CHAPTER XI

BUILDING THE COMET

One evening, about a week after this, Jerry Hopkins was seen hurrying down the main street of Cresville. He walked fast and hardly looked from right to left.

“Hello, Jerry,” called Frank Merton, one of his town friends, “come over and have a plate of ice cream.”

“No, thanks. Haven’t time, Frank. I’m in a hurry to catch Bob and Ned. Haven’t seen either of them around, have you?”

“No. If I see ’em I’ll tell ’em you were lookin’ for ’em.”

“I wish you would. It’s quite important.”

“Those motor boys are up to some new scheme, I’ll bet a lemon,” remarked Frank as he strolled on. “They’re always goin’ off somewhere, or havin’ a good time. I wish I was in their crowd.”

Which is what a number of other boys, not only of Cresville, but of other places, have also wished.

Jerry hurried on, but he did not catch sight of either of his chums. He proceeded to Ned Slade’s house, and there, on the big front porch, comfortably swinging in hammocks, were the two lads.

“Well, I must say you’re taking it easy,” observed Jerry.

“Sure. Why not?” asked Bob. “What’s your rush? You look as if you’d been walking fast.”

“So I have. I’ve been looking for you two. He’s come.”

“Who’s come?” asked Ned.

“Mr. Glassford, the man who’s going to build our motor ship for us. He arrived at my house half an hour ago. He was delayed in getting his model shipped, and that’s why he wasn’t here yesterday, when we expected him.”

“Has he got the model now?” inquired Ned.

“Yes, and it’s a dandy.”

“Did he bring plans, so he can build a big one for us?” demanded Bob.

“He sure did. Come on and look ’em over. That’s why I came for you. Did you tell your folks about our plans?”

“You mean building an airship?” asked Ned.

“Sure.”

“I did,” declared Bob. “My mother thinks it’s all talk, but we’ll show her.”

“My dad doesn’t take much stock in it,” remarked Ned. “I guess he thinks it will fizzle out.”

“Wait until they see the plans and the model,” said Jerry. “That will show we mean business. But come on. I told Mr. Glassford I’d come right back with you.”

All enthusiasm, the two boys leaped from the hammocks, and were soon accompanying Jerry back to his house. There they found their acquaintance of the carnival, but what attracted their attention as soon as they entered the library where he was sitting was a complete model of a curious airship, about three feet long, which was suspended from the chandelier.

“There’s a small size model of the future _Comet_,” exclaimed Jerry. “You see, I’ve named our motor ship already, just as I did our motor boat.”

“_Comet’s_ a good name,” was Mr. Glassford’s opinion. “Now, if you boys will draw up your chairs I’ll briefly explain my plans for a motor ship.”

With the aid of diagrams, blue-prints, sketches, profiles and some simple tables of calculations, Mr. Glassford demonstrated, by frequent references to the model, just how it would be possible to sail through the air for a long time in a ship built on the lines of his invention.

The motor ship was to consist of a big cigar-shaped bag of very strong material to hold the gas. It was divided into several compartments, so that in case one or even three or four were punctured there would be enough sustaining power to keep the ship and its crew afloat. The gas used was a combination of hydrogen and another vapor, the secret of which Mr. Glassford would not disclose. Sufficient to say that it was a very powerful combination.

The gas bag fitted inside a light but very strong framework, braced with piano wire, and on either side of this frame, standing at right angles to the long bag, were several planes, made of light canvas, stretched over poles of bamboo. These, in effect, made a combined balloon and aeroplane, giving the advantages of both, and somewhat neutralizing the defects of each one.

Below the bag, with the framework supporting the planes, was the body of the ship--the car--containing the motor and the devices for operating it, as well as the rudders, propellers and planes, which could be shifted.

The car was large, or, rather, the plans called for a good-sized one. There would be a comfortable cabin, in which the travelers would live during the day, doing their cooking on a stove which utilized the exhaust gas from the motor. There was also another room, where five small berths provided sleeping accommodations. These berths could be folded up during the day, and as the room containing them was well forward, it made a good place to sit when the ship was in motion, for an excellent view could be had from the big windows.

