Chapter X
WESTWARD--BUT WHITHER?
The next day, the 15th of June, about five o'clock in the morning,Phil Evans left his cabin. Perhaps he would today have a chance ofspeaking to Robur? Desirous of knowing why he had not appeared theday before, Evans addressed himself to the mate, Tom Turner.
Tom Turner was an Englishman of about forty-five, broad in theshoulders and short in the legs, a man of iron, with one of thoseenormous characteristic heads that Hogarth rejoiced in.
"Shall we see Mr. Robur to-day?" asked Phil Evans.
"I don't know," said Turner.
"I need not ask if he has gone out."
"Perhaps he has."
"And when will he come back?"
"When he has finished his cruise."
And Tom went into his cabin.
With this reply they had to be contented. Matters did not lookpromising, particularly as on reference to the compass it appearedthat the "Albatross" was still steering southwest.
Great was the contrast between the barren tract of the Bad Landspassed over during the night and the landscape then unrolling beneaththem.
The aeronef was now more than six hundred miles from Omaha, and overa country which Phil Evans could not recognize because he had neverbeen there before. A few forts to keep the Indians in order crownedthe bluffs with their geometric lines, formed oftener of palisadesthan walls. There were few villages, and few inhabitants, the countrydiffering widely from the auriferous lands of Colorado many leaguesto the south.
In the distance a long line of mountain crests, in great confusion asyet, began to appear. They were the Rocky Mountains.
For the first time that morning Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans weresensible of a certain lowness of temperature which was not due to achange in the weather, for the sun shone in superb splendor.
"It is because of the "Albatross" being higher in the air," said PhilEvans.
In fact the barometer outside the central deck-house had fallen 540millimeters, thus indicating an elevation of about 10,000 feet abovethe sea. The aeronef was at this altitude owing to the elevation ofthe ground. An hour before she had been at a height of 13,000 feet,and behind her were mountains covered with perpetual snow.
There was nothing Uncle Prudent and his companion could rememberwhich would lead them to discover where they were. During the nightthe "Albatross" had made several stretches north and south attremendous speed, and that was what had put them out of theirreckoning.
After talking over several hypotheses more or less plausible theycame to the conclusion that this country encircled with mountainsmust be the district declared by an Act of Congress in March, 1872,to be the National Park of the United States. A strange region itwas. It well merited the name of a park--a park with mountains forhills, with lakes for ponds, with rivers for streamlets, and withgeysers of marvelous power instead of fountains.
In a few minutes the "Albatross" glided across the Yellowstone River,leaving Mount Stevenson on the right, and coasting the large lakewhich bears the name of the stream. Great was the variety on thebanks of this basin, ribbed as they were with obsidian and tinycrystals, reflecting the sunlight on their myriad facets. Wonderfulwas the arrangement of the islands on its surface; magnificent werethe blue reflections of the gigantic mirror. And around the lake, oneof the highest in the globe, were multitudes of pelicans, swans,gulls and geese, bernicles and divers. In places the steep banks wereclothed with green trees, pines and larches, and at the foot of theescarpments there shot upwards innumerable white fumaroles, the vaporescaping from the soil as from an enormous reservoir in which thewater is kept in permanent ebullition by subterranean fire.
The cook might have seized the opportunity of securing an amplesupply of trout, the only fish the Yellowstone Lake contains inmyriads. But the "Albatross" kept on at such a height that there wasno chance of indulging in a catch which assuredly would have beenmiraculous.
In three quarters of an hour the lake was overpassed, and a littlefarther on the last was seen of the geyser region, which rivals thefinest in Iceland. Leaning over the rail, Uncle Prudent and PhilEvans watched the liquid columns which leaped up as though to furnishthe aeronef with a new element. There were the Fan, with the jetsshot forth in rays, the Fortress, which seemed to be defended bywaterspouts, the Faithful Friend, with her plume crowned with therainbows, the Giant, spurting forth a vertical torrent twenty feetround and more than two hundred feet high.
Robur must evidently have been familiar with this incomparablespectacle, unique in the world, for he did not appear on deck. Wasit, then, for the sole pleasure of his guests that he had brought theaeronef above the national domain? If so, he came not to receivetheir thanks. He did not even trouble himself during the daringpassage of the Rocky Mountains, which the "Albatross" approached atabout seven o'clock.
