“Where’s the water?” inquired Jerry.
“I saw a little lake over in that direction as we were coming down,” announced the stout lad, pointing toward the left. “It looked big enough to land on, and even if you can’t scoot across it, and rise from it, we can go up as a balloon.”
“All right, we’ll do it,” agreed Jerry. “Better tell the secretary that if the crowd wants to see that stunt they’ll have to hustle over.”
Bob took this information to the official, who came hurrying over from his office, greatly delighted at the prospect of having some attraction to take the part on the program that was to have been filled by the biplane. The secretary had announcements made through megaphones, concerning the prospective flight of the motor boys, and telling of the hydroplane feature.
Matters were soon in readiness, and, after a vain search for Professor Snodgrass, who, the boys thought likely, was off gathering bugs, it was decided to go up without him.
Up shot the Comet as Jerry turned on the gas. Straight up into the air she went, for it was as a dirigible balloon that the owners decided to show their craft’s ability. Then, after doing some intricate figures at a comparatively low elevation, Jerry went out after a height record.
It is needless to say that he got it, for the barograph registered a little over three miles when they started to descend. They would not have had to come down then, only they ran into a cold snowstorm in the upper regions, and they did not want to take any chances.
When they landed, and the officials gave out the verified figures of their climb into space there was a hearty cheer. Jerry, with the aid of his chums, next showed what their craft could do as an aeroplane. She was sent skimming along the ground on the bicycle wheels, and, when enough momentum had been acquired, the steersman tilted the elevation rudder and up soared the Comet again.
This time the stunt of sailing along as an aeroplane, suddenly stopping the propellers, and changing to the form of a dirigible balloon was successfully accomplished, to the delight of the watching throng.
“Now for the hydroplanes!” Jerry announced to Bob and Ned, giving the signal agreed upon to those below. The press of people made a rush for the little lake about half a mile distant, and the boys waited until most of the crowd lined the shores before starting toward it.