“May we go in?” asked Mr. Glassford, while a vague feeling of uneasiness seemed to come to Jerry and his chums. Who was the person now in the tent with Masterly?
“Yes—yes, go right in. I’m waiting here for a man I expect. If Masterly can be of any service to you, tell him I said he could take the rest of the day off. My ship is in pretty good shape now.”
“Thank you,” said Mr. Glassford as he passed inside, followed by the boys.
The most of the tent was occupied by a dirigible balloon, of a type that was somewhat common. The boys looked at it as they passed along, but they were too anxious to see Masterly to pay much attention to the airship.
As they advanced over the grass, which covered the ground on which the tent was erected, their footsteps making no sound, they heard talking in the rear of the big canvas shelter.
“I’ll give you two hundred dollars to leave town,” a voice was saying. “Two hundred dollars, merely for keeping quiet.”
The voice startled Jerry and his chums. They had heard it before many times. Jerry raised his hand to indicate caution, and Mr. Glassford, Ned and Bob came to a halt. They were concealed from view by the big gas bag, but they could hear plainly.
“I’m not going to do it,” they heard a voice answering the one that had spoken first. “I’m here, and I’m going to stay here. I haven’t seen Mr. Glassford, but if he wants me to——”
“Hush!” exclaimed the other. “Not so loud.”
“That’s Masterly—the one who spoke before,” said Mr. Glassford in a whisper.