CHAPTER XIX
THE RESCUING AIRSHIP
"How do you know?"
"I bet it is!"
"Do you think he's comin' here?"
Questions and exclamations such as these came in rapid successionfollowing the announcement from Hal that the object flying toward themhigh in the air was Johnson Miles' new airship. It was approachingrapidly and seemed to be headed right for the top of Flathead.
"Maybe he knows we're here."
Pickles made the suggestion, and nobody seemed disposed to take it as ajoke. However Hal replied:
"I don't believe he does. How could he, unless somebody found one of ourarrows? We didn't see anybody pick any of 'em up."
"Maybe he's just hunting for us," suggested Fes.
"It's more likely he's just taking his first flight," said Hal. "I'dfeel more hopeful if I knew that was true."
"So would I," said Byron. "He'd probably fly up here the first place. Ifhe's hunting for us, he won't come here at all unless he knows we'rehere."
"Well he's surely makin' for this mountain," Hal declared after a fewmoments of silence.
It certainly seemed true. The biplane was flying at an elevationslightly above that of the plateau, and did not waver in its course.
"We've got to get busy and make sure that he sees us," Hal suddenlyexclaimed. "He might fly right over this mountain without stoppingunless we attract his attention. Take off your coats and wave 'em andmake all the noise you can when he gets near."
Hal set the example and the others followed. Soon the five mountain-topCrusoes were cutting the wildest capers imaginable and creating a noisewith their throats that surely was loud enough to be heard within ahundred yards by the aviator in spite of the vibrations of hispropellers.
The airship was making remarkable speed and in less than five minutesfrom the time it was first sighted, Johnson Miles glided gently down toa level spot not far from where the truant Scouts were capering about.They had forgotten their hunger, their tired condition, and theirdespair.
Such a jumble of excited questions as followed the alighting of theairship could hardly be represented without a phonographic record. Theboys were eager to know how the aviator discovered them--did he knowthey were on the mountain?--and Mr. Miles was equally curious to learnhow they had come there. Finally he said:
"Boys, I've brought you some food and water. You said you were hungry."
That settled it. Mr. Miles had read one of the notes on thewhistle-arrows. Naturally, they marveled at this, but Hal satisfiedhimself by concluding that one of the arrows had fallen into one of thevehicles at which he had directed his aim.
From the cabin of the airship, the aviator produced a large jug of waterand a basket filled with sandwiches and other edibles. Eagerly the boyspoured the cool liquid down their throats and then pounced upon thecontents of the basket. For a while they did nothing but eat and drink,but at last Pickles inquired:
"How did you know we was here?"
"He found one of the arrows," laughed Bad.
"No, I didn't," replied the aviator.
"There! there!" Pickles jeered, pointing his finger at Frank. "You willknow it all, will you?"
Frank was a little crestfallen, and awaited developments, hoping for anopportunity to vindicate himself.
"I didn't find an arrow, but somebody else did," explained the rescuer.
"A-ha! What did I tell you?" cried Frank.
"He didn't find it," Walter replied stoutly.
"Well, what's the difference? I suppose if I said the top of thismountain's flat, you'd say it isn't 'cause there's hills on it."
"My, what silly things you boys quarrel over," exclaimed Mr. Miles."You're as bad as rival politicians. If you've settled the question I'llproceed. The arrow hit Dr. Edwards' horse as he was driving through thecanyon."
"I bet that was the horse that ran away," interrupted Byron.
"Yes, it was," replied Mr. Miles. "He tipped over the carriage, brokeloose and ran back to town. There he was caught and the arrow foundsticking in his back. The person who found it took your note to Dr.Byrd."
"Was Dr. Edwards hurt?" inquired Hal.
"Not much. Somebody overtook him just outside the canyon and gave him alift, so he didn't have to walk all the way home."
Hal's note tied to the arrow contained brief information of theirpredicament and also that they were hungry and thirsty. It did not,however, contain any details as to how they had been trapped over thewaterfall cave and later reached the top of the mountain. Hence, theyfound it necessary to relate their experiences as soon as Mr. Miles hadfinished his story. Incidentally, the man discovered that Hal wasrunning away, but he made no comment on the subject. Neither did herefer to the nugget episode, which he suspected to have something to dowith the boys' escapade.
Finally all the food was eaten, all the water was gone, and all thestories were told, and then Mr. Miles suggested that it was time toreturn to Lakefarm.
"How we going to go?" asked Ferdinand. "In the airship?"
