The day passed miserably and slowly. They could not see their airship from where they now were, and they feared lest something happen to it. Talk lagged among the boys, but the professor did not seem to mind his imprisonment, for he had light now to see to work on his notes, and he managed to capture several small bugs, which he put in his boxes that he had carried into his prison with him.
Supper was brought to them about dusk, and Jerry took the opportunity to demand of Mr. Muggins that they either be taken at once before a magistrate, or released on payment of one hundred and fifty dollars, which, he said was all it would cost to repair the barn.
But Mr. Muggins was obstinate, and would not listen to reason. He departed, locking the harness room door securely after him.
“Well, we might as well make up our minds to spend the night here,” said Bob gloomily. “Anyhow, I’m not hungry--at least for the present.”
“That’s a comfort,” observed Jerry somewhat sarcastically. He was walking idly about the room when his foot happened to knock against a board near the floor.
Quickly he stooped over, and inserted his fingers in a crack. There was just light enough left from the fast-closing day, to show that the board was loose.
“This board! I believe we can kick it off and get out!”
“No, not now,” said Jerry calmly. “It’s too early, and they’d hear the noise. Wait until after dark, when they’re all in bed, and we’ll escape.”
“But if we do get the board off,” objected Ned, “we’ll only be out in the main room of the carriage house.”
“That’s all right,” declared Jerry. “There are low windows there, and the doors don’t fasten as tightly as this one does. We can get out of the carriage house easily enough, sneak to the airship, and be off before that rascally farmer and his hired men know what’s up.”
“Good!” cried Professor Snodgrass. “I’ll help!”
They could hardly wait for the time to come. It got very dark, for the lantern had been taken away from them. At Jerry’s suggestion they stretched out on the blankets and tried to rest until it should be late enough to make the attempt to escape.
They could hear movements about the barnyard, and guessed that remedies were being administered to the sick horse. At last, however, all was quiet, and, waiting to give the farmer’s family time to get asleep, our heroes began to make ready to leave.