CHAPTER XX
A NIGHT ATTACK
“Well, this is our first bit of bad luck,” remarked Ned, when theprospector had gone off to do guard duty. “But I suppose we couldn’texpect to have everything too easy.”
“No, that’s right,” agreed Jerry. “Well, now it’s up to us to get busyand make these repairs as soon as we can. If the Indians want to maketrouble they will, and the best thing for us to do is to get out ofhere.”
“I don’t call it all bad luck,” observed Bob, as he started back to thegalley, whence came appetizing smells.
“What part isn’t?” asked Ned.
“Getting the bear steaks was good luck. I’m going to broil ’em, andwe’ll----”
“Well, you are the limit, Chunky!” exclaimed Jerry. “You can’t see anybad luck in anything, as long as there are eats connected with it; eh,Ned?”
“That’s right. Well, I am glad that I shot the bear. He was a bigfellow, and if the skin had been in prime condition I think I’d havetried to make a bargain with the Indians for it. But it’s too late now.”
“Don’t have any more to do with the beggars than you have to,” advisedJim Nestor. “Everything may come out all right yet. Can I help you boysany?”
“Yes, you can,” said Jerry, in a low voice. “But not by working onthe rudder--we can attend to that. If you keep an eye on ProfessorSnodgrass, though, you’ll be doing well. I think he’ll wander off toofar looking for specimens, in spite of what Harvey said. Just sortof watch over him; will you? He’ll get so interested chasing after aone-legged bumble bee that he won’t realize how far from camp he’sgoing.”
“That’s right--I will,” agreed Mr. Nestor, and he strolled along thepath taken by the scientist, who, intent on capturing a new kind ofbutterfly, paid no attention to anything else.
Bob had disappeared into the galley, where he could be heard whistlingand singing by turns as he prepared the meal.
“Chunky is in his element now,” observed Jerry, with a laugh.
“He sure is,” came from Ned. “What can I do, Jerry?”
“Well, you might be making the braces for the new rudder; I haveit nearly finished, but I’m going to rig the controls a littledifferently. I want to make them stronger, so that in case of a hardblow, straining on them won’t break ’em, as it did a little while ago.If we work fast we may be able to leave to-morrow.”
“I hope so,” murmured Ned. “I want to see the color of those sixtynuggets.”
“And the longer we delay,” said Jerry, “the better chance Noddy Nixonand his crowd have of getting there ahead of us.”
“Do you really think they’re after the gold?”
“I don’t doubt it in the least. I think all they wanted was to get anidea of the general direction in which the valley was. Now they’llprospect about, join forces with the grub-stakers, and try to find it.So we don’t want to lose any time.”
Ned and his tall chum were soon busily engaged on the rudder. It was noeasy task, and several times Jerry feared it would take at least twodays more to make the repairs.
“And I don’t want to spend more than one night here if I can help it,”he murmured. “Not with those Indians roaming the woods.”
Bob served the bear steaks, and they all agreed that they made a tastymeal. Professor Snodgrass even consented to give up his bug-collectinglong enough to partake of some.
Jim Nestor relieved Harvey Brill at standing guard, but, when nightfell, it was decided that instead of staying in the open, and buildinga campfire, the watch would be kept from within the airship.
“We can take turns in the pilot house,” said Jerry, “and I can mountthe search lamp on top of it, so it can be swung in a circle all about,being worked from inside. By keeping it on the move it will flash allaround the _Comet_ at intervals, and the one on watch can spot theIndians if they try to attack us.”
“That’s all right, as far as it goes,” declared Jim; “but the troubleis that the woods are so thick, and come so close up to us, that wecan’t see the Indians until the last minute. But it’s the best we cando.”
“It’s better than nothing,” asserted the other Westerner. “Maybe I’mover cautious expecting trouble, but it’s best to be on the safe side.It’s better to be sure than sorry. Those redmen, even though I did give’em most of the bear, may feel that they have been cheated, though itwas Ned’s bullet that did the killing. They may persuade the chief tolead the attack. So we’ll just stand guard all night.”
“We can do some work on the rudder to-night, too,” decided Jerry, “andthat will fix things so we can surely get off to-morrow.”
Accordingly, he and Ned labored away after supper inside the airship,while the professor classified his day’s catch of bugs, and Jim andHarvey took turns in the pilot house, the great searchlight flashingthe finger of fire on the dark trees.
“There, this is all we can do until we can go outside and attach it, tosee how to rig the controls,” announced Jerry, at ten o’clock. “Now,how about turning in?”
“You and Ned get some rest,” proposed Jim. “We can take the earlywatches, and you can relieve us after you’ve had some sleep.”
“I want to do my share,” put in Bob.
“You shall,” promised the mine foreman.
It fell to Bob’s lot to take the last morning trick. At three o’clockhe took his place in the pilot house, Jerry and Ned having stood twohours each. It would be daylight shortly after five, and then thedanger would not be so great.
“If they come at all, it will be just before dawn,” Jim Nestor hadsaid. “But they may not come. I haven’t seen a sign of ’em, and I’vebeen watching carefully. That searchlight is a great stunt. It makesthe woods as bright as day; though, as I said, I wish we had a widercircle of clearing around us. Keep your eyes peeled, Bob.”
The stout lad promised, and took his position. At first he followedthe circle of the light zealously, as it moved about, being operated bya small motor that sent it revolving on a cogged base. Then, as he sawnothing but the leafy shadow of the trees, he became less nervous, andtook his task more comfortably.
Bob was a hearty eater, and, just before coming on watch he hadpartaken of a lunch, though it was night. And, as is well known, ahearty meal often makes one sleepy. It was so in Bob’s case.
At first he felt only drowsy. Then he felt his head nodding from timeto time. Once he even dozed for a moment.
“Come! This won’t do!” he exclaimed. “I believe I’m getting sleepy.Guess I’ll get a drink of water.”
As he arose to leave the pilot house, he gave a look once more allaround the little clearing, lighted by the flashing light. He could seenothing.
But scarcely had Bob reached the water cooler, and raised the glass tohis lips, then, from the surrounding forest, arose a chorus of shrillyells--cries that sent a cold shiver down his spine, and seemed to stopthe beating of his heart.
“Indians!” he yelled. “The Blackfeet! They’re attacking us! Wake up,everybody!”