CHAPTER VII
Off for the Andes
The surprise of Bob and Joe was almost inconceivable. They stoodstaring for several seconds before either seemed to grasp the fullsignificance of the naturalist's words.
"Airplane? Going by airplane?" gasped Joe. "How come?"
His father laughed.
"We expected to see you fellows startled," Mr. Lewis said. "But thatyou would show such unusual astonishment we did not in the leastanticipate." He turned to the stranger. "This," he went on, addressingthe youth, "is Mr. Karl Sutman, who is going to take several membersof the expedition in his airplane, or rather monoplane. Karl, I wantyou to meet Bob Holton and Joe Lewis, the young men we were justtalking about."
"Glad to know you, fellows," the aviator greeted, extending a hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Mister----" Bob began, but was interrupted.
"_Karl_, if you don't mind," the tall man laughed. "I don't care forthat 'mister' stuff. First name fits me good enough."
"Good enough for us, too," said Joe with a smile. "Call us Bob andJoe."
These informalities tended to bring about a feeling of friendlinesswhich was noticeable in the conversation that followed.
"Will you please explain how it all came about?" asked Bob. "Thisairplane stuff almost took Joe and me off our feet."
"Off your feet you'll be in a few days," chuckled the aviator. "Thatis if you ginks are picked out to go with me in the plane."
"If there's any air traveling, we want to be in on it," Bob assuredhim. "But--" he hesitated a moment--"how did it all come about?"
"I'll tell you," Mr. Lewis said. "Karl's dad and I are very goodfriends--have been for many years. Now when Karl learned of thiscoming expedition, he at once looked me up and offered to take part ofus in his monoplane. All that he'll charge will be for the gas andoil, and he'll pay a share of that. The fact that he is a licensedtransport pilot makes the whole thing a pretty safe venture."
"And I've had six hundred hours of flying--without a single mishap,"Karl added proudly. "The monoplane I own is one of the fastest andmost efficient machines there are. It'll do a hundred and fifty milesan hour with no trouble at all."
"Sounds well enough," smiled Joe. "Tell us some more."
During the next few minutes the young aviator explained in detail theplans made for the trip. His machine, he said, could carry fourpassengers and the pilot, and there was a possibility of adding onemore. Just who those passengers were to be, the others could decide.The course they would follow he had mapped out carefully, taking intoconsideration the possibility of having to land at any time. Norfolk,Virginia, would be the last large American city they would see. Fromthere they would proceed south over the Bahama Islands and Cuba, andthen on to the north coast of South America. At Bogota, Colombia, astop would probably be made for fuel. They would then continue alongthe coast mountains (Andes) over Colombia, Ecuador, and into Peru. AtMollendo, a small but important coast town, the air travelers wouldwait to join the other members of the expedition, who would arriveseveral days later by steamship.
When Karl had finished, the youths were overflowing with enthusiasm.Their imaginations had been captivated by the prospects of a uniqueair trip into the Andes. That they could accompany Karl they sincerelyhoped.
"Of course," began Joe, addressing his father, "Bob and I will beamong the passengers, will we not?"
Mr. Lewis looked grave. He did not have any too much faith inaviation.
"We'll see," he replied. "Your mothers will have to give theirconsent, you know. It may prove difficult to get that."
"I think we can bring them around," Bob said, with an optimism that hewas far from feeling, "especially if you and Dad decide to go. And youwill, won't you?"
"Impossible for me to do so," returned Mr. Lewis. "I've already madereservations on a steamship. As for Mr. Holton, he may makearrangements to go."
"But right now," started Karl, rising, "how would youfellows"--referring to Bob and Joe--"like to come with me out to theairport? I want to show you the 'plane."
"Lead us there!" cried Joe at once. "We want to take in everything."
The youths' fathers had been to the airport the previous day, and sodid not care to go again. The boys and Mr. Wallace, however, desiredto see the monoplane, especially since there was a chance of theirbecoming passengers.
It was nearly noon, but the four decided to leave at once. They couldget a lunch somewhere else, perhaps at the airport.
"Besides, we're not hungry," explained Joe, when the others asked thatthey leave an hour later. "Excitement and activity make us forget allabout eating."
At the airport the youths and Mr. Wallace were taken to a corner ofthe field, just off the cement runway. There, before their eyes, was alarge white monoplane, shining brightly with a coat of fresh paint.
"Ain't it a dandy?" Karl was beaming all over with pride. "Just beencompletely inspected. It's just r'arin' to go!"
They walked up to the machine to examine it at close quarters.
