[CHAPTER XIV]
A PRECARIOUS POSITION
Airship travel was scarcely a novelty to our heroes now, but, like many other things, there was always some new feature to it. Just as on an auto trip you never can tell what is going to happen, and just as two auto trips are never the same, so with travel in a motor-ship.
“We may start off all right, and we may get there all right,” said Jerry, “but you never can tell what is going to happen in the meanwhile.”
The start of our friends was auspicious enough. Rising high above the country surrounding their home town, they soon found themselves in a favorable current, and then, allowing some of the gas to flow out of the bag, and into the compression container, Jerry speeded up the propellers so that the Comet was sailing along now as a regular aeroplane, depending on her forward motion and on the pressure of air on the surfaces of the wing planes for support.
“We want to get used to travelling both ways,” remarked Jerry to his chums, “for it will be wise to save our gas for emergencies. Anyhow the Comet is as good an aeroplane as she is a dirigible balloon, and we can go faster in the former shape, as there is not so much air resistance when the gas bag is not fully inflated.”
There were many small tasks to do after they had gotten well under way, and the better part of the morning was taken up in performing them. Jerry looked to the machinery, which, in spite of several adjustments, needed some attention. Bob saw to it that his provisions were all in place, and Ned checked over his stores, to make sure he had forgotten nothing.
As for Uriah Snodgrass, it mattered little to him where he was, whether in the air, or on the earth or water, save that in the air there were not so many chances of gathering specimens. However, when he could not capture bugs he could look over those already in his specimen boxes, arrange and classify them, and jot down notes concerning them. It was this latter work which now occupied him.
“Where is Mr. Snodgrass?” asked Ned when Bob, after a time spent in the kitchen, announced supper.