CHAPTER XXVIII
ABLAZE IN THE CLOUDS
There was small consolation, however, for those aboard Dick's craft, inthe thought that other competing airships were in the same plight asthemselves. For, as the night wore on, the wind seemed to increase inpower. Only the mechanical strength of the Abaris enabled her toweather the storm.
"We could not possible do it were it not for the gyroscope stabilizer,"declared Lieutenant McBride. "We would be on our beams ends all thewhile. It's a great invention."
"Well, this certainly is a good test of it," agreed Mr. Vardon, withpardonable pride.
Indeed, no more severe strain could have been put upon the apparatus.There would come a great gust of the tornado, and the ship would beginto heel over. But the marvelous power of the gyroscope would force herback again.
On through the night and through the gale went the airship. So severewas the storm that it was not deemed wise for any one to remain in hisbunk. So everyone spent the hours of darkness in wakeful watching andwaiting.
"We want to be ready to act in any emergency," explained Mr. Vardon."There's no telling when something may give way under the strain."
"Well, then we ought to go over all the machinery every ten minutes orso, and see if anything is wrong," suggested Dick. "We might see thetrouble starting in time to prevent it."
"Good idea!" cried the lieutenant. "We'll make periodical inspections.Everyone on the job, as the boys say."
The task of looking after the machinery was divided up among the youngaviators, and, as the craft was swayed this way and that by the gale,eager and anxious eyes watched every revolution of the gear wheels,pistons were minutely inspected in the light of electric torches, andvalves adjusted when they showed the least sign of going wrong.
Poor Grit seemed to be afraid, which was something new for him. Hewould not leave Dick for an instant, but kept at his heels, even whenhis master went near the sparking motors and dynamos, which the bulldoghad good reason to fear. But now he seemed more afraid of somethingelse than the machines that had shocked him.
"I wonder what's the matter?" spoke the young millionaire. "I neversaw him act this way before. What is it, old boy?" he asked soothingly.
Grit whined uneasily.
"Sometimes animals have premonitions," said Mr. Vardon. "I rememberonce, in my early days of flying, I took a dog up with me.
"Everything seemed to be going along fine, but the dog showed signs ofuneasiness, though it wasn't on account of the height, for he'd been upbefore. But it wasn't five minutes later before one of my propellerblades broke off, and I nearly turned turtle before I could make alanding."
"I hope nothing like that occurs now," said Larry. "It might make agood story, but it would be a mighty uncomfortable feeling."
"I don't anticipate anything," said the aviator. "We seem to be doingvery well. But we are making scarcely any progress, and we are beingblown considerably off our course."
"We'll make it up when the wind stops," Dick said. "I'm determined towin that prize!"
"This is a peculiar storm," Lieutenant McBride observed. "It seems tobe nothing but wind. I'm inclined to think there had been an area oflow pressure about this region, caused possibly by some other storm,and the air from another region is now rushing in, filling up thepartial vacuum."
"In that case we might try to rise above it," suggested Mr. Vardon."I've often done that. We could go up. It would not be advisable togo down any lower, as we don't want to run the risk of colliding withany mountains, and we are getting pretty well to the Northwest now.Suppose we try to go up?"
This was agreed on as a wise plan, and Dick, who was taking his turn atthe wheel, shifted the rudder to send his craft up on a long slant.
But now a new difficulty arose. It seemed that the change in anglemade a heavier wind pressure on the big planes, and the speed of theairship was reduced to a bare ten miles an hour. In fact she seemedalmost stationary in the air, at times.
"This won't do!" cried Dick. "We've got to turn on more power, even ifwe do strain the machinery. We've got to have more speed than this!"
"That's right!" cried Mr. Vardon. "I'll turn 'em up, Dick."
And with the increased speed of the big motor that was whirling thepropellers came increased danger of a break. Vigilance was redoubled,and they had their reward for their care.
"Here's something wrong!" cried Innis, as he passed a small dynamo thatsupplied current for the electric lights. "A hot bearing!" and hepointed to where one was smoking.
"Shut down! Quick!" cried Mr. Vardon. "Throw over the storage batteryswitch. That will run the lights until that shaft cools. It must haverun out of oil."
The dynamo was stopped and as the storage battery was not powerfulenough to operate all the lights for very long, only part of theincandescents were used, so that the interior of the ship was onlydimly lighted.
"Use your portable electric torches to examine the machinery in thedark places," directed the aviator. "We'll use the dynamo again assoon it cools."
This machine, going out of commission, had no effect on the progress ofthe airship. She was still fighting her way upward, with Dick at thewheel, and Grit crouching uneasily near him. The dog gave voice,occasionally, to pitiful whines.
"What is it, old boy?" asked Dick. "Is something wrong?"
And Grit's manner showed very plainly that there was. But what it wasno one could guess.
"How is she coming, Dick?" asked Innis, a little later. "Can I relieveyou?"
"No, I'm not tired. It's only a nervous sort of feeling. I feel as ifI were trying to push the airship along."
"I know how it is," murmured the cadet.
"But just take it easy. How is she doing?"
