“The gold is ours,” he went on, “and we have a right to take it where we please. The mounted police admitted as much. It was all a bluff on the part of Noddy’s crowd to make trouble. Maybe they thought they could, in some way, get possession of the nuggets. But we’ll fool ’em. We’ll slip away to-night—after dark.”
“But how can we—when the gas bag is full of holes?” asked Mr. Brill.
“We’ll go as an aeroplane,” declared Jerry. “There is enough level ground here for a start, and those police won’t be back before morning.”
Night settled down, a cold, windy, stormy night, and Noddy and his cronies in their camp were anything but comfortable. They seemed to be waiting for the return of the police, but the Westerners expressed the belief that the lawless men might try to rush the airship after dark and take the gold.
“We’ll stop ’em if they do,” declared Jim Nestor, grimly.
Strict watch was kept, and in the shelter of the craft Jerry and his chums went over all the machinery. They would not need to use the gas apparatus to get over the Border.
“I think there’s something doing out there,” reported Mr. Brill, about nine o’clock, coming in from the outer deck where he had been keeping watch on the camp. “It looks like they were coming this way.”
“Let ’em come,” replied Jerry. “We’re ready to start. Turn on the motor, Ned!”
With a rush and a roar the Comet shot across the ground. There was a chorus of surprised cries, and one or two rifle shots. Then, like a bird, the motorship sailed aloft, leaving the disappointed plotters behind.
“We’re off!” yelled Ned.