The Motor Boys Over the Ocean; Or, A Marvelous Rescue in Mid-Air Read online

  CHAPTER II

  NEWS OF MR. JACKSON

  "You feel better already, don't you, Ned?" asked Jerry a little later,following a brisk discussion of the possible plans for locating Mr.Jackson.

  "I believe I do," answered the son of the department-store proprietor."It's always a relief to be busy when you have trouble, for it takes itoff your mind."

  "Yes, and we'll find that Mr. Jackson, too," declared Bob, with energy.

  "I hope so," added Ned. "But now, what about this new hydroplanebusiness, Jerry? I can listen now with some attention since I've toldyou what was on my mind."

  "Good! Then I hope you'll agree with me," and Jerry proceeded todescribe in detail what he proposed doing.

  Ned listened attentively, and asked several questions, showing that heunderstood the plan proposed by his chum.

  "Now then, Ned, are you with me or against me?" demanded Jerry, atlength.

  "Against him!" put in Bob eagerly. "Don't let him spoil the _Comet_!"

  "I'll not spoil her," cried Jerry. "Let Ned speak for himself, Chunky."

  "Then I'm for it!" exclaimed Ned, with sudden energy. "It's quite aradical change, but I think it will be a good one. We may want to makea trip over water, but until I can help out my father I'm not going todo much else, so I can't be of any aid to you, Jerry."

  "Oh, that's all right. We have all summer to make the changes in, andBob and I can be doing part of it at odd times, while you're workingwith your father on the books. Of course, I mean when we're not lookingfor Mr. Jackson; eh, Bob?"

  "Do you think I'm going to help?" demanded the stout lad.

  "Well, you're in the minority, and you always said the majority oughtto govern. We're two to your one."

  "Oh, all right, go ahead!" exclaimed Bob, with a gesture of despair."Put a bath-room in the _Comet_ if you like, and I suppose I'll have tostand for it."

  "No, you can lie down when you take a bath," observed Ned, with a grin,and his chums laughed, taking it as a sign that the lad was forgettingsome of his worries.

  "Then we'll go ahead when we get the chance," observed Jerry. "But nowlet's go down to your father's store, Ned, and tell him we are on thejob."

  "And get some idea of where to hunt for this mysterious Mr. Jackson,"suggested Bob.

  "Sure--yes," agreed Jerry.

  "Oh, I don't know that he's so mysterious," remarked Ned. "It's onlythat he is a very busy man, and has so many interests--railroads,mines, ships, building canals and trolley lines--so many irons in thefire, that he may be in New York one day, and off for London or SanFrancisco the next. That's why he's so hard to get hold of.

  "Then, too, he's interested in some kind of sport, I heard dad say.Yachting or motoring or something like that, I can't just remember, andhe's likely to be off on a trip. Even his secretary doesn't know whereto find him sometimes, and when you stop to consider that the men whoare working against my father have some interests in common with Mr.Jackson, and don't want him to know of my father's trouble, you cansee that it's going to be no easy proposition."

  "Wouldn't a letter reach him?" inquired Bob, as he got ready toaccompany his chums out of the house.

  "We've tried letters and telegrams," explained Ned. "None of them areany good. I heard dad say that sometimes letters follow Mr. Jacksonhalf way around the globe, and even then he doesn't get them. Oh, he'sa hard man to get in touch with!"

  "But we'll do it!" declared Jerry, when they were on their way to thedepartment store.

  Mr. Slade was both surprised and pleased when his son, and the latter'stwo chums, came into the office, and Ned had explained the decision atwhich they had arrived.

  "Boys!" exclaimed the merchant, "I don't know how to thank you for youroffer. I needn't say that it is going to be quite a task, for Ned hasexplained what a peculiar man Mr. Jackson is, but I like your spirit.I knew you and Ned were quite chummy, and had been through lots ofadventure together, but I never imagined that you'd prove a friend tothe older folks in the family.

  "It is certainly very good of you, and I appreciate it more than I cantell. I'm afraid, though, that it will break up your vacation plans."

  "Not at all," Jerry assured Mr. Slade. "We may get more fun out ofhunting for Mr. Jackson than you imagine. We'll try for him in theauto, and if that doesn't catch him we'll get after him in the motorboat, and as a last resort----"

  "The airship, with the new hydroplane feature!" put in Ned with a laugh.

  "Exactly," agreed Jerry. "But, Mr. Slade, if we are to find this oddman, we ought to have something to work on. Where was he located last?"

  "Out in San Francisco," was the reply. "But where he went from thereno one seems to know. He started East to inspect a new railroad heis building, and from then on all trace of him has been lost. I haveagents in various parts of the country trying to get a trace of him,but so far--"

  Mr. Slade was interrupted by the sudden ringing of the telephone bell.He swung around to his desk, in the private office where the talk wastaking place, and unhooked the receiver. The boys listened to theone-sided conversation.

  "Yes--yes," said Mr. Slade eagerly. "What's that? He is? Are yousure it's the same man? In Boston, you say--No, just outside--what'sthat? The name of the place is Durham? Yes, I get it. Oh, say, I'mever so much obliged to you, Burkhardt. Yes, I'll get right afterhim. In fact, I have some friends of mine here in the office now whoare anxious to start off on the quest. Yes, they're friends of Ned.Good-bye!"

  Mr. Slade turned to the three chums.

  "Boys!" he cried, "I have a trace of Mr. Jackson. He was in Bostonyesterday, and is now stopping at a health resort in Durham, resting upafter a hard business campaign."

  "In Durham!" cried Jerry. "That's not far from here. We could do itin one day in the auto! We're on his trail at last! Come on, fellows,let's get ready for the trip!"