"Sure a peach for looks," commented Joe. "Got an air-cooled motor,too. How about getting inside?"
"Go ahead. You'll find it as accommodating as a street car."
"It's all of that," agreed Bob a moment later, when he had opened thedoor and stepped into the cabin. "Those comfortable deep seats appealto me."
"Seats aren't as important in an airplane as in a bus," laughed Karl."No bumps in the air."
On either side of the cabin were two chairs, placed several feetapart. In the middle of the floor was a small folding table, which theboys guessed had been placed there by Karl as a convenience to membersof the expedition. A wide glass window separated the pilot's cockpitfrom the passenger section, and the two were connected by a telephoneapparatus. Three large windows were in each wall, which was slightlycurving near the ceiling. At the rear was a large compartment forfood, maps, and other equipment.
"Now that you've looked it over, how would you like to go up for ashort ride?" the aviator asked, as the others examined the shipminutely.
"Like nothing better!" came from Bob. "Can we go now?"
"Yeah. Everybody hop in. Be sure that door's tight."
Delighted at such an opportunity, the youths and Mr. Wallace tookplaces in the cabin, while Karl climbed into the cockpit.
A few seconds later there came the roar of the motor, and then thepassengers felt themselves moving.
The 'plane rolled over the cement runway for several hundred feet,then gradually left the ground and began climbing steadily.
"We're in the air!" cried Joe excitedly. He and his friend had neverbeen in a monoplane before. "Doesn't feel unusual, does it?"
"I wouldn't know it if I didn't see the ground dropping away from us,"Bob said. "We'll probably appreciate the absence from jolts and jars."
This easy conversation was made possible by the heavy insulationbetween the pilot's and passengers' quarters. As a result, the roar ofthe engine was silenced to a remarkable degree.
When just above the airdrome, they heard Karl's voice through thetelephone.
"How does it feel?" the aviator asked. "Think you'd like flying?"
"Sure," came from Joe, speaking through the transmitter. "It's ahundred per cent better than land traveling."
The experience was not novel to Mr. Wallace, who had once crossed thecontinent in a huge tri-motor monoplane. But nevertheless he appearedto be enjoying it as much as the young men.
An altitude of perhaps a thousand feet was reached, and then the'plane shot ahead toward the business district of Washington.
They had been in the air perhaps five minutes when Karl's voice wasagain heard through the telephone.
"See anything familiar below?"
"By George!" exclaimed Bob wonderingly. "We're right above our houses.Suppose anybody sees us?"
"Guess not," his chum said. "They're not out, anyway."
A much higher altitude was reached, and their direction of travel waschanged.
From
that height, the passengers could easily make out the businessdistrict, including the United States Capitol, the White House, andother government buildings. In addition, they could see several scoremiles in every direction.
"Isn't that Baltimore over there?" queried Joe, his keen eyes scanningthe landscape.
"It is at that," observed Mr. Wallace. "The atmosphere isn't any tooclear, though, and we can't make it out very plainly."
"We're a great distance away, too," remarked Bob. "Wonderful when youthink about it, isn't it?"
They circled around for a few minutes and then headed back to theairport, as the aviator did not care to use too much gas.
When again on the ground, Bob and Joe were more anxious than ever tobe among those of the expedition who would travel by air. Theireagerness was increasing with every minute.
"You've got to let us go!" said Bob to his father, when he and hisfriends had returned home. "Why, just see what we'll be missing if wedon't."
"You may be missing death," Mr. Holton returned grimly. "But then," hewent on, raising his voice, "the chances are that nothing will happen.Any more, airplane accidents are rare. I've almost decided to gomyself. It will be a chance of a lifetime."
"Then--then you mean we can go?"
"I haven't exactly said so," the naturalist answered. "There is yourmother, don't forget."
"Perhaps she won't consider it so wonderful," suggested Mr. Wallace,who had been induced to spend the few days before leaving with theHoltons.
Bob's mother did not at all like the idea when it was put before herlater. But she did not protest so violently when she saw that herhusband was actually bent on going. After all, his judgment had seldomfailed him, and most likely would not now. Then, too, she was somewhatof an air enthusiast herself, having great faith in the development ofaviation. And what Mr. Holton did she usually considered fit for Bob.
Joe had more difficulty in securing the consent of his parents, forthey were doubtful as to the outcome of such a venture. Mr. Lewis,however, was well acquainted with Karl Sutman, and knew him to be anexcellent airplane pilot, besides being a resourceful, well-thought-ofcitizen. In the end, Joe's parents consented to the youth's going,especially when they learned that Mr. Holton and Bob intended to go.Mr. Lewis, however, had already booked passage on a steamship, andcould not cancel his arrangement, much as he would have liked to.
