The professor only looked up dreamily when told that they were being followed by an airship. All he said was:
“I hope it doesn’t scare away all the rare insects.”
Then he went outside to sit on the after deck, and look for unusual specimens that he might capture. Bob and Ned took turns watching the other craft through the glass, while Jerry steered. It did not take long for Ned to agreed with his two chums that it was indeed Noddy Nixon’s craft that was following them.
“You fellows are right,” he said. “Are you still going to do nothing, Jerry?”
“Well, we might try a little trick on him.”
“A trick—how?”
“Blanket him, as one sail boat does another in a race,” said Jerry. “We can sail all around him, you know, even if he has a powerful craft. So, when we get near the coast, we’ll just turn back, circle over him, and get low enough down to cut off some of his air. That will stall him, and he’ll be glad enough to volplane down to earth. He can do it, for we’ve seen him lots of times. Then we’ll go on, and I guess Noddy will have enough so he won’t want to follow—especially when he sees us heading out to sea.”
Jerry slowed up the Comet so that Noddy’s craft gained. By means of the glass the figures of Noddy and Bill could be made out plainly now. When Noddy found that he was approaching too close he tried to slacken speed. But he was too late.
Turning on full power Jerry turned, and made a dash for his enemy. At first Noddy feared a collision, and even cried out a protest. But the tall motor lad knew what he was doing. A moment later, and just as the seacoast came in sight, he soared closer to Noddy’s craft, and hovered over it. This, together with the suction caused by the powerful propellers of the Comet, created an “air pocket.” Jerry had counted on this.
In an instant Noddy’s craft dived downward, but, as the tall lad well knew, Noddy realized his danger and took the usual precautions. He shut off his engine, and volplaned, or glided, down to earth. As Jerry watched him nearing the white sands of the beach he swerved the Comet and, with the throttles wide open, sent her out to sea.