The entire car was enclosed, so that storms would not affect the travelers. The motor was in a small room by itself, and there was a little pilot house, on top of the bunk room, in which the operator stood, being able to control, stop or start the motor from there, as well as adjust the two rudders or shift the planes.

There were two sets of rudders, though one, as has been explained, was more like a big box-kite than a rudder. This controlled the depression or elevation of the ship. The other, shaped like a fish-tail, sent it to right or left.

The planes on either side of the gas bag were intended to better balance the motor ship, to render it less liable to be sent out of its course by contrary winds, and to support it in case of accidents. The planes were on the same principle as a bird’s wings when it is gliding or swooping down from a great height.

There was ample store room for supplies, provisions, some ballast and a few duplicate parts of the motor. Water was carried in a large tank, and there was another for a plentiful supply of gasolene. The motor ship had many novel features, and there were so many points of interest about it, as Mr. Glassford explained to them, that the boys hardly noted them all at the time of going over the plans.

“It certainly seems as if it would work,” remarked Bob at length.

“Oh, it will work,” declared the inventor quickly. “Why, the gas bag, with the peculiar vapor I put into it, would lift twice as much weight as I intend to carry.”

“And you say it will not cost more than six thousand dollars to build it?” asked Jerry.

“I think I can easily do it for five thousand. That is less than you paid for your touring car, you told me.”

“Yes; with the improvements we’ve put on it the cost has run beyond that,” admitted Jerry. “Well, fellows, what do you say? Shall we use part of our income from the gold mine, and build the _Comet_?”

“Sure,” replied Ned quickly.

“Every time,” added Bob. “I want a trip through the air.”

“Then the next thing is to tell your folks, and get their consent to spend the money,” went on Jerry. “I have already won my mother over.”

Though the boys had a considerable sum at their disposal, from a gold mine which they had been fortunate enough to help an old prospector to discover on one of their trips, they never spent an unusual sum without obtaining the consent of their parents.

“When can you let me know?” asked Mr. Glassford somewhat anxiously.

“To-morrow,” replied Bob, and Ned nodded to indicate that he too would have an answer by then.

“How long will it take to build it after we provide the money?” asked Jerry.

“About a month. You see, much of the material I will need is already in stock in shops that make a specialty of airship supplies. The motor I can easily get, and the principal work will be putting the ship together. You boys can help me on it, and in a month, at the most, we ought to be able to make our first trip.”

“That’s the stuff!” cried Bob.

“I’m going home now, and see dad,” said Ned, as he got up. “I’m so anxious I can’t wait.”

“Bring your parents here, and let me explain my plans to them,” proposed Mr. Glassford, and this was voted a good idea.

At first Ned’s and Bob’s folks only laughed at their sons’ pleas, but as the boys insisted that they really meant to have an airship, Mr. and Mrs. Slade and Mr. and Mrs. Baker finally gave in, and accompanied the lads to Jerry’s house. There Mr. Glassford went over all the details again, explaining how it was practically impossible to run any serious risk.

Not without some misgivings, however, did the respective parents give their consent. But they finally did, which was all the boys cared about, and a contract was drawn up and signed by Mr. Glassford and Mrs. Hopkins, Mr. Baker and Mr. Slade, the boys being barred because they were not of legal age.

It was arranged that Mr. Glassford should have the use of a big loft in a storage building owned by Mr. Slade, where he kept some of the goods sold in his department store. There the work of building the airship could be started. When it had progressed as far as was possible in there, it was to be taken out and a large tent erected in a vacant lot. There the gas bag could be inflated, the planes and car attached, and all made ready for a flight.

Mr. Glassford lost no time, once the money was provided, and in less than a week from his arrival in Cresville he was at work on the ship, with three enthusiastic boys to aid him--no, four boys, for Andy Rush was allowed to come in, though he talked more than he worked.