CHAPTER II

OFF TO THE CARNIVAL

Andy Rush well knew Noddy’s character, and he had no notion of remaining to be chastised by the bully. He leaped to his feet and started to run, Noddy taking after him. Andy fell on a slippery patch of dried grass, and Noddy was almost upon him when Jerry ran up.

“That’ll do you,” he said. “Let Andy alone.”

“I will not.”

“Yes, you will.”

“No, I won’t.”

“I’ll punch your head if you touch him.”

Noddy knew Jerry was as good as his word, and as the bully had, more than once, felt Jerry’s fists, he backed off.

“He hasn’t got any right to make fun of my machine,” he muttered.

“He wasn’t making fun of it,” replied Jerry. “I was laughing at the idea of you expecting to sail through the air with a machine so heavy it takes four men to lift it, especially when you haven’t any lifting power.”

“Oh, I s’pose you know a lot about airships?” sneered Noddy.

“I know enough about ’em to know that a machine heavier than air can’t rise unless there’s something to give it a lift.”

“Aw, you think you’re awful smart. But you wait. When you see me sailing around at the carnival you’ll sing a different tune.”

“Maybe,” admitted Jerry good-naturedly. “I hope you do fly, Noddy, and don’t break your neck.”

“I--I didn’t know you didn’t want me to tell about the _Firefly_, Noddy,” remarked Andy, peering out from around Jerry’s stocky form.

“Yes, you did, and I’ll fix you the first chance I get. You wait.”

“Andy, if he bothers you just let me know,” spoke Jerry significantly. “Don’t let him worry you. If you attempt to injure Andy for what he said to-day you’ll have to reckon with us, and you can put that in your gasolene engine and use it for fish bait,” added Jerry, looking at the bully.

“Aw, you think you’re smart,” was Noddy’s half-growled retort. “But I’ll show folks what I can do. You’ll wish you had a machine like mine when you see how it works. You’re jealous, that’s all. You’re mad because you haven’t got an airship.”

“Sure we are, Noddy,” answered Bob with a smile. “But we’re going to have one.”

Bob’s companions looked at him in some wonder.

“We’re going to make one with our motor boat that was smashed, and use some old auto tires, filled with gas, to raise us. Then we’ll have a race with your _Firefly_,” went on Bob with a cheerful grin. “Ta-ta! Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?” and he slumped down on the grass, selecting the most shady spot he could find, for it was quite hot, and the sun was strong.

“That’s all right--I’ll show you,” murmured Noddy as he turned away.

“Humph!” exclaimed Jerry, when the bully had passed out of sight. “Talk about trolley cars and you’ll hear the fare register. But say, fellows, this airship business has set me to thinking. We’ll have to take in the carnival.”

“We sure will,” agreed Ned. “Let’s go and see that poster Bob was talking about.”

“It’s too hot,” declared Bob. “I can tell you all that’s on it. Besides, the fellow who was putting it up gave me some circulars.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so at first?” demanded Jerry. “Pass ’em over and I’ll take a squint at ’em.”

Bob pulled some papers from his pocket and handed them over to Ned and Jerry, who were soon deeply interested in the somewhat extravagant statements advertising the carnival.

While they are thus engaged it will be a good opportunity to tell you a little something about them, where they lived and how they came to be known as the “motor boys.”

Bob Baker was the son of Andrew Baker, a wealthy banker, while Ned Slade’s father kept the largest department store in Cresville, and was counted well off. Jerry was the only son of Mrs. Julia Hopkins, a widow, and she had a comfortable income from wise investments made by her husband.

The three boys, who lived in the New England town of Cresville, not far from Boston, had been chums as long as they could remember.

Their early adventures were told of in the first book of this series, entitled “The Motor Boys.”

They gained the name from the fact that they took part in bicycle races, one of them winning a motor cycle. Later all three acquired those speedy machines, and it was not long before they owned an automobile.

