“Number four will take the prize,” declared Andy, changing his mind. “See, it’s running away from the others.”
Indeed, it did look as if that balloon, which was the longest one of the five, would come in ahead. It was rapidly shooting forward, and was only about half a mile from where the start had been made.
But there are tricks and surprises in ballooning as in everything else, as the motor boys and their friends soon learned. Number five balloon, which had ascended to a considerable height, was suddenly seen to descend. So rapidly did it shoot down that there were cries of alarm from the throng.
“He’s had an accident! His motor has stopped! The gas is leaking out! He’ll fall!”
But the man in the balloon, who could now be seen as a small black object, did not seem to be alarmed. He was calmly shifting several handles and ropes.
“He’s going to win,” said Jerry quietly.
“Don’t be too sure,” cautioned Ned.
“You’ll see,” was Jerry’s reply.
Hardly had he spoken when the descent of number five was further quickened. Like an eagle swooping down from the heights it fell toward the earth, and a little later it had assumed an even keel and shot over the finishing line, a winner by several lengths.
What a shout went up then! Not only at the success of the daring navigator of the air, but at the whole spectacle, for presently all the other ships of the clouds had finished the course, and were hovering in the air above the heads of the throng, while the aeronauts were throwing out ropes, that they and their machines might be pulled back to the earth.