CHAPTER XIII
A FIRST LANDING
The young aviator was not unused to “thrills” in his professionalexperience. He noted no deviation in the straight progress of the_Albatross_. Mr. King did not distract attention from the signal plate.Still Dave awaited some explanation of the detonation with curiosity andanxiety.
“It’s all right,” reported Professor Leblance, reappearing a few minuteslater.
“Explosions?” questioned the airman, simply.
“Yes. Three of the balloonets blew up.”
“Which means?”
“Nothing,” replied the Frenchman, with his accustomed shrug of theshoulders. “We must have struck a warm current. Ah, yes, that is true,”he added, as he made the thermometer test. “You see, the suddentransition from cold caused an expansion and affected the balloonets.”
“Does that weaken the lifting force, Professor?” inquired Dave.
“Not perceptibly. I count on such accidents, more or less. I canduplicate the balloonets, and as to the gas—we have arranged for allnecessary replenishment in that direction. Mr. King, everything isfavorable for a descent.”
“All right,” replied the airman. “Have you any idea where we are?”
“I should say, south of Washington.”
“In Virginia, then?”
“Or still farther south. I have measured the distance covered since ourstart, but I do not know how far we are inland.”
Mr. King left Dave in charge of the signal table for a few moments. Hewent to the lookout, meantime instructing the young aviator as to whatbuttons he should operate. This brought the _Albatross_ on a lateralslant. The enormous headlight at the prow of the airship cast a glow farbelow. Mr. King was able to trace outlines on the landscape. He returnedto the pilot table, and following his directions there were many changesmade in the course of the giant airship during the next half hour.
Once more the aviator consulted the lookout. Then, back again at hispost, he ordered a slow-up and a gentle, gradual drop.
“Landed,” breathed Dave at last, intensely interested in all the gentleand natural movements of the descent.
“Yes, and that was certainly easy,” replied his patron, with a sigh ofrelief and satisfaction “The professor understands his business.”
The Frenchman soon appeared, followed by two of his assistants. Theaviator and Dave accompanied him to the cabin.
“You people had better go to bed,” he directed all hands. “My men willattend to securing the machine safe and sound. We can do nothing nowuntil morning.”
This order was obeyed. Dave and Hiram had what might be called astateroom to themselves. It was narrow, but cozy. It had a windowopening, and there the young aviator posted himself for some time.
By the aid of the headlights Dave could make out Leblance and his mensecuring the _Albatross_. The craft seemed to have landed on flat landrather bare of verdure and with no trees.
“An ideal spot for landing,” Dave reported to his comrade.
“Yes, but where are we?” questioned Hiram.
“In some wild mountain district, I should say,” responded Dave—“maybeVirginia, maybe North Carolina.”
“Well, it has been a dandy cruise,” declared Hiram. “Say, I’ve gonethrough so much excitement I don’t believe I can sleep a wink.”
“Try it, anyhow,” recommended Dave. “There may be a lot to do in themorning, and we want to be rested and strong to take our share in it.”
How long he rested Dave Dashaway did not know, but he was suddenlyawakened by feeling the _Albatross_ moving. At first he imagined that hemust be dreaming, for certainly he did not think they would start offagain after making a landing with such trouble.
“But she sure is moving,” decided the lad, “though not in the air, if mysenses are good for anything. That is unless we’re bumping along a cloudbank.”
He sat up in his berth, and could make out a dim light in the roombeyond. He listened and heard Hiram breathing heavily.
“He’s fast asleep, anyhow,” decided the young aviator. “It takes a gooddeal to disturb him. But we sure are moving. I wonder——?”
Such a strange thought came to him that he hesitated to put it intoform. But he decided to reason it out.
“Can it be?” he mused, “that I have slept through a whole night and daywithout knowing it, and that we are on the move again. Can anything havehappened—to me—or the others? Have—I been unconscious—hurt—and not haveknown what has happened? It doesn’t seem possible, and yet——”
His self-communing was interrupted by a more violent motion of theairship. It seemed to careen to one side, and then right itself. Davefound himself clutching the sides of his bunk. Then came a period ofcalm.
“I’m going to wake Hiram up,” decided Dave. “He may not like it, but Iwant to talk to some one about this, and if he gets mad, in case itisn’t anything, he can easily get to sleep again. And that’s what Iwon’t do unless I find out what’s going on.”
