“Me either,” added Ned.
But neither he nor Jerry realized how soon their idle words were to be proven wrong.
All haste was made in preparing the Comet for her rescue trip. The parents of the boys thoroughly approved of it, for the motor lads had undertaken so many strenuous “stunts” in their craft that even Mrs. Hopkins no longer worried much when Jerry and his chums went out in her.
“Well, I guess we’re ready to start,” announced Jerry, a little later, after a look at the airship. Everything had been put in first class shape, and the rudder, that had given so much trouble before, had been replaced by a different one.
“Look who’s there,” said Bob in a low voice, nodding toward the roadway in front of the Hopkins house.
“Noddy Nixon,” muttered Jerry.
“Yes, and Bill Berry is with him,” went on Bob. “They seem to be looking in here pretty sharply.”
“Yes, they probably see that we’re getting ready for a trip,” spoke Ned. “I hope they won’t try to follow us, and make trouble.”
Jerry looked annoyed. Noddy and Bill were staring insolently in the direction of the open shed which housed the airship. Even a passer-by could see that it was in readiness for a flight.
Jerry, who, with his chums, had not seen much of Noddy since the bully and his crony had vainly tried to get the sixty nuggets of gold, as told in the last volume, started toward the front gate. Noddy saw him coming, but did not move.