CHAPTER II

AN ACCIDENT

Mr Goodall and Tom Trigger made their way down to a sheltered shed near the cricket ground of the Crystal Palace, with the air-ship, and they proceeded to inflate it through a small gas-pipe, which was three-quarters of an inch in diameter. This process occupied an hour, so that they had ample time to talk about Miss Chain’s fright and fit.

“What is your opinion of what happened just now in the workroom?” asked Mr Goodall.

“Hardly know, sir, I’m sure. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and where there’s shadow there’s substance.”

“Yes, especially as a look through the peep-hole confirmed Miss Chain’s suspicions, whatever they were.”

“Do you think, sir, that he was looking after her?”

“To be candid, Trigger, I rather thought that the fellow was looking after me, and wanted to know where my balloons were located. I have come across him three times before this morning.”

“Indeed, sir, that seems odd.”

“I first saw him in Trafalgar Square, next he passed me in a hansom when my cab broke down, and then to my surprise he turned up in the palace, talking to a young lady and a gentleman, and he had that same little fellow with him whom we saw behind him outside the room. I noticed, too, that the tall man gave me an ugly look, as if he had some knowledge of what my business here consisted of.”

“I think I have heard you say, sir, that your uncle and your father both object to ballooning?”

“Yes, they do. That reminds me, I have just heard that my father has met with an accident on board one of his own ships. The mishap is reported to have occurred whilst he was on his way from Sydney to Cape Town, and my uncle, a merchant in London, is anxiously looking for further information. I must see him as soon as possible, Trigger. But, as regards these queer strangers who seem to be following me about, I scarcely know what to think, for the big, dark fellow is shadowing Miss Chain as well, it would appear. I hope my uncle has not told him that I am here.”

“I don’t suppose he has, sir. For my part, I rather think he is after the young lady.”

“After the pretty girl who was with him in the palace, do you mean?”

“No, sir, I meant after Miss Chain, for he may have known her before she came here. But these shadows are wonderful things to terrify people, though I don’t believe they’d send you into a fit, Mr Goodall.”

“They might--into a fit of laughter, Tom. But, look here, I want you to hurry on, for many reasons, my first ascent, as all the arrangements are made, and I did think of ascending this afternoon, but I have decided to be satisfied with a trial of the air-ship instead, and to baffle this spy. At the same time, the palace directors are relying upon my keeping faith this week, though no ascent has been announced, but the gas has been ordered, so that we must proceed as soon as possible.”

“The air-ship is full now, sir. Shall I turn off the gas?”

“Yes, and I will lead the way to the lake and hold her stem, while you keep abaft and carry the little steam propeller.”

“I am quite ready, sir. It is just the day for this sort of work.”

“Yes, and I hope that all will go well and lead to something successful. We must keep to this end of the lake and get her under weigh before the wind gets up, as a slight ripple is to be seen on the water down where those boats are. I hope that we shall not be interrupted by lookers-on.”

The aero-aquatic combination having been connected by cords, Mr Goodall took up his position on the windward bank, while Trigger went round to the opposite side to receive the air-ship, and, as one of the palace police was there in plain clothes, his services were accepted to assist Trigger when she crossed over, so nothing could have been more promising to the experimentalists, who looked like boys sailing their miniature cutters from side to side of a pond.

But, during the third spin, when the ardent aeronaut was intent on the working of his invention, two boats approached so as to afford the rowers a closer view of the attractive sight. In the first boat were two youths, who evidently knew how to use their sculls, but in the second boat a lady was standing up, eagerly watching the air-ship, which was moving so prettily over the water, whilst her companion, a fine-looking man, was pulling almost savagely to get ahead, when the two boats collided. For a moment the lady swayed to and fro, trying to regain her balance, then there was a splash and she had disappeared beneath the water.

Mr Goodall, who was on the side of the lake where the lady fell over, was expecting to see her reckless rower spring in to her assistance, but he either lost his head or lacked the courage to do so. Goodall therefore, found himself instinctively divesting himself of his coat, shoes and hat, when he dashed in just in time to catch the lady by her hair as she rose to the surface, and here he held her, whilst the more spirited youths helped to take her into their boat; but the gentleman, who looked as if he were jealous of Mr Goodall’s prompt aid, rendered some tardy assistance at last by holding on to the side of the youths’ boat whilst the lady was being lifted in. She was immediately taken to the bank, where Trigger and the policeman came to the rescue. At this juncture, her companion became demonstratively active, while Trigger ran to the cricket ground refreshment stall and brought back something to restore the lady, who was not too far gone to perceive who had rescued her in the nick of time; but her feeble effort to express her gratitude to Mr Goodall was checked by her now officious companion whose arm encircled her waist, whilst he ignored the aeronaut altogether, and seemed to take to himself the credit of having saved her.

With a smile at this effrontery, Mr Goodall went to see after his air-ship, which had got among the trees, and Trigger went to fetch his master’s clothes, which were on the opposite bank.

Meanwhile, the policeman advised that the lady should be taken in a cab to the Thicket Hotel, which was not far off in the Anerley Road, and there she was seen to and provided with dry clothes by the landlady.

When Trigger was alone with his master in the workroom, he could not help expressing his indignation at the “conceited snob,” who had never even thanked Mr Goodall for his services.

“I only wish,” Tom said, “we had him here, and if I wouldn’t pitch into him for his cowardly behaviour, may I never ascend with you again, sir!”

