CHAPTER XIV.
OFF ON THEIR STRANGE VOYAGE.
“Well, boys, everything appears to be all right.”
It was morning in the large compound, or garden, adjoining the consul’shouse, and our adventurers were grouped about an odd collection ofarticles that had formed the contents of several big packing cases.
“By the way,” put in Mr. Stowe, who had been an interested spectator ofthe unpacking of the cases, “I have news for you, Master Trevor.”
“What is it?” inquired Nat, whose shoulders still felt a bit stiff andsore, but was otherwise in fine fettle.
“The police say that they will arrest that man who struckyou—to-morrow.”
“I thought so,” said Nat, with a laugh, as he caught a twinkle in theconsul’s eyes; “I guess it will be one of those to-morrows that nevercome.”
“I’m afraid so,” said the consul. “There is little law in this country,and it’s a case of every one looking out for himself.”
After some more talk, in which all freely expressed their indignationagainst the rascals who had decoyed Nat, work on the erection of thedirigible was begun. It proceeded rapidly. By afternoon the lowerframework of the craft was in position and bolted firmly in place. Thispart of the craft merits a somewhat detailed description. It was of analuminum alloy, of great strength and lightness.
Amidships of the structure, which was shaped not unlike a long sleigh,was a canvas-enclosed cabin. The front part of this was fitted withround windows for the helmsman to see out of, and contained the wheelby which the great rudder was controlled. The various levers andhandles for the management of the engine were also manipulated, likethe rudder, from this “pilot-house,” as it may be called.
Just aft of the pilot-house the canvas-enclosed framework did duty as adining, living and sleeping room, being fitted with swinging bunks,which, when not in use, folded up against the ceiling. A collapsibletable and other furniture of the same character were also to be foundin this chamber, as well as a denatured alcohol stove for cooking, anda complete outfit of plates, knives, forks, etc.
Behind the pilot-house came the heavy frames and stringers, destined tosupport the engine. This was a six-cylinder motor of one hundred horsepower, which drove a big suction propeller attached to the front of theframework. Thus the dirigible was drawn, and not pushed, through theair. The propeller was ten feet from tip to tip, and formed oflaminated wood covered with canvas stretched tightly upon the timber.
A sort of gangway, or path, extended from bow to stern of thisframework, enabling the aerial navigators to walk to any part of thestructure at will.
The entire frame was secured to the vast gas bag by numbered ropes,with steel cores to insure their stoutness. Relief valve-cords and gascontrols all ran to the pilot-house, under which structure a steeltank, capable of holding two hundred gallons of gasolene, wassuspended. A reserve supply of fuel was also carried, as well aslubricating oil, and what Joe Hartley called “a machine shop full oftools.”
There were other features of the craft, which will be described asoccasion arises; but when we say that the _Discoverer_ was, roughly, ahundred and fifty feet from stem to stern, one of the largest airshipsof her type, constructed in America, had a capacity of 150,000 cubicfeet of gas and could lift 6,000 pounds, we have covered the mainfeatures of her construction. It may be added that the motor was of thefour-cycle type, and, despite its high horse power, weighed but atrifle over 250 pounds. Aluminum alloy had been used freely in itsconstruction.
By nightfall the engine was in place and firmly bolted to itsfoundation plates. A test showed it to be working perfectly. The cabinprovision lockers were then stored with canned goods of alldescriptions, and staples, such as flour, beans, bacon, corned beef andpreserved butter. Tea was also carried, but no coffee. One feature ofthe cabin was the “armory.” This was a chest containing rifles andshotguns of the latest automatic type. It was an important feature ofthe _Discoverer’s_ equipment, inasmuch as the adventurers expected to“live on the country” to a great extent, for Bolivia abounds in game.
All that remained to do then, was to inflate the great gas bag. Theadjustment of this to the frame proved tedious work. But at last it wasdone, and the folds all carefully straightened out, in itself anarduous job. The whole party was pretty well tired out by this time,and work was discontinued for the day.
“In the morning,” said the professor, “we will inflate the bag, andthen there will be nothing more to detain us.”