The two chums were delighted beyond words.
"It'll seem strange without your father with us, though," said Bob."We all went together on our other trips, and----"
"He'll meet us in Mollendo," Joe reminded him, and then added: "Wonderif Mr. Wallace will go in the 'plane?"
That person desired very much to do so, but hesitated to let Mr. Lewismake the ocean trip alone. Joe's father, though, declared he would notbe without companions, for he was acquainted with several members ofother divisions of the expedition. A Mr. Thomas L. Wells, of thedivision of ethnology, was a very close friend of the naturalist.
"So, although I would like for you to come with me on the boat, I wantyou to go in the airplane," Joe's father said to Mr. Wallace,"because I know you are bent on doing so, and it is a wonderfulopportunity."
The result was that Mr. Wallace made preparations to go by air, muchto the delight of Bob and Joe. Since their first meeting with thenaturalist several months before, the youths had taken a great likingto him.
Making ready for the airplane trip was a novel experience to Bob andJoe. They found there was much to be purchased in the way of suits,caps, goggles, and other provisions. Aviator's togs, the young menknew, would not be strictly necessary, as it was a monoplane with aclosed cabin. But they thought it best to get them, since they couldalso be used for general outdoor clothes.
"Here's something the express man left you, boys," Mr. Holton called,when the chums returned from a shopping trip downtown.
Eagerly Bob and Joe opened the large box. A minute later, when theysaw its contents, they uttered exclamations of joy.
"The moving-picture camera and film, from the Neuman Motion PictureCorporation!" cried Bob happily. "It got here just in time, didn't it?We'll be leaving day after tomorrow."
The Neuman Motion Picture Corporation, a large firm that releasededucational films, had engaged the services of Bob and Joe on theirtwo previous expeditions. The youths took moving pictures of thestrange lands they visited, and so pleased the film company that theywere given the opportunity of again taking moving pictures while inthe Andes Mountains. Always the boys were paid a substantial sum fortheir trouble, which to them was sheer pleasure.
"Inca land you'll find to be perhaps the most interesting place you'vephotographed," Mr. Holton told them. "If you do this well, the companywill almost eat you up in their praise of you."
"The Inca empire is still sort of a mystery to me," said Joe. "I'veread quite a bit about it, and Mr. Wallace and Bob and I saw thatmovie in Chicago, but it's still all not quite clear. I know how thecountry around there looks. It is the empire itself that I don't knowmuch about."
"Not being an archaeologist, I don't know a great deal about it," Mr.Holton said. "Perhaps not much, if any, more than you fellows. I doknow, though, that the Incas maintained a socialistic state, in whicheveryone was forced to work on a given piece of land without derivingany direct benefit. The grain that they raised all went to a commonstorehouse, and everyone drew from it in times of stress."
"A sort of depression insurance," laughed Joe.
"Might call it that," the naturalist said with a smile. "At any rateit seemed to prove effective."
"How about the wild animals and birds in Peru?" asked Bob. "Are theremany there?"
"Now you've mentioned a subject that I know something about," returnedMr. Holton. "Yes, there are countless numbers of interesting wildcreatures in those mountains. Most impressive of all is perhaps thecondor, the largest bird that flies. We naturalists wish particularlyto investigate reports of a species of condor that is pure white incolor. Whether we'll find it we have yet to see. But there are otherbirds and animals that we feel sure of getting, such as the puma,armadillo, lizard, guanaco, fox, and snipe. We aren't allowed a greatdeal of time in the Andes, but we feel certain that a large number ofwild creatures will fall at the report of our rifles."
The next two days were busy ones for Bob and Joe. They frequented thebusiness district often to get minor articles that they would need onthe trip, and by the time the great day of leaving came they hadfinished all preparations.
After breakfast Mrs. Holton and Mr. Lewis drove the leavetakers to theairport. When they arrived at that place they found that an expertmechanic had just completed a thorough inspection of Karl Sutman'smonoplane, and had found it in perfect running order.
Their belongings were all placed in the provision compartment, andthen, with sincere farewells, the youths, Mr. Holton, and Mr. Wallaceclimbed into the cabin, while Karl took his place in the cockpit.
The engine was started, and then, after the travelers had called outone last farewell and promise to be careful, the monoplane rolledheavily over the concrete runway and pointed its nose toward thesouthern sky.
"We're off!" cried Joe excitedly. "Off for the Andes Mountains!"