airing of mounting the
hill in the storm, had unhitched his horses and driven off till the
weather cleared.

The wagon was in such a position that it blocked the road, which was
sunken between high banks at that point. Jack ground down his brakes
in chagrin.

"Blocked!" he exclaimed disgustedly.

CHAPTER XXI.

VAULTING TO THE RESCUE.

"What awful luck," muttered Tom.

"Isn't there any way we can get by?" inquired the doctor anxiously.
"It's important that I should reach Mr. Chadwick as soon as possible."

Jack made no reply, but bent over the gas-valve. In an instant the gas
was hissing into the balloon bag. Its wet folds swelled out, and
presently Jack started the propellers. Like a racehorse leaping a
barrier, the Wondership rose skyward.

"Hold fast!" cried the boy in a triumphant voice.

"Wow!" yelled Tom, "there are more ways of killing a cat than by
choking it with cream."

The next moment the Wondership was in the road on the other side of
the hay wagon, having hurdled it like a high jumper, and was once more
on her way.

"Jove, you boys are marvels!" exclaimed the doctor. "Is there
anything you can't do with this craft, or auto, or whatever it is, of
yours?"

"Lots of things, I guess," said Tom, "but we haven't found many of
them yet."

At uninterrupted speed the journey was resumed. At times so swift was
the pace that the Wondership seemed to be half flying. Thanks to her
shock absorbers, but little motion was felt, although in places the
roadway had been washed out by the torrential downpour and was very
rough.

"Whereabouts are we?" shouted Tom, as they rushed along.

"Near the Coon Creek Bridge," flung back Jack over his shoulder. "We
ought to sight it at any moment now."

He peered through the blackness ahead. The searchlights failed to show
any bridge. But the young driver saw an abandoned cottage by the
roadside which had formerly been used as a toolhouse. Just beyond it
he knew the bridge should loom up with its white railings.

But there was not a sign of it.

Not till it was too late to stop did Jack realize what had happened.
The bridge had been washed away by the rising waters of the creek and
he was tearing at top speed for the steep banks.

It was a moment for lightning thinking. Right ahead loomed a black pit
which he knew marked the water course.

Suddenly it flashed into Jack's mind that in former times, before the
bridge had been built, there had been a ford