He had a notebook and pencil in his hands while speaking, and Jack quite willing to oblige, called off the roster of the Motor Boat Club, with the names of the three craft included.
"This is a great pleasure to me, I give you my word, Jack," remarked the young fellow, as he thrust the memorandum book once more in his pocket. "Never dreamed of such good luck when I took a notion to swoop down, and see what three bully little craft were doing, headed for Delaware Bay. Going all the way to Florida, you say; and by the inside pa.s.sage, too? I wonder, now, would that happen to take you in the neighborhood of Beaufort, North Carolina?"
An eager expression had suddenly flashed across his face, and Jack saw his eyes sparkle, as with antic.i.p.ation; though for the life of him he could not understand just why this should be so, unless the said Beaufort happened to have been the home port of the hydro-aeroplane flier, and the mere thought of their being in that vicinity gave him a homesick thrill.
"Why, yes, I remember that I"ve got Beaufort marked on the chart as one of our stopping places," Jack hastened to reply. "Could I do anything for you while there? I"d be quite willing to oblige you--er, by the way, you haven"t told us your name in return for having ours!"
"That"s a fact, I haven"t," he replied, quickly, but Jack thought with just a trifle of embarra.s.sment; "it"s Malcolm Spence."
"Oh! I believe I"ve read a lot about your doings with one of these air and water fliers. There were some pretty stirring accounts of your trips in the papers out our way not long ago!" Jack exclaimed, looking at the young fellow with considerable admiration; since hero worship has just as strong a hold upon the human heart in these modern days as in times of old, when knights went forth to do battle with dragons, and all kinds of terrible monsters.
"I believe they have been showing me up, more or less; but I try to avoid those newspaper men all I can, because they stretch things so,"
young Spence modestly remarked. "That"s why I come down here to try out any new little wrinkle I may happen to have hit on. A week ago I started off the deck of a Government war vessel, a big cruiser, went up a thousand feet, dropped to the water, and last of all landed again in the same place from which I started--all to prove how valuable a hydro-aeroplane would be in case of real war."
"Yes, I was reading about that while we were on the way here, but somehow didn"t remember the name of the one who had done it," Jack went on, while the little motor boat and the new-fangled contraption that seemed perfectly at home in the air or floating on the waves kept company on the tide of the river.
"Did I understand you to say that you would be willing to do me a little favor, if it didn"t put you to much inconvenience?" asked Spence, his voice trembling with an eagerness that Jack could not help noticing.
"Certainly we will, if it lies in our power," he answered promptly.
"They never was a more obliging gossoon in the wide worrld than this same Jack Stormways, and ye can depind on that!" exploded Jimmy, thinking it about time he injected his personality into the conversation, since he did not wish to be an utter nonent.i.ty.
Malcolm Spence thrust a hand into his tightly b.u.t.toned leather coat.
When he brought it out Jack saw that it held what looked like a small packet, which, after all, might be a letter, though it was sealed.
"I wanted to get this to a party by the name of Van Arsdale Spence," he said, hurriedly, as though afraid that they might back out after all from their kind proposition; "but I knew he no longer lived in Beaufort, and I had no means of finding his present address. So, instead of mailing it, I have carried the thing around with me for three weeks, intending when I went South to make inquiries and send it to his new address, if so be he was far away."
"All right, then," declared Jack, stretching out his hand promptly; "I"ll promise to do everything in my power to get it into his possession. Failing, you must give me some address through which I can reach you, to tell you it was no go."
"Here"s my card, with the address of the makers of this machine. A letter will always get to me if sent in their care, because, you see, I"m under a three years" contract to exhibit this invention, and add new ideas of my own. But I do hope you may be able to find the party.
I"d like that packet to fall into his hands as soon as possible. Too much time has already been lost. Please keep it safe, will you, Jack?"
The skipper of the _Tramp_ accepted the little packet in a serious manner that no doubt impressed the other favorably.
"Depend on me to do my level best for you; that"s all any fellow could promise, Mr. Spence," he said, simply, as he stowed the article away in an inside pocket of his coat.
"Shake hands, please, both of you!" exclaimed the birdman, heartily, stretching across the little gap that separated him from the motor boat; "I only wish it had been my good fortune to meet up with you earlier."
The formality of shaking hands was concluded with more or less difficulty, owing to the fact that the wings of the aeroplane extended far on either side, and kept the boat off; but in the end they managed fairly well, though the eager Jimmy came near falling overboard in his ambitious stretching, deeming it a great honor to have pressed the hand of one about whom there was so much being printed in the papers.