Dave cautiously got out of bed. As he did so he again felt the lurch ofthe big craft. At the same time he heard a voice speaking softlyoutside.
“By hickory!” came the tones. “I don’t seem to be movin’ th’ ole shebangmuch. Guess I’ll hev t’ go git another mule critter or two t’ snake itaway. Whoa there!”
“What in the name of sweet spirits of nitre is going on?” murmured Dave.“Is some one trying to steal the _Albatross_?”
He crossed softly to look out of one of the windows, but could seenothing. The big headlights had been extinguished, and, save for somefew incandescents here and there, which were only dimly glowing therewas no illumination inside the ship. It had been decided to make it darkso all hands would sleep better.
“This is sure mysterious,” went on Dave. “I can’t see anything, but Ican hear, and I can—feel!” he added a moment later, for again the craftmoved slightly.
Once more the young aviator peered out, but he could discern nothing.The night was very black.
“If I thought——” he began, when a sleepy voice from the adjoining berthinquired:
“Whatsmatter, Dave? Time f’r brkfust?”
“Hiram! Hiram!” whispered Dave shrilly. “Wake up! Something hashappened—it’s happening now!”
Instantly Hiram sat upright in his bed. He was rather a slow chap, buton occasions could move lively.
“What is it?” he inquired in a low voice. “Burglars in here, Dave?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Anyhow, I don’t thinkthey’re in yet.”
“All right, then; wait until they do get in an’ we’ll nab ’em. Lay low!”
“That’s just what I don’t want to do,” replied Dave. “Something mayhappen unless we get busy. They may even get away with the _Albatross_.”
“Get away with the _Albatross_?” cried Hiram. “What are you talkingabout, Dave? How can they——?”
But he did not finish his sentence. At that moment there came anotherlurch to the craft, and it moved several feet.
“There!” hoarsely whispered Dave. “What did I tell you?”
“Are we going up—a night flight?” asked Hiram.
“I don’t know. I was awakened by the movement, and it’s been going onever since. Someone is outside, that’s sure. Listen now!”
There was silence for a moment, and then a cautious voice could be heardsaying:
“I suah will have t’ done go an’ git another mule critter t’ move thiscontraption. An’ I ain’t got no mo’ of my own. I’ll have to borrow oneoff Nate Jackson, an’ then he’ll want me t’ whack up with him. Wa’al,there ain’t no help, fer as I kin see!”
“There!” exclaimed Dave in triumph.
“It sure is strange,” said Hiram. “I guess we’d better wake up theothers. Mr. King and Mr. Dale ought to know about this.”
But there was no need for the boys to awaken their companions. The nextmoment the
re came such a violent motion to the ship that not a sleepercontinued to slumber. With one accord they tumbled out of their berths.
Then from without came a chorus of excited shouts.
“Whoa, there! Consarn ye all, what d’ ye mean by backin’ and fillin’that a-way? Stand still, pesky mule critters that ye be! Ye wouldn’tpull this shebang when I wanted ye to, an’ now ye’re tryin’ t’ run awaywith it. Whoa!”
“Who’s there?” cried Mr. King.
“What is going on?” demanded Mr. Dale.
“Something has happened!” shouted Professor Leblance.
“That’s right!” agreed Dave, “and it’s going on now.”
“Someone is trying to make off with the airship,” added Hiram.
“Make off with the airship!” repeated the professor. “Can it be——”
He did not finish, but in a moment he had switched on a number oflights, including the two big ones outside the craft. Then, as theylooked from the windows, they saw a strange sight.
An unkempt man, with a team of sorry-looking mules, had fastened a ropeto the _Albatross_ and was evidently trying to drag it away. He startedback in alarm at the sudden illumination, and hastily began taking offthe rope.
“Here! What are you trying to do?” cried Mr. King, through an openwindow.
“Good land! Is there folks in this shebang!” asked the mountaineer.“Land a’massy! I thought it was a balloon that had come down.”
“And you were going to haul it away and claim a reward, I suppose,” putin the professor, beginning to understand the situation.
“That’s what I was, stranger” came the answer. “But my mules wa’n’tstrong enough. I was goin’ arter another pair when yo’-all turned upyour kerosene lamps. She wouldn’t hardly budge.”
“I should say not, with the way she is fastened,” said the Frenchman.“But explain yourself, monsieur.”