By increasing the speed of her wings, as a bird rising in its flight,the "Albatross" would clear the highest ridges of the chain, and sinkagain over Oregon or Utah, But the maneuver was unnecessary. Thepasses allowed the barrier to be crossed without ascending for thehigher ridges. There are many of these canyons, or steep valleys,more or less narrow, through which they could glide, such as BridgerGap, through which runs the Pacific Railway into the Mormonterritory, and others to the north and south of it.
It was through one of these that the "Albatross" headed, afterslackening speed so as not to dash against the walls of the canyon.The steersman, with a sureness of hand rendered more effective by thesensitiveness of the rudder, maneuvered his craft as if she were acrack racer in a Royal Victoria match. It was really extraordinary.In spite of all the jealousy of the two enemies of "lighter thanair," they could not help being surprised at the perfection of thisengine of aerial locomotion.
In less than two hours and a half they were through the Rockies, andthe "Albatross" resumed her former speed of sixty-two miles an hour.She was steering southwest so as to cut across Utah diagonally as sheneared the ground. She had even dropped several hundred yards whenthe sound of a whistle attracted the attention of Uncle Prudent andPhil Evans. It was a train on the Pacific Railway on the road to SaltLake City.
And then, in obedience to an order secretly given, the "Albatross"dropped still lower so as to chase the train, which was going at fullspeed. She was immediately sighted. A few heads showed themselves atthe doors of the cars. Then numerous passengers crowded the gangways.Some did not hesitate to climb on the roof to get a better view ofthe flying machine. Cheers came floating up through the air; but noRobur appeared in answer to them.
The "Albatross" continued her descent, slowing her suspensory screwsand moderating her speed so as not to leave the train behind. Sheflew about it like an enormous beetle or a gigantic bird of prey. Sheheaded off, to the right and left, and swept on in front, and hungbehind, and proudly displayed her flag with the golden sun, to whichthe conductor of the train replied by waving the Stars and Stripes.
In vain the prisoners, in their desire to take advantage of theopportunity, endeavored to make themselves known to those below. Invain the president of the Weldon Institute roared forth at the top ofhis voice, "I am Uncle Prudent of Philadelphia!" And the secretaryfollowed suit with, "I am Phil Evans, his colleague!" Their shoutswere lost in the thousand cheers with which the passengers greetedthe aeronef.
Three or four of the crew of the "Albatross" had appeared on thedeck, and one of them, like sailors when passing a ship less speedythan their own, held out a rope, an ironical way of offering to towthem.
And then the "Albatross" resumed her original speed, and in half anhour the express was out of sight. About one o'clock there appeared avast disk, which reflected the solar rays as if it were an immensemirror.
"That ought to be the Mormon capital, Salt Lake City," said UnclePrudent. And so it was, and the disk was the roof of the Tabernacle,where ten thousand saints can worship at their ease. This vast dome,like a convex mirror, threw off the rays of the sun in all directions.
It vanished like a
shadow, and the "Albatross" sped on her way to thesouthwest with a speed that was not felt, because it surpassed thatof the chasing wind. Soon she was in Nevada over the silver regions,which the Sierra separates from the golden lands of California.
"We shall certainly reach San Francisco before night," said PhilEvans.
"And then?" asked Uncle Prudent.
It was six o'clock precisely when the Sierra Nevada was crossed bythe same pass as that taken by the railway. Only a hundred and eightymiles then separated them from San Francisco, the Californian capital.
At the speed the "Albatross" was going she would be over the dome byeight o'clock.
At this moment Robur appeared on deck. The colleagues walked up tohim.
"Engineer Robur," said Uncle Prudent, "we are now on the veryconfines of America! We think the time has come for this joke to end."
"I never joke," said Robur.
He raised his hand. The "Albatross" swiftly dropped towards theground, and at the same time such speed was given her as to drive theprisoners into their cabin. As soon as the door was shut, UnclePrudent exclaimed,
"I could strangle him!"
"We must try to escape." said Phil Evans.
"Yes; cost what it may!"
A long murmur greeted their ears. It was the beating of the surf onthe seashore. It was the Pacific Ocean!