“Stand by to make a landing!” he called to his chums; and a moment later the Comet came to rest on the level green meadow while above her the Winner winged her flight through the air.
“Well, wouldn’t that jar you!” exclaimed Ned in great disgust.
“I should say so,” remarked Bob. “It’s just like Noddy Nixon’s freshness. He ought to learn how to run an aeroplane in the kindergarten class before he comes out with the high school boys.”
“I’ll make him pay for our damaged bag!” declared Jerry firmly. “He ought to have known better than to try that stunt. I’ll make him soak up for it all right.”
The boys were standing beside their craft, and Jerry was peering upward trying to discover the extent of the tear in the gas bag.
“I’m afraid it was all my fault,” said Andy Rush, more quietly than he usually spoke. “If I hadn’t challenged Noddy the way I did it might not have happened.”
“Oh, well, you didn’t mean anything,” consoled Ned. “Besides, Noddy might have done it anyhow. Even if you did call to him he ought to have known better than to try to cross over us so close. I guess Bill Berry put him up to it. Don’t worry Andy. Is it very bad, Jerry?”
The tall lad had climbed up in the rigging that held the bag, and was critically examining it.
“Two of the compartments are all ripped to pieces, and there’s a small tear in a third one,” Jerry reported. “We’ll have to put on big patches. I’ll make Noddy pay for this.”