“That ain’t my name, but it don’t much matter,” came the answer. “I wason my way home from th’ settlement, with a load of stuff t’ keep my wifean’ kids in bacon an’ flour, when I seen ye come down last evenin’. Ionce went t’ a county fair, an’ they had a balloon assent. Th’ perfesseroffered five dollars t’ whoever’d git his balloon arter he jumped out ofit, an’ she drifted away.”
“Nate Jackson was th’ lucky man, an’ he found th’ balloon in Black Cedarswamp. He hauled it t’ town an’ got his five. When I seen thiscontraption come down, I just laid low, aimin’ t’ git th’ reward. Is’posed you folks would all go home until mornin’ anyhow. But ye didn’t.I onhitched my mules arter dark, an’ got a rope from my wagon, an’ triedt’ haul th’ balloon away. But she wouldn’t haul. I’m mighty sorry if Idisturbed ye’ an’ I’ll travel on now. This is th’ most forsaken countryI ever knowed, an’ it’s hard t’ git money. I thought I saw an easy wayt’ make a five dollar bill.”
“It’s worth more than that to have our airship let alone, my man,” saidthe professor. “This is the kind of a balloon you never saw before. Hereare ten dollars for the wife and little ones,” and he passed over abill.
The man was overwhelmingly grateful and apologized again for the troublehe had caused. A hasty examination showed that he had not damaged thecraft any by his pulling and hauling, and a little later he haddisappeared in the darkness with his “mule critters,” and soon therumble of his wagon over the road, that was hardly more than a trail,came fainter and fainter to the ears of the aviators.
“Well, that sure was a scare!” exclaimed Dave, when quiet was once morerestored.
“I should say yes!” agreed Hiram. “The idea of trying to cart off the_Albatross_!”
“Well, his explanation was natural,” said the professor. “Thesemountaineers, in this lonely region, scarcely ever see money, I guess.But now, boys, get to bed. We’ve got lots to do to-morrow.”
Everyone again retired after the lights had again been turned low, andDave and Hiram were soon asleep again. It was two hours after daylightwhen Grimshaw routed them out of their berths.
“Come, get up here,” he ordered; “if you don’t want to miss breakfast.”
“I certainly don’t,” announced the active Hiram. “I’m hungry as a bear.”
“Well, there’s a capital meal waiting for you,” observed the oldaeronaut.
The boys found this true as they came in at second table in the cabin.They hurried through with the meal, for outside on the ground Mr. Kingand the others were assembled. From their actions the young aviatorconcluded that some active discussion was in progress.
Exit from the cabin was made through a trap door and a balancing ladder.
“Hurrah!” piped Hiram, as he reached the ground. “Here’s a chance tostretch our legs and breathe some fresh air.”
“Let’s see what is going on with the others,” suggested Dave, and theyapproached the group made up of Professor Leblance, Mr. King, Grimshawand Mr. Dale.
“We are evidently in some remote spot,” the Frenchman was saying. “Allthe better that, for we shall have no troublesome visitors. My men canattend to the balloonet and some other needful repairs while we send forthat quicksilver.”
“Which means the location of the nearest town?” submitted the airman.“There was so much excitement last night I forgot to ask that oldmountaineer. But we must locate a store.”
“Exactly.”
“And that may be somewhat difficult.”
“Perhaps,” agreed the Frenchman, “but once down in the valley yonder itis to be supposed there are some tokens of civilization.”
“Who is to go?” inquired Mr. Dale.
“I think you had better entrust the matter to me, Professor,” said theaviator. “Here, let one of the boys—you, Dashaway—go with me.”
“I shall be glad,” said Dave, eagerly.
“Hold on,” broke in Hiram; “give me a show too; won’t you, Mr. King?”
The aviator took a brief look at the earnest, beseeching face of thewilling and accommodating young aeronaut, and smiled indulgently.
“Well, you two make a hardy, useful team, so make it so, if you like.”
Arrangements were made for the departure at once. It was understood thatthe _Albatross_ would remain at its present landing place until theexploring party returned with the quicksilver, even if they had toconsume considerable time in locating a town.
“I think we can make it and return by nightfall,” said the airman.“Don’t worry, though, if we are longer away.”
“No,” spoke the professor. “We can’t leave till we get that quicksilver,no matter how long it takes.”
A plentiful lunch, a compass, and a gun were gotten ready by the cabinman. Then, waving a cheery adieu to their friends, the airman and theboys started down the mountain side.