“I admire your pluck, Trigger, but you forget that he may have been here to take note of my movements. You did not notice, perhaps, that he was the spy, the shadow man, who accompanied the young lady whom I saw in the palace to-day. In the excitement of the moment, I did not at first identify the party, but I can very well understand the fellow’s feelings towards me; besides, I am sure that he is no friend to me. Mind that you do not, for the present, mention what has happened to Miss Chain or to Lucy. When I have changed my clothes, I’ll come back and look up the policeman to find out how the lady is. Remember, not a word, Trigger.”

“All right, sir; I’m as good as if I were under sealed orders, and I am not the man to break faith.”

Presently the policeman knocked at the door and informed Mr Goodall that the lady was getting on nicely, and that the gentleman had gone up to the Palace Club room to meet the lady’s father, and to inform him of what had taken place. A carriage was then ordered to take the trio to catch a train that was going south, but neither the lady nor the gentleman mentioned where they were going to, or whence they came.

After hearing these particulars, Mr Goodall, who seemed to know the man’s face, asked him his name.

“My name, sir, is Warner.”

“Ah! I recollect you now perfectly. What is your Christian name?”

“Unfortunately, it is Simon, sir; but I do not belong to the detective department, though I am as sharp, perhaps, as some of them that do.”

“I daresay, and I’ll get you to keep an eye on my workroom if you will.”

“With pleasure, sir. I know that you have a lot of valuable property here, and I told your assistant, when I helped him at the lake, that I would look round occasionally.”

“Thanks, Warner. Now, tell me more about the lady.”

“You saved her life, Mr Goodall, and not a moment too soon, but her companion tried to make her believe, after you left, that he rescued her. I couldn’t stand it any longer, and, whilst the gent was out of the way, I blurted out the plain truth.”

“And what did the lady say to your honest candour, Warner?”

“She replied, ‘You know, policeman, and I know that a strange gentleman in his shirt sleeves took me out of the water, and I had seen that stranger once before to-day in the palace, and should you see him again, express the deepest gratitude to him from me, and I shall hope to see you again, policeman, if you will leave me your name.’”

“Well done, Simon! You’ll be a rising man some day. I hope you left your name?”

“No, I didn’t, sir, for I heard the lady’s friend coming before I could say much more.”

“That was a pity, Warner, though, personally, I do not wish to be mixed up with that affair more than I have been, as my social position and family connection compel me to pursue my hobby in as quiet and private a manner as possible.”

“Yes, sir, I understood something of that sort from Trigger, who told me not to open my mouth too wide about his master’s doings. In my line we are careful about that, Mr Goodall; but, hang me if I could keep from popping in a word about you when I found that the lady was being told all wrong as to who saved her.”

“You are quite sure that you did not mention my name?”

“Oh no, sir; the lady was hurried off and I don’t suppose that we shall hear much more about the affair, as people of that sort like to hush up accidents that would drag their names into the newspapers.”

“Very well, then, Warner, give me a look up soon again. I should like to have another chat with you.”

“I know, sir, that the lady would have liked to have heard more about the gentleman who rescued her, as she asked me who you were and when you were going to make another experiment. Of course I said nothing on that subject.”

“Ah! Her friend ought to have saved her. I’ve met him several times before to-day. I suppose you don’t know who he is?”

“I do not, sir, but he looked as if your prompt plunge made him feel ashamed of himself.”

“He has been hanging about here to catch sight of Miss Chain or of me.”

“It’s my humble opinion, sir, that we shall see him again before long, and that little man as well.”

“Look sharp after them then, Warner!”

“I’ll do my best, sir, but I am not a trained detective like Hawksworth whom you know.”

“Do I? I was not aware that I knew anyone of that name.”

“I have seen him in your room, sir.”

“Have you? Then I didn’t know his calling.”

“He is that jolly, chatty person I have seen you speaking to.”

“Do you mean that intelligent, pleasant sort of man who used to interest himself so much in ballooning, and who used to keep an eye on people outside by looking through the peep-hole in the screen?”

“That’s the man I mean, sir. That is Jack Hawksworth, who is said to be a London detective. He has a case on here now, or I should say he is on the lookout for two criminals from Australia.”

“Now you mention it, I have been surprised to see him in two or three different ‘get-ups’ in the same day; but really I took him to be someone connected with the palace.”

“He has not been down long, sir, and I believe he only comes out here for a change, as he expects to spot his men among the fashionables inside. His make-up, they say, is wonderful. But I hope you will not let him know that I have mentioned who he is.”

“Oh that’s all right, Warner, but I shall certainly not satisfy his inquiries or encourage his visits for the future; but I shall always be glad to see you here, as you are skilful and discreet.”

“I forgot to mention, Mr Goodall, that the young lady alluded to the reckless way the dark gentleman rowed their boat to look at your air-ship. She also said he considered flying machines and flying men much more useful than balloons.”

“They undoubtedly would be, Warner, if they could be made to fly and navigate the air.”

“I thought, sir, that men and air machines had flown as high as the tower yonder.”

“Don’t you believe in anything of that kind, Warner. Why, a fortune could be made if they could cross and re-cross the North Tower.”

“Then, you don’t believe in directing balloons, sir, or in flying?”

“I have already shown you this morning that balloons, by the combined aid of air and water, can, to some extent, be guided on the ocean, and I shall some day try my plan on a larger scale, at sea, perhaps.”

“I should like to assist in that work, Mr Goodall.”

“Well, strange things happen. You may, for all we know, be able to render assistance in a trial of that sort. It is my desire to show while I am here the possibility of using balloons for one or two novel experiments, and to show that they are still, if skilfully handled, of more value than flying men, and machines which cannot fly.”