[CHAPTER III.]
AN AERIAL STOWAWAY.
Mr. Chadwick, breathless from his scramble across the dunes, met the boys in the shelter of the shed. They now saw that what he held in his hand was a despatch of some sort. He soon explained that it was a wireless message, relayed from the yacht Valkyrie,—via Sciuticut,—stating that his friend Professor Bismarck Von Dinkelspeil, on board the Valkyrie, was bound for South America on a scientific search of some sort, and intended to pay him a call at High Towers regarding the practicability of devising some sort of a novel boat. Details were not given.
“I hastened over here as soon as I got the despatch,” he said, “as I knew that you boys were transforming the Road Racer into some novel form. The Professor may be here to-morrow, and if you wish me to I’ll present you to him and you may be able to meet his demands. I’m too busy at present on that new steel reducing furnace to spare any time.”
“He gives no details?” asked Jack.
“No, as you see, it’s just a hurried despatch dated from his yacht. He is a celebrated man and has been all over the world on various scientific quests, in the interests of zoölogy mainly. But you boys look excited. What’s the matter?”
Jack speedily placed his parent in possession of the situation confronting them.
“The yacht is in need of aid, you think?” he asked when Jack completed a hurried and breathless recital.
“Without doubt. Hark! There’s another gun,” cried the boy. “I wish we could go to their help.”
“If we had a boat——” began Jack’s father. But the boy cut him short. Without further delay he plunged into an explanation of the Wondership. Mr. Chadwick looked amazed for an instant, but then his face resumed its customary air of studious calm.