CHAPTER XVII

AN UNEXPECTED OFFER

Blank amazement, despair, fear and anger showed on the faces of the motor boys, as they looked at one another and then at the watchman, Boise. The latter, no less than our heroes, was startled. He saw at once that something was wrong.

“And you let the airship go--our _Comet_?” asked Jerry, as if he could not believe the words.

“I did. I thought it was all right. This Noddy Nixon said he was a friend of yours, and he had two letters. They were orders on me to give up the airship, and, as I was expecting you any day, I thought it was the thing to do. Here are the orders now,” and he pulled two pieces of paper from his pocket.

“Let’s see ’em!” exclaimed Jerry eagerly.

Bob and Ned looked over his shoulder as the tall lad read. Clearly enough the letters purported to be orders on Boise for the delivery of the _Comet_. But it needed only a glance to show that they were forgeries.

“I never signed that letter!” cried Jerry wrathfully. “I might have known Noddy would be up to some trick like this.”

“And that isn’t Mr. Glassford’s writing, either,” added Ned. “I have a letter from him in my pocket, explaining where he would leave the _Comet_ for us,” and he pulled out the epistle, comparing it with the one Boise had handed over. Though there was some similarity between the two signatures, the boys could easily see that the order for the airship had been forged. There was no question as to the letter purporting to be signed by Jerry. That signature was not a bit like his.

“And yet these don’t look as if Noddy wrote them,” spoke Jerry, as he scanned the forged documents. “He couldn’t write as firm a hand as this.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised but what that former college teacher did it,” suggested Professor Snodgrass. “He has probably added forgery to his other accomplishments. Let me take a look. I don’t know his writing, but I can tell an educated hand.”

The professor looked carefully at the two documents, and said it was very evident that Dr. Belgrade had written them.

“It is too finished a hand to have been penned by a lad like Noddy Nixon,” declared Uriah Snodgrass. “Probably Noddy did not feel equal to that part of the work, and got his crony to attempt it.”

“I believe you’re right,” agreed Jerry. “But what did they do with the airship, Mr. Boise?”

“Took her away, and right from in front of my face. Oh, I was a ninny to stand there and see ’em do it!”

“It wasn’t your fault,” declared Jerry. “Almost anyone would have given up the craft, after receiving two such orders as these. But where did they go?”

“That I can’t say. They seemed in very much of a hurry, and, after I had unlocked the big doors, and opened ’em, they wheeled the _Comet_ out, and started her up. She ran beautifully, too, for Mr. Glassford had told me to keep her ready for a quick flight, and I did. There was plenty of gasolene in the tanks, and she was fit for a big journey.”

“Were there three of them?” asked Bob.

“Yes, the young fellow, who the others called Noddy, a rough sort of a chap, and a slick-looking man.”

“Bill Berry and Dr. Belgrade, all right,” commented Ned.

“Did you hear them say where they were going?” asked Jerry.

“No, they didn’t talk much. Just a few words. They seemed to know how to work the machinery, and I never had a suspicion that anything was wrong. I did ask ’em where they expected to meet you boys, and Noddy said somewhere outside of Denver.”

“I guess that part was the only true thing he said,” remarked Jerry grimly. “And when we do meet him, outside of Denver, or anywhere else, well----”

He did not finish, but there was a stern look on his face.

“Which way did they head, as they started off?” asked Ned, seeking for possible clews.

“I couldn’t say,” replied Boise. “I watched ’em until they got high in the air, and then they got beyond my sight. I haven’t very good eyes, so I couldn’t say where they did head for.”

“Did they take any provisions along?” Bob wanted to know, and this time his chums did not laugh at him, for they realized the wisdom of his question.

“None that I saw,” replied the watchman. “And there were none in the airship.”

“Then they can’t go very far!” cried Bob. “Fellows, we’ve got to get right after ’em. They’ll have to come down to feed, and that will be our chance.”

