Park Haven was a large city, a junction place for several railroads, and located right on the edge of a stretch of level country which made an ideal place for airship trials. Not that all the contests would be limited to an area about the city, for it was hoped that some of the machines would sail many hundreds of miles.
“Well, we’re here,” announced Jerry, after he and his friends had made themselves comfortable. “Now, the next thing is to find out when our motor ship will arrive.”
“That’s it,” put in Ned. “Let’s go to the express office and inquire.”
They found the express agent in anything but an amiable frame of mind, for so many articles were arriving, due to the holding of the carnival in the city, that he had more than he could attend to. He could give the boys no information about the Comet, but as it had been well packed they were not worried about it, and there was no special hurry, as the carnival would not formally open for several days.
They spent the next two days visiting scenes of interest in the city, and in going out to the carnival grounds, which were like those at Broadlands, only on a more elaborate scale.
One of the first persons they met was Morris Abernot, who greeted them with enthusiasm.
“Ah, you boys here, too,” he said. “I am glad to see that you take an interest in aeronautics.”
“We do more than take an interest in them,” said Jerry. “We have an entry.”
“No! You don’t tell me! Well, I am very glad.”
“I suppose you have your flying grasshopper here,” suggested Ned.