In that they made a long trip overland, and later went into Mexico, where, in company with Professor Uriah Snodgrass, a noted scientist, engaged in making a collection of curious bugs and animals, they discovered a buried city. They returned home from Mexico across the plains, and, shortly after that, using some of the funds from their interest in a gold mine they discovered, they purchased a motor boat.

In that boat, named the _Dartaway_, they had stirring times, as told in the fifth volume of this series, entitled “The Motor Boys Afloat.” Following their adventures around home they made a long trip on the Atlantic, and from there they went into the strange waters of the Florida everglades. Their experiences there were fully equaled by a trip they next made on the Pacific, searching for a mysterious derelict, though they had to make this voyage in a motor boat they hired by the season, as their own was smashed in a railroad wreck as it was being sent home from Florida.

They had returned from California in time to resume their studies at the Cresville Academy, and they had put in a full winter at their books. They had just successfully passed their examinations, and when this story opens, early in July, were still undecided what to do during the long vacation.

It was while Ned was paying a visit to Jerry, under the trees near that lad’s house, that Bob came along with the news of the carnival, with what result you have just been made acquainted.

The boys eagerly perused the hand-bills and circulars which Bob gave them. Even Andy Rush was so interested that he forgot to talk, which was the occupation the little fellow was at most of the time, when he was not asleep or eating.

“Well, what about it, fellows?” asked Bob, as he saw Ned and Jerry thoughtfully folding up the circulars.

“It’s great,” was Jerry’s comment. “We’ve got to take it in, Ned.”

“That’s what I say. We were just wishing we had something to do, and along comes Chunky----”

“Oh, I knew you’d be interested as soon as I saw that poster,” interrupted the stout lad.

“It’s too bad that we let Noddy get ahead of us, though,” continued Jerry.

“Can’t we make some kind of an airship?” asked Bob. “All it needs is some wings and a motor. We can take the one from the auto. It’s almost new, and it has six cylinders,” for they had had a new engine put in their car, and the machine had otherwise been brought up to date.

“I guess it needs more than an engine to make a motor ship,” said Jerry.

“Motor ship! That’s a new one,” commented Ned. “But it’s a good name. I wish we had a motor ship.”

“Maybe we will have--some day,” remarked Jerry with that serious, thoughtful look still on his face. “But it’s too late to think of one for this carnival. However, we can take the show in. We may get some new ideas. Let’s see--to-day is Tuesday. It opens next Monday. We’ll arrange to go in our auto, and stay the whole week. Can you fellows manage it?”

“Sure,” replied Bob, who knew his parents would not object.

“I’ll go along,” added Ned. “I was just wishing we could have some kind of an outing. I was thinking of Florida again.”

“And the Seabury girls, of course,” added Jerry with a laugh.

“Well, I would like to see them. I guess----”

“I guess one would do you--Miss Olivia,” went on Jerry. “How about it, Ned?”

“Aw, cut it out,” and Ned blushed.

“Well, that’s settled. We’ll go to the aero carnival,” declared Bob, fearful, perhaps, lest Jerry should twit him about Miss Rose Seabury, one of three sisters whose acquaintance they had made while in Florida.

Little Andy Rush glanced from one to the other of the three motor boys. There was a wistful look on his face.

“Would you like to go along, Andy?” asked Jerry, guessing the meaning of the small chap’s gaze.

“Would I? Say--would I eat ice cream? Think of it! Airships--above the clouds--balloons--motors bang-bang! up in the air--down to the ground--whoop de deedle-de! over the fence is out--try again--blow up the gas bag--start over--there they go--a race in the sky--O la-la! Whoop!”

“There, I guess you’d like to go, all right. Now cool down, or you might crack a cylinder,” advised Jerry. “Go ask your folks, Andy, and see us later.”

Andy found that he could go, and the following Saturday the three motor boys, with their small guest, started from Cresville in their auto. They intended to put up at a hotel in Broadlands, and remain a week at the carnival.