CHAPTER X.
A VISIT FROM THE INHABITANTS OF PLUTUSIA.
How long we slept it is impossible to say. We must have remained inslumber at least three days after the great excitement of our voyageso far. The direct cause of my awaking was a loud noise on deck, andon coming up to learn the cause, I saw Flathootly shaking his fist attwo strange flying men who hovered over the ship.
"Bad luck to ye," shouted Flathootly, "if iver I get a grip of yeagain you won't sail away so swately after jabbin' me in the neck likethat."
"Flathootly!" I cried, "what's the meaning of this? Were those men onboard ship? Had you hold of them?"
"Begorra, sorr," he replied, holding his hand over a slight wound inhis neck, "I was slaping as swately as a child when I felt somethingtickling me nose. I got up to see what was the matther wid me, andsure enough found thim two rascals prowlin' about the deck. Whin theysaw me making a move they jumped back and roosted on the rail. Iwanted to catch howlt of wan of thim as a curiosity and I goes up tothe short fellow, an' says I, quite honey like: 'Good-marnin', sorr!Could you give me a match to loight me pipe?' an' before the fellowhad time to know where he was I had howlt of him, wings an' all. Why,he was as weak as wather, and I was knocking his head on the deck tokape him quiet, whin the other fellow let fly and stuck his spear inme neck, and whin I was trying to catch the second fellow the firstfellow got away. Be jabers, the next time I get the grip on either ofthim his mutton's cooked."
"I fear, Flathootly," said I, "you will never catch either of themagain. Don't you see they have got wings and can fly wherever theylike beyond reach?"
The two men that flew around the ship were strange beings. Theircomplexions were bright yellow and their hair black. They were notabove five and a half feet in height, but possessed athletic frames.Their wings were long polished blades of metal of a gleaming white,like gigantic oars, which were moved by some powerful force (possiblyelectricity) quite independent of the body. Their aerial bladesflashed and whirled in the sunlight with blinding rapidity. Theirattire consisted of what appeared to be leather tights covering thelegs, of a pale yellow tint with crimson metallic embroidery. Thedynamo and wings were fastened to a crimson jacket of unique shapethat supported the body in flight. Their heads were protected by whitemetal helmets, and they wore tightly-fitting metal boots, reachinghalf way up to the knee, the metal being arranged in overlappingscales. Each flying man was armed with a spear and shields. The _toutensemble_ was a picture of agility and grace.
The sailors, now thoroughly awake, gave expression to loudexclamations of surprise at the sight of the two strange flying menwheeling around the ship overhead. Professor Starbottle thought thatthe strangers must belong to some wealthy and civilized country, formen in a savage state would be incapable of inventing such powers offlight and presenting so ornate an appearance.
"They are soldiers," said Professor Rackiron; "see the spears andshields they wear."
"They're bloody pirates!" said Flathootly. "It was the long fellowthat stabbed me."
"You're all right," said the doctor to Flathootly. "Thank your starsthe spear wasn't poisoned, or you would be a dead man."
"Be the powers, I'll have that fellow yet," said the master-at-arms."I'm going to take a jump, and, be me sowl, wan of thim fellows 'llget left."
The strangers were now flying quite close to the ship, and Flathootlyunexpectedly gave a tremendous spring into the air. He would havecaught one of the aerial men for certain, but they, having wings,foiled him by simply moving out of the line of the Irishman's flight.
Flathootly dropped into the sea about a quarter of a mile away, andwould probably have been drowned had it not been for the generosity ofthe strangers themselves. One of the flying men, hastening to therescue, caught him by the hair of the head and lifted him out of thewater. Flathootly caught the stranger by one of his legs and held onlike grim death. The flying man brought his burden right over the shipand attempted to drop Flathootly on deck, who shouted, "I hev him,boys! I hev him! Catch howlt of us, some of you!" Immediately a dozensailors leaped up, and, grasping the winged man and his burden,brought both successfully down to the deck.
Seeing himself overpowered, the stranger submitted to his captivitywith as good a grace as possible. We removed his shield and spear,and, merely tying a rope to his leg to secure our prize, gave him thefreedom of the ship.
He sulked for a long time, and maintained an animated conversationwith his free companion in a language whose meaning none of usunderstood. He finally condescended to eat some of the food we setbefore him, and his companion came near enough to take a glass ofwine from his captive brother and drink it with evident relish.
ONE OF THE FLYING MEN CAUGHT FLATHOOTLY BY THE HAIR OFTHE HEAD, AND LIFTED HIM OUT OF THE WATER.]
Flathootly was so far friendly disposed to his assailant as to offerhim a glass of ship's rum. The stranger to our surprise did not refuseit, but, putting the glass to his lips, quaffed its contents at asingle draught. When he became more accustomed to his surroundings weventured to examine his curious equipment.
Upon examination we found that the wings of our captive were simplylarge aerial oars, about four and a half feet in length and three feetwide at the widest part, tapering down to a few inches wide at thedynamo that moved them. Such small extent of surface evidentlyrequired an enormous force to propel a man in rapid flight. We foundthe dynamo to consist of a central wheel made to revolve by theattraction of a vast occult force evolved from the contact of twometals, one being of a vermilion color and the other of a bright greentint, that constituted the cell of the apparatus. No acid wasrequired, nor did the contact of the metal produce any wasting oftheir substance. A colossal current of mysterious magnetism made thewheel revolve, the current being guided in its work by an automaticinsulation of one hemisphere of the wheel.
I put one hand on the dynamo and made a gesture of inquiry with theother, whereupon our strange friend said, "Nojmesedi!" Was this thename of the new force we had discovered, or the name of the flyingapparatus as a whole? Before we could settle the point our friendbecame communicative, and, smiting his breast, said:
"Plothoy, wayleal ar Atvatabar!"
With the right hand he pointed to a continent rising above us, itsmighty features being clearly visible to the naked eye.