CHAPTER XXIX
THE WRECKED AIRSHIP
Several hours passed, and it was only by the greatest skill that Jerryand his companions were able to keep their craft on a level keel.Several times she almost turned turtle, and they were in danger ofbeing hurled to earth as the unfortunate bank robbers had been.
Night was approaching, and still the _Comet_ hurled herself forwardthrough the heart of the storm. Finally Jerry, who had gone to themotor room, while Ned steered, came back to the pilot house.
"We've got to go down," he said. "We can't stand this much longer.It's getting worse; and besides, we can't look for the airship in thedarkness. We'll have to make a landing."
"But how can we--in that?" and Ned pointed to the vast expanse of blackforest below them. "We'll be torn to pieces on the trees."
"We'll have to wait until we see a comparatively clear place, ofcourse. Even then it's going to be risky; but we've got to do it. TellBob to watch out for a clearing."
Eagerly they all watched, while the darkness gathered more densely. Thestorm had not abated a bit, and it was now raining again, the dropswhipping against the airship almost like hail, such was the force ofthe wind.
Suddenly Bob, who had donned a rain coat, and a rubber hat with a flapthat came to his shoulders, uttered a cry, and pointed downward and tothe left.
"What is it?" called Jerry.
"A clearing--a big place--make for it!"
Ned sprang to his chum's side.
"A clearing!" he shouted. "That's a lake--a big lake! Good enough,Jerry! Head for that. Our hydroplanes will come in useful now!"
It needed but a second to put the nose of the airship in the rightdirection, and in a few moments our heroes found themselves over alarge body of water in the midst of the vast and uninhabited forest.
"Some waves there," murmured Bob, and indeed the lake was covered withwhitecaps from the wind, which was whipping their crests into spray.
"Still it's better than landing on the trees," replied Jerry. "Stand byto let the hydroplanes down, boys!"
Nearer and nearer to the foam-crested water came the gallant craft. Thewaves could be seen to be larger now, and even Jerry, staunch-heartedas he was, felt a momentary sense of fear. He had never dropped hismachine on water that was as rough as this.
But there was no help for it. They could not keep on, and they muststop somewhere for the night. So, after a glance about in order topick out the most sheltered spot, the tall lad yanked the lever of thedeflecting rudder over still farther.
"Here we go!" he cried. "Look out, boys! Shoot the hydroplanes out whenI give the word!"
Jerry turned off the power. The great propellers ceased revolving. Theairship was now diving rapidly downward under her own momentum.
"Ready!" suddenly shouted Jerry; and Bob and Ned pulled on thelevers, folding up the bicycle wheels, and shunting into place on thetoggle-jointed arms the hydroplanes that would keep the _Comet_ afloat.
The boys were hardly prepared for what followed, for as soon as theystruck the water they were at once tossed about by the violence of thewaves, the airship being so buoyant that she was like a chip on thelake. Up and down on the long swells, from side to side, she was thrownmost violently.
"We can't stand this!" yelled Ned. "We'll tear the motor from thebed-plates."
"Start the water propeller," called Jerry to Ned and Bob, "and I'llhead for shore. Be ready to jump out when I give the word, and haul herup with ropes. I'll let down the wheels as soon as we get in shallowwater."
A moment later the craft was a little steadier, for Jerry had headedher up into the eye of the wind, and her bow instead of the side wastaking the breaking waves. Then she moved forward toward the distantshore.
It was a hard fight, and one the boys never forgot. Time and again theywere in danger of being swamped. But the gallant _Comet_ struggled on,proving herself almost as good a water navigator as she was in the air.Then, as they neared the shore, Bob and Ned leaped out and reached thebank, holding long ropes attached to the airship. Jerry dropped thebicycle wheels and a little later the craft was pulled out on land.
Fortunately this was during a lull in the gale, or even then she mighthave been dashed against the trees and wrecked. But before the blastcould resume its howling the boys and the professor had rolled theirairship up into a little opening amid the trees, and soon it was welllashed to the sturdy trunks, some of the wing planes being folded overto offer less surface to the gale.
"Now I guess we're pretty snug," remarked Bob, as they sat in theclosed cabin, and listened to the howl of the wind and the dash of therain without. "I'll get supper, and then we can sit and talk. It was alucky thing I saw the lake."
"Indeed it was," agreed Jerry. "For doing that we'll forgive you formentioning something to eat."
"Sure, go ahead and get two suppers," urged Ned. "I'm hungry."
The professor was observed to be putting on a rain coat and a pair ofrubber boots.
"Where are you going?" asked Jerry.
"Out to look for my flying frog," he explained.
The boys persuaded him to wait until morning, and soon Bob servedsupper. Then, being tired with their day in the storm, they turned in,being almost as comfortable as if they were at home, save only thatthe _Comet_ trembled now and then, as the blast shook her.
It stormed so all of the following day that they did not venture up inthe air, but remained anchored. It began to clear during the afternoon,and the professor went searching for the flying frog, but came back atdusk without it.
"We'll start in the morning," decided Jerry that night, "and I hopewe'll soon find what we're looking for."
It was about noon of the next day, when they had covered many milesover the trackless forest, that Ned, who was in the bow, lookingeagerly through the binoculars, uttered a joyful cry.
"What is it?" demanded Jerry.
"I'm not sure--but I see a big patch of white down there. It may be thewrecked airship we're looking for. See, right by that clump of pines?"
He pointed and handed the glasses to Jerry.
"It's either her or a big white stone," murmured the tall lad.
"It can't be a stone, for it flutters in the wind," declared Ned.
"Don't be too sure," advised Bob. "We've been fooled before."
"We'll soon see what it is," said Jerry. "We'll go down there."
Eagerly they watched as the white patch became bigger, for they werenearing it rapidly. Now they could make out that it was some kind ofcloth, caught on the limbs of a tree, for it flapped back and forthlike a signal of distress.
"I--I guess we've found it at last," murmured Jerry hopefully.
"If only the treasure is there," added Ned in a low voice.
In a few seconds more they were over the object. Just ahead of them wasa little clearing where Jerry was going to land. As the _Comet_ passedover the white object the boys looked down. Then came a joyful cry.
"That's her!" yelled Ned. "It's their airship!"
For what he and the others saw, on the ground under the white cloth,was the bent and twisted remains of a big biplane, the engine, wingsand frame being tossed together in an almost inextricable mass. It wasthe wreck of the _Silver Star_.
But was the airship treasure there?