"On the day and date the people came from near and far. They journeyed even from Hogansville, South Hope, and Stickney"s Corner. When I saw them ma.s.sed in one great mult.i.tude in and around that shipyard and on the steamboat wharf, I made merry cachinnation.
"But alas! when I pa.s.sed through that crowd with my hat and counted up the collection, I found I had a lead nickel, a trousers b.u.t.ton, and a peppermint lozenger. That was all those measly, close-fisted people donated for the pleasure of seeing me navigate the ambient air. Although I am not inclined to be over-sensitive, I felt hurt, and pained, and disappointed. I then made a little speech to them, and informed them that over in Searsmont there was a man so mean that he used a wart on the back of his neck for a collar b.u.t.ton to save the expense of buying one, but I considered him the soul of generosity beside them. I further informed them that I had postponed sailing. I minded it not that they guffawed and heaped derision upon me. I was resolute and unbending, and they were forced to leave without seeing me hoist anchor that day.
"In the soft and stilly hours of the night which followed I seated myself in the _s...o...b..rd_, applied my feet to the mechanism, pressed the spring of the gravity destroyer, and away I scooted over Pen.o.bscot Bay.
When the sun rose the following morning it found Cap"n Bean"s shipyard empty and little Walter and his flying machine gone.
"I was on hand when Santos-Dumont arrived in New York. I sought an interview with him, and I told him I proposed making him look like a plugged quarter when he gave his exhibition. I challenged him to sail against me and told him I would show him up. Santy didn"t seem to like this, and he made remarks which would not look well in the _Sabbath School Herald_. Indeed, he became violent, and, though I tried to soothe him, I discovered myself, when the interview ended, sitting on the sidewalk outside of the building and feeling of my person for b.u.mps and sore spots.
"You can imagine with what dignity I arose to my feet and strode haughtily away. More than ever was I determined to make old Santy look like an amateur in the flying business. However, he took particular pains while in New York to scoot around in his machine when he knew I was not informed that such was his intention. With a great deal of craft and skill he avoided coming in compet.i.tion with me. One day some part of his jigger got out of gear and he had it removed into the country to fix it. I located him and followed him up. I have forgotten the name of the village where I found him; but the people were getting much excited, for he had stated that at a certain time he would show them what he could do.
"He had gathered scientific men from Oshkosh, Skowhegan, Chicago, and other centres of culture and refinement. Among them was Professor Deusenberry, of the Squedunk Elementary College of Fine Fatheads. I succeeded in getting at Professor Deusenberry"s ear. He had a generous ear, and there was not much trouble in getting at it. I told him all about my _s...o...b..rd_, and informed him that I had her concealed near at hand and proposed to show up Santos when he broke loose and sailed. I took him around to see my craft; but when he looked her over he shook his head and announced that she"d never rise clear of the skids on which I had her elevated above the ground.
"Well, mates, the great day came around, and promptly at the hour set Santos rose like a bird in the air. I was watching for him, and when I saw him gliding about over the village I promptly started the _s...o...b..rd_ going. The moment I shut off the power of gravitation I scooted upward like a wild swan. I made straight for Dumont"s old machine, and there before the wildly cheering people, whose shouts rose faint and sweet to my ear, I proceeded to do a few stunts. I circled around Santos when he was at his best speed. I sailed over him and under him, and I certain gave him an attack of nervous prostration. In his excitement he did something wrong and knocked his machine out of kilter, so that he suddenly took a collapse and fell into the top of a tree, where his old craft was badly damaged. I gently lowered myself to the ground, and as I stepped out of the _s...o...b..rd_ Professor Deusenberry clasped me to his throbbing bosom and wept on my breast.
""Professor Wiley!" he cried, "beyond question you have solved the problem of aerial navigation. Professor Wiley----" "Excuse me, Professor Deusenberry" said I, "but I am simply plain Cap"n Wiley, a salty old tar of modesty and few pretensions. I have no rightful claim to the t.i.tle of professor."
""But you shall have--you shall have!" he earnestly declared. "I will see that you"re made professor of atmospheric nullity at the Squedunk Elementary College of Fine Fatheads. Your name shall go ringing down through the corridor of the ages. Your name shall stand side by side in history with those of Columbus, Pizarro, and Richard Croker."
"That night I was wined, and dined, and toasted in that town, while Santos-Dumont stood outside and shivered in the cold. The scientific men and professors and men of boodle gazed on me in awe and wonderment and bowed down before me. Professor Deusenberry was seized with a determination to own the _s...o...b..rd_. He was fearful lest some one else should obtain her, and so he hastened to get me to set a price upon her.