The boys gave a cheer. It seemed almost too good to be true—the ideathat before many hours had passed they would be flying high above oldMother Earth in a cloud cruiser, that for completeness andeffectiveness surpassed their wildest dreams.
Between four and five o’clock the next morning the lads were astir.After early coffee and some fruit and rolls, the task of inflating thegreat bag was begun. Huge wooden tanks full of iron filings and metalscrap had already been erected. Acid was now added to the filings andthe tops clamped on. Then the inflation pipes, purifier and nozzleswere adjusted.
A cheer broke from the boys as they saw the huge bag begin to swelllike a live thing as the gas poured into it. By noon the professorannounced the inflation as being sufficient. At that time, the greatyellow bag was as tight as a drum almost, and the heat of the sunserved to swell it still further. While the bag had been filling, theunder frame of the dirigible had been weighted down by bags of sand.Otherwise it would have risen of its own volition.
The last things loaded on the framework were several cylinders ofhydrogen gas at tremendous pressure. This was the reserve supply of theadventurers, and the tanks contained enough almost to refill the bag incase of necessity. A hasty lunch was consumed at the consul’s table,and Nat gave final instructions to the man who had been employed totake care of the _Nomad_ during their absence.
This done, there was nothing else to wait for, and at one-thirty sharp,the professor gave a final look over things. Then he turned toDing-dong Bell.
“You can take your place at the motor,” he said. “Mr. Tubbs, you willattend to the handling of the craft as we rise.”
The versatile Mr. Tubbs, whose moving picture apparatus was inreadiness, paused to take a few pictures, and then mounted to his placein the pilot-house.
Nat and his chums bade good-bye to the consul, and then took theirplaces. It was Nat and Joe’s task to attend to the throwing off ofballast as they arose.
“Good-bye and good fortune to you,” said the consul, as the greatairship quivered and strained, as if anxious to be up.
The bags had been thrown off so rapidly that now the weight of only afew held her down. The professor took his place beside Mr. Tubbs. Theconsul’s wife waved a dainty handkerchief.
The departure had been kept a secret, but the sight of the great yellowbag’s outlines rising above the compound walls had attracted a crowdoutside. A cheer arose as the _Discoverer’s_ electric siren sounded aprolonged blast.
It was the signal for throwing off the remaining bags. Nat and Joeworked with a will. Suddenly the craft bounded upward, almost throwingthem off. Hastily they cast off the final sacks, while Ding-dong, hisface pale with excitement, stood by his engines.
Clang-clang! came from the gong at his elbow.
The lad’s hand shoved over the starting lever that gave the enginestheir first impulse by means of compressed air. Then he manipulated thesparking and gas controls.
The mighty propeller began to beat the air as the _Discoverer_ soaredbuoyantly, and yet in stately fashion, high above the houses andtree-tops.
“Hurray! We’re off!” cried Nat, clambering along the runway as nimblyas a sailor.
Faster and faster the propeller revolved. The wind was blowing lightlyout of the west, aiding the _Discoverer_ on her flight toward themountains.
Suddenly Ding-dong felt something fan the air past his ear. It was abullet. At the same instant a report came from below. Somebody wasshooting
at the craft of the clouds. The others rushed out excitedly.They were just in time to see two figures struggling in the hands ofseveral native policemen.
“It’s that rascal Lawless and his mate Durkee!” cried Nat. “Now I knowwhy those voices seemed so familiar. It was those two ruffians whocaptured me the other night.”
“But how in the world did they get here?” asked Joe.
It was many days before that mystery was solved for the Motor Rangers,but in the meantime they at least had the satisfaction of seeing thatthe cowardly endeavor to injure the airship had resulted in theirarrest.
But they gave little time to thinking of Lawless and his fellowruffian. The land of mystery, of the lost city, of the unknown, laybefore them.
With a fair wind and with perfectly working engines, the _Discoverer_drove forward at forty miles an hour, carrying the Motor Rangers on thestrangest cruise of their eventful lives.