“But how can we get after ’em?” asked Jerry. “On foot? Our airship is gone, and our auto is hundreds of miles away. How are we going to do it?”

“That’s so,” agreed Bob, much downcast.

“An airship is what we need,” commented Ned, “and that’s out of the question.”

“There were plenty here a while ago,” remarked the watchman, “but they’ve been taken away since the meet. Oh, I’m so sorry I let those fellows fool me!”

“You couldn’t help it,” declared Jerry kindly. “Now it’s up to us to get busy, and make Noddy pay for the trouble he has caused us. Come on, boys. We’ll get back to the hotel, and talk it over. Something has got to be done.”

“Yes,” agreed Professor Snodgrass, “we must get to Snake Island before they do, or they may get the only two-tailed toad that is there.”

“And, naturally, they’ll get all the radium,” spoke Ned.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything more for you,” said Boise. “I just came out this morning, after closing the hangar up last night, to get a few things I’d left behind. My work here is done, and I’m looking for a new job. If I could help you I would.”

“I’m afraid you can’t,” replied Jerry, and, parting from Boise, they started for the trolley that would take them back to their hotel. They were sad and discouraged. After all their hard work and preparations, to be thus beaten by Noddy and his plotters! It was the worst of bad luck.

“Gentleman here to see you,” remarked the hotel clerk when they went up to the desk to get the keys to their adjoining rooms. “He’s in the reading-room now, I think. Said he’d wait a little while for you.”

“Who is he?” asked Ned eagerly.

“He didn’t leave his name. Front!” he called to one of the bell boys, “tell that gentleman with the tall hat, in the reading-room, that the young gentlemen he was asking for have come in now.”

“Yes, sir!” exclaimed the lad whose coat was a mass of buttons.

“We’ll go in the reading-room, and talk to him,” suggested Jerry, wondering who their visitor could be. As the three lads entered the apartment they saw a familiar figure at the far end.

“Mr. Montrose!” exclaimed Ned, as he recognized the father of little Gladys, whom they had rescued from the wreck.

“Oh, boys! I’m glad to see you!” cried Mr. Montrose. “I’ve been inquiring at half the hotels in Denver for you. I came on with my wife a while ago. She is much better, and as soon as I got home with her she insisted that I look you up. Gladys wants to see you also, and, as I forgot in the excitement to ask what hotel you were going to stop at, though I heard you say you were coming to this city, and as I mislaid your cards, the only way I had to find you was to describe you to the different hotel clerks. But at last I found you. I’m so glad! I want you to come out to my house at once.”

Then, as if struck by something in the lads’ faces the gentleman asked:

“Why, what is the matter? Has anything happened?”

“Yes, there has!” exclaimed Bob impulsively. “Our airship has been taken by Noddy Nixon,” and then, in a few brief words the boys told of what had happened.

“And so he got ahead of you, after all,” commented Mr. Montrose, “and flew away in your airship?”

“Yes, and we want to chase him, for he can’t get very far, but we haven’t anything to do it in,” remarked Ned.

“We need another airship,” added Jerry.

“Another airship!” exclaimed Mr. Montrose. “How big a one? Would a biplane, carrying three, answer?”

“Would it?” cried Jerry. “It certainly would! Even if we couldn’t take any provisions along for Chunky. But where could we get one on such short notice?”

“From me!” suddenly exclaimed Mr. Montrose. “Boys, I’ve been wondering how I could reward you for what you did for me--saving my daughter. I knew it would have to be something out of the ordinary. And this gives me just the chance I want. I’ll provide you with an aeroplane, so you can chase after Noddy Nixon!”

“But we need it right away!” cried Jerry. “There isn’t time to have one made.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I have one that’s in perfect order, if you can believe the man who made it. And it has flown recently, so it ought to go now. You can start this afternoon, I guess. Come and sit down, and I’ll tell you all about it,” and Mr. Montrose led the boys toward a quiet corner of the reading-room.