"Better, I think. We seem to be gaining a little. If we could onlyget above the gale we'd be all right. But it's hard forcing her up.I'd just like to know how Uncle Ezra is making out."
As a matter of fact, as Dick learned later, his relative had no easytime of it. He had gotten off in fair weather, and under goodcircumstances, but engine trouble developed after the first few hours,and, while he and Larson, with the army man, did not have to come down,they could only fly at slow speed.
"I don't know what's the matter with the thing," said Larson. "I'mafraid we'll have to use even a different carburetor."
"What! And spend more money!" cried Uncle Ezra. "I guess not! No,sir! Up to date this machine has cost me nigh on to eleven thousanddollars! I've got it all down."
"But you'll double your money, and have a fine machine to sell to thegovernment," said Larson. "It will be all right. Give me money for alarger carburetor."
"Well, if I have to I have to, I suppose," sighed the miserly old man."But try and make this one do."
It would not answer, however, and after trying in vain to get morespeed out of the craft, Larson was obliged to use one of the twoallowed descents, and go down to readjust the motor.
Then when a couple of days had elapsed, though of course this time wasnot counted any more than in the case of Dick, another start was made.The Larabee, as Uncle Ezra had called his craft, seemed to do better,and at times she showed a spurt of speed that amazed even Larsonhimself. They passed several who had started ahead of them.
"We're sure to get that prize!" he exulted.
"Well, I cal'alate if we don't there'll be trouble," declared UncleEzra, grimly.
Then they had run into the storm, as had Dick's craft, and severalother competing ones, and Larson, the army man and Uncle Ezra were ingreat difficulties. But they forced their machine on.
Of course Dick and his friends knew nothing of this at the time, asseveral hundred miles then separated the two airships.
Onward and upward went the Abaris. Now and then she seemed to gain onthe wind, but it was a hard struggle.
"I think we're going to do it, though," declared Dick, as he went aboutwith the aviator, looking at and testing the various pieces ofmachinery.
"Our speed has gone up a little, and the wind pressureseems less."
"It is; a little," agreed Mr. Vardon. "But what is worrying me is thatwe'll have a lot of lost time and distance to make up when we get outof this storm. Still, I suppose it can't be helped."
"Indeed not. We're lucky as it is," admitted the young millionaire."But I'm going to get Innis and make some coffee. I think it will dous all good."
The electric stove was soon aglow, and a little later the aromatic odorof coffee pervaded the cabin of the airship. Some sandwiches were alsomade.
And thus, while the craft was fighting her way through the gale, thoseaboard ate a midnight lunch, with as good appetites as though they wereon solid ground. For, in spite of the fact that they were in the midstof danger, they were fairly comfortable. True the aircraft was tiltedupward, for she was still climbing on a steep slant, but they hadgotten used to this. The gyroscope stabilizer prevented any rollingfrom side to side.
"Maybe Grit is hungry, and that's what's bothering him," said Dick, ashe tossed the dog a bit of canned chicken. But though the animal wasusually very fond of this delicacy, he now refused it.
"That's queer," mused Dick. "I can't understand that. Somethingsurely must be wrong. I hope he isn't going to be sick."
"Had we better go any higher?" asked Innis, at the wheel, as he notedthe hand on the gage. "We're up nearly nine thousand feet now, and--"
"Hold her there!" cried Mr. Vardon. "If we've gone up that far, and wehaven't gotten beyond the gale, there isn't much use trying any more.We'll ride it out at that level."
Indeed the Abaris was very high, and some of the party had a littledifficulty in breathing. Grit, too, was affected this way, and itadded to his uneasiness.
"If we had some means of making the cabin air-tight we could make theair pressure in here just what we wanted it, regardless of the rarefiedatmosphere outside," said Dick. "In my next airship I'll have thatdone."
"Not a bad idea," agreed Mr. Vardon. "It could be arranged."
The night was wearing on, and as the first pale streaks of dawn showedthrough the celluloid windows of the cabin it was noticed by the windgage that the force of the gale was slacking.
"We've ridden it out!" exulted Dick. "She's a good old airship afterall. Now we can get back on our course. We ought to be crossing theRockies soon, and then for the last stage of the trip to San Francisco."
"Oh, we've got considerable distance yet to cover," said the aviator."I fancy we were blown nearly five hundred miles out of our way, andthat's going to take us several hours to make good on."
"Still you are doing well," said the army man. "No airship has evermade a trans-continental flight, and there is no speed record to go by.So you may win after all, especially as the storm was so general."
It was rapidly getting light now, and as they looked they saw that theywere above the clouds. They were skimming along in a sea of fleecy,white mist.
"First call for breakfast!" cried Dick. His tones had scarcely diedaway when there came a howl from Grit, who was standing near thecompartment of the main motor.
"What is the matter with that dog?" asked Dick, in a puzzled voice.Grit's howl changed to a bark, and at the same moment, Larry Dexter,who was passing, cried out:
"Fire! There's a fire in the motor-room! Where are the extinguishers?"
A black cloud of smoke rushed out, enveloping Grit, who howled dismally.