to prefer darkness todaylight, and the only one seen was a small specimen, which Ned killedafter three shots. He wanted to save the skin of it, but his chumspersuaded him that he could get larger and better specimens where theywere going. As usual, the professor began a search for insects as soonas the landing was made, and he kept it up until they were ready tostart.
"But I didn't get my flying lizard," he complained. "Still, I havehopes."
They started again, early the next morning, and Jerry set the motor ata good speed to make up for lost time. Toward evening, of the secondday, when they had crossed the extreme end of a range known as theMagollon Mountains, and were sailing over a wide valley, Bob suddenlycalled out:
"Doesn't that place look familiar, down there?" He pointed to a smallsettlement. Jerry seized the telescope from his chum, and applied it tohis eye.
"It does!" he announced excitedly. "That's the settlement near ourmine. We ought to sight our diggings in a few minutes."
"Go lower down," advised Ned.
Jerry shifted the deflecting rudder, and, a moment later, the _Comet_was nearing the earth. There could now be observed numbers of minersrunning about, and pointing upward. Nearer and nearer to the earth camethe airship. Then Ned cried:
"There it is! There's the place. I see the hut we used to live in, whenwe opened the mine! Hurrah! We're here at last, fellows!"
"And ready to solve the mystery of the valley," added Je
rry in a lowvoice.
"There's some one waving at you," remarked the professor, pointing to aman who was vigorously swinging his hat.
"Jim! It's old Jim Nestor!" cried Bob, who had good eyes. "Jim iswaiting for us!"
Down glided the airship. She was at the end of the first part of hertrip. But a harder voyage was yet ahead of her and the boys.
The Motor Boys Over the Rockies; Or, A Mystery of the Air Page 16