"Good luck go with you, boys!" called out the young aviator, as he prepared to once more leave the surface of the water, and soar aloft into airy s.p.a.ce. "Give my regards to Herbert, Josh, George and Nick, and tell them I hope some day in the near future to make their personal acquaintance. I"m sure you must be a jolly bunch; and what glorious times you have ahead! And I also hope you get track of the party that packet is addressed to, Jack; it means much to me, I tell you."
"I"ll do everything in my power to find him, and give it personally into his hands, Malcolm, I promise you. Shall I tell him how queerly we met?" Jack went on.
"Yes, and how some blessed inspiration caused me to believe there was more than accident about our coming together, with you just on the way down South by the coast route. So long, fellows; and again the best of luck to you all."
"Same to you!" called Jimmy, as he heard the motor of the hydro-aeroplane begin to whirr, and saw the strange contrivance start to spin along the little waves, once more sending the spray on either side.
Then it began to rise in the air with perfect freedom. They saw the daring young aviator wave his hand in parting as he sped away, circling upwards until he was hundreds of feet aloft, and constantly gaining.
"Wow! wouldn"t that make ye wink, now, Jack darlint?" exclaimed Jimmy, as he twisted his neck badly in the endeavor to follow the course of the wonderful machine that seemed as much at home in one element as the other.
Jack made no reply.
He was bending down to start his own motor once more, and upon his face there might have been seen an expression that told of mingled resolution and curiosity. Yes, he would do everything possible to deliver this strange missive that Malcolm Spence had entrusted to his care, apparently on the impulse of the moment; at the same time Jack would not have been human, and a boy, had he not experienced more or less wonder as to what that same communication might contain.
But the mystery was one that must remain such to the end of the chapter, since the deep sense of honor that always went with his actions would positively prevent his trying to ascertain what that sealed packet contained.
"Hey! get busy there, Jimmy!" he called out; "we"re going to start again, and make for the other boats. They"ve pulled up, and are waiting for us to join them. And, believe me, those fellows are just eating their heads off with envy, because they must have seen that we were hobn.o.bbing with a real birdman, who could scoot along the water as easily as a flying-fish. All ready, are you? Then here she goes, Jimmy," and immediately the merry hum of the motor sounded.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FIRST CAMPFIRE ASh.o.r.e.
"Ahoy there, _Tramp_! What"s all this mean?"
That was George hailing through his megaphone, as Jack and Jimmy drew near the spot where the other boats were waiting.
Jack simply waved his hand, to indicate that all in good time the other fellows would hear the news; and that he did not mean to strain his voice shouting across a stretch of water, when there was no necessity.
Presently the three craft were moving along abreast, down the river, and only a little distance apart. It might be noticed that while the _Wireless_ hung on the starboard quarter, the _Comfort_ was just as near on the port side; and thus conversation was made easy.
"Now spin us the yarn, partner," spoke up impatient George, who did everything in a hurry, though a mighty good comrade all the same.
"Yes," broke in Nick, who was also in the same narrow boat, as usual gripping the sides, as though to steady his fat form; "believe me, fellows, we"re consumed with curiosity to know what that chap in the aeroplane wanted with you."
"Say," came from the lanky Josh, squatted in the roomy _Comfort_, with his long legs doubled up under him, after the manner of a Turk; "what d"ye think, Jack, Nick here kinder expected to see you toddle aboard that hydroplane, and take a spin up among the clouds. Said "twould be just like your luck to get hold of such a bully chance."
"Well, hardly," laughed Jack. "But we did make the acquaintance of a pretty fine young fellow, the same we"ve been reading about so much lately--Malcolm Spence."
"Oh, say! why couldn"t we have been along?" grunted George, disconsolately; "for if ever there was a fellow I"d give a heap to meet up with, he"s the one. It"s a shame, next door to a crime, that we got left out of the deal. But go on, Jack, old chum, and tell us all he said."
Jack accordingly proceeded to do so. He was frequently interrupted by Jimmy, who fancied that he was neglecting some important feature of the story. Between them everything was presently told. And the other four hung upon the narration to the last word.
"Let"s see that queer old packet, Jack," said Herb.
"That"s so; give us a squint at it, anyhow," Nick demanded.
So the skipper of the _Tramp_ took the letter out carefully and held it up.
"Excuse me for not pa.s.sing it around, fellows," he remarked, "but I gave my word it shouldn"t go out of my possession until I"d found the party mentioned. From the way the young chap acted, I guess it must be more or less valuable, to him and this same party, anyhow."
"What is the name on the envelope--you can tell me that, can"t you?"
asked Josh.