"Sure. You boys all wanted a ride in it. Now you'll have a chance toprove your nerve."
"We can't all ride at once," objected Frank.
"Oh, come now, Bad, don't back down," admonished the aviatormischievously. "You know you cried out the loudest that you wouldn't beafraid."
"I ain't afraid," protested Frank angrily, "but you know there isn'troom enough for all of us."
"No. I agree with, you, Frank. I'll take only one with me on the firsttrip, and that'll be you."
"Why me? I don't want to ride alone with you. You'll be busy all thetime. I want somebody else to talk with. Let Pickles go the first trip."
"All right. I don't care; only I want to try the ship with one passengerbefore I take two. Pickles, you're not afraid to go first, are you?"
"No, I ain't afraid," replied Walter, smiling. He seldom became excitedor disturbed. Doubtless he would have watched the moon shoot across theheavens with no more fear than the average boy feels over a burninghouse or a runaway horse.
"I ain't afraid either," insisted Frank, but he did not offer to makethe first trip with Mr. Miles.
"All right, you'll have a chance to prove your bravery next time,"assured the latter. "Come on, Pickles, we must hurry, for it's gettinglate and I've got to make two more trips before sundown. It's after fouro'clock now."
"You can make 'em all in half an hour, can't you?" inquired Hal.
"Pretty nearly, if everything goes well. But something might happen todelay me."
Walter and the aviator now got aboard the aeroplane and Mr. Milesstarted the engine. The two big propellers turned faster and faster, andthe biplane gave a few jerks and tugs, then leaped and bounded forwardviolently over the uneven ground until the wheels no longer touched theearth. Rapidly now she arose in the air, circling around towards thenorth.
In order to insure safety for Walter while giving his entire attentionto the management of the vessel, Miles had closed the front and rearslides, so that they were enclosed in a room, or cabin, twelve feetlong, including the tapering forequarter, and five feet wide. Theaviator sat at the wheel in the narrow prow, while Walter was free tomove about as he wished.
The four boys left behind gazed eagerly and admiringly at the airshipwith her invisible occupants for several minutes, not a word escapingthe lips of any of them. Suddenly Frank broke the silence by saying:
"Say, fellows, maybe we'll never have a chance to come up here again.Dr. Byrd won't let us come up in the airship, and the passage throughthe cave's closed. Let's explore this mountain top some before Mr. Milesgets back."
"There isn't much to explore," replied Ferd. "We can see pretty neareverything standing right here."
"We can't see the other side of those big rocks and cliffs over there,"Byron answered, pointing to the south through the thin belt of timber:"That's what we were lookin' at through the field-glasses from UncleSam's mountain, you know."
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sp; "Yes, let's go and have a look at it," proposed Hal.
There was no need of further urging, and the four boys started off at abrisk rate. Through the timber they ran and then southward along thehigh ridge of rocks and mounds, until they came to a passage through therocks. Into this passage they entered and hastened on until near themiddle a new discovery brought them to a halt.
"My goodness! Look at that!"
Hal exclaimed thus as he stopped suddenly and pointed toward somethingvery remarkable fifteen feet ahead. It was the opening of a cave in theclay and stone wall, and slightly ajar was a wooden door of rough-hewntree trunks.
"Why, somebody lives up here!" cried Ferdinand in excited tones. "Let'sgo and see who it is."
"No," Hal cautioned. "We've got to be careful. If anybody does livehere, he's probably crazy. Let's pick up some stones to throw at him ifhe comes at us."
The boys all accepted this suggestion and soon they were armed. Thenthey advanced cautiously past the opening in the left wall.
They reached the western end of the passage and turned to the right.Here they found a much more satisfactory view of the rocky andbluff-lined elevation they had observed through the field-glasses fromthe top of Porcupine Hill. In places the elevation rose two hundred feetabove the level of the plateau. Perhaps at no place was it more than onehundred feet in thickness, but it was seven or eight hundred feet long,constituting by far the biggest mole on the pate of Flathead.
Near the pass the line of cliffs presented an almost perpendicular faceto the south, scooped out here and there in the form of overhangingshelters. And in these shelters, twenty or thirty feet from the Flatheadlevel were a number of openings, cave-like and fronted with ruined outerstructures, that thrilled Hal with a realization of an importantdiscovery.
But this thrill was quickly replaced by another more intense andimmediately important. It was occasioned by the appearance of a live,cat-like form, with burning eyes and crouching, hungry attitude in oneof the openings--a panther--and it was looking right down on the boys.