I was modest. I told him that I was modest. I told him that in the cause of science I was ready to part with her for the paltry sum of five thousand dollars. In less than ten minutes he had gathered some of the moneyed fatheads of his college and bought my flying machine.
"I suggested to them that the proper way to start her was to get her onto some eminence and have some one push her off. The following morning they raised her to the flat roof of a building, and, with no small amount of agitation, I saw that Professor Deusenberry himself contemplated making a trip in her. When they pushed her off he started the paddle wheels going, but without the effect of my little gravity destroyer to keep her from falling. She dropped straight down to the ground. When they picked the professor up, several of his lateral ribs, together with his dispendarium, were fractured. I thought his confidence in me was also broken. At any rate, I hastened to shake the dust of that town from my feet and make for the tall timber.
"Nevertheless, mates, my little experience with Santos-Dumont so disgusted and discouraged him that he immediately left this country, which explains something that has been puzzling the people for a long time. They wondered why he didn"t remain and do the stunts he had promised to do. Even now I fancy that Santy often dreams in terror of Cap"n Wiley and his _s...o...b..rd_."
CHAPTER III.
THE MAP VANISHES.
While Cap"n Wiley had been relating this yarn Merriwell seemed utterly unconscious of his presence. Having produced his field gla.s.ses from the case at his side, he was surveying the impregnable valley. Suddenly he started slightly and touched Bart"s arm.
"Look yonder, Hodge," he said, in a low tone. "Away up at the far end of the valley where the timber is, I can see smoke rising there."
"So can I!" exclaimed Hodge. "What does it mean?"
"There is but one thing it can mean, and that is----"
"There"s some one in the valley."
"Sure, sure," agreed Cap"n Wiley. "Somebody has found a pa.s.sage into that harbor."
"Do you suppose," asked Hodge, in consternation, "that there are other parties searching for that mine?"
"It"s not unlikely."
"But you were the only one told of its existence by Benson Clark."
"Still, it"s likely others knew he was prospecting in this vicinity."
"It will be hard luck, Merry, if we find that some one has relocated that claim ahead of us."
"That"s right," nodded Frank. "The fact that there is smoke rising from that part of the valley proves it is not impossible to get down there.
It"s too late to-day to make any further effort in that direction. We will return to the camp and wait for morning."
"And if you find other men on the claim, what will you do?"
"I haven"t decided."
"But it belongs to you!" exclaimed Hodge earnestly. "Clark located it, and when he died he gave you the right to it."
"Nevertheless, if some one else has found it and has registered his claim, he can hold it."
"Not if you can prove Clark staked it off and posted notices. Not if you can prove he gave it to you."
"But I can"t prove that. Clark is dead. He left no will. All he left was quartz in his saddlebags and some dust he had washed from the placer, together with this map I have in my pocket. You see, I would find it impossible to prove my right to the mine if I discovered other parties in possession of it."
Bart"s look of disappointment increased.
"I suppose that"s right, Merry," he confessed; "but it doesn"t seem right to me. The Consolidated Mining a.s.sociation of America tried to take your Queen Mystery Mine from you on a shabbier claim than you have on this mine here."
"But I defeated them, Bart. You must not forget that."
"I haven"t forgotten it," Hodge declared, nodding his head. "All the same, you had hard work to defeat them, and, later, Milton Sukes made it still harder for you."
"But I triumphed in both cases. Right is right, Bart; it makes no difference whether it is on my side or the other fellow"s."
"That"s so," Hodge confessed. "But it would be an almighty shame to find some one else squatting on that claim. I"d like to get down into that valley now!"
"It can"t be done before nightfall, so we will go back to camp."
They set out, and an hour later they reached their camp in a small valley. There they had pitched a tent near a spring, and close at hand their horses grazed. As they approached the tent, little Abe came hobbling up to them.
"I am glad you"re back," he declared. "That man has been going on just awful."
"Who? Worthington?" questioned Merry.
"Yes; he said over and over that he knew his ghost would be lost. He declared his ghost was in danger. He said he could feel the danger near."
"More of his wild fancies," said Hodge.
"Mates," observed Cap"n Wiley, "if there"s anything that upsets my zebro spinal column it is a crazy gentleman like that. I am p.r.o.ne to confess that he worries me. I don"t trust him. I am afraid that some morning I will wake up and find a hatchet sticking in my head. I should hate to do that."
"I am positive he is harmless," declared Merry. "Where is he, Abe?"