The inventor soon sent for Jerry to aid him in the steering tower, and the two were kept busy manipulating the wheels and levers.
“I think I’ll go up a trifle,” announced Mr. Glassford, when at the end of half an hour of speeding they had gained little if anything on the red machine. “There is a slight contrary wind at this level.”
Once more the motor craft ascended. The wisdom of this was at once apparent. Aided by a stiff breeze, blowing in the same direction as that in which the Comet was sailing, she rapidly began to overhaul the red balloon. But the pilot of that was evidently an old hand at the game. He too sent his craft up until it was on a level with the Comet. But the latter maintained her advantage, and even increased it, until, that afternoon, the red balloon was only a quarter of a mile ahead.
“Can we beat them?” asked Jerry anxiously.
Mr. Glassford nodded.
“I haven’t run the motor to the limit yet,” he said, “and I fancy they have. I’ll pass them at dusk.”
Mr. Glassford made good his boast. All that afternoon he was slowly creeping up on the red balloon, though the crew of it made strenuous efforts to increase their lead. The inventor of the Comet did not want to speed his motor too much during the heat of the day, as it was air-cooled, and had no water jacket. But as soon as the sun began to decline and it became cooler, he opened it up, and with an increase in the explosions that made it seem as if the Comet was saluting her rival, the motor ship passed the red airship, being several hundred feet above her in the air.
As the motor boys and their friends passed they heard a faint cheer from those below them. They sent back an answering one and continued on.
“Now there’s nothing to stop us from winning the race,” declared Ned.
“Only the fact that there might still be another airship ahead of us,” said Mr. Glassford. “There is no telling about that. One of the other contestants may have outstripped the red balloon.”