THE DISASTER TO THE "LIBERTAD."
"HERE'S a pretty how d'ye do!" remarked Whittinghame when the news of
Zaypuru's daring stroke was received by the "Meteor." "That alters
the state of affairs, I'm thinking. What would you do, Dacres? Wait
till the 'Libertad' I arrives, or make a dash across the Sierras into
Valderian territory and attempt the rescue of the prisoners?"
"Wait for Durango--that would be the best course, I think. I don't
suppose Admiral Maynebrace will come to any harm. But I was
forgetting your brother."
"I wasn't," said the Captain of the "Meteor." "We must find out where
the Admiral and his staff are imprisoned. If they are shut up in the
Cavarale--that's the name of the prison on the outskirts of
Naocuanha--Gerald will have company. Then, again, will Durango return
to Valderia now that the submarines are destroyed? The phase of the
situation seems to point to the possibility of the Mexican deserting
the sinking ship and trying his luck with the plans elsewhere."
"But he has large pecuniary interests in Naocuanha."
"True. After all, I think we might hang on a little while longer. I
have no reason to doubt my agent's report that the 'Libertad' is
ordered to proceed to Salto Augusto; unless the report is a false one
issued to put us off the scent. Durango might have followed his
original plan and proceeded by rail."
"In that case we have been nicely had," said Dacres.
"We'll remain here twenty-four hours longer," decided Whittinghame;
"then, if the 'Libertad' does not put in an appearance, we'll make a
night descent upon Naocuanha."
While the officers of the "Meteor" were at lunch Callaghan brought in
a message received by wireless that the "Libertad" had left Naocuanha
at seven that morning, bound east.
"Good!" ejaculated Whittinghame. "Left Naocuanha at seven? She has a
thousand mile flight. Allowing her speed to be the same as that of
the 'Meteor'--although I doubt it--she ought to reach Salto Augusto
by about noon or one o'clock. They couldn't have chosen a better time
as far as we are concerned, for the sun will be almost directly
overhead. At five thousand feet we'll run no risk of being spotted."
At exactly fifteen minutes past twelve the watchers on the British
airship saw her rival approaching. The "Libertad" was flying low--at
an altitude of about five hundred feet. This proved that her speed
was approximately the same as that of her opponent. In appearance she
strongly resembled the "Meteor," but, of course, Whittinghame was not
aware of the details of her construction and propulsive arrangements.
Durango had had the secret of the ultra-hydrogen, but whether he knew
how to render the gas non-inflammable was a question that could not
be satisfactorily answered by the Captain of the "Meteor."
Keeping the "Libertad" under observation by means of their powerful
binoculars the officers of the "Meteor" saw the Valderian craft
alight at less than half a mile from the outskirts of the town. She
did not remain long. Almost skimming along the ground, like a snake
crawling stealthily through the grass, she turned westward.
Although the "Meteor" could not adopt offensive methods over
Brazilian territory, there was now no further need of concealment.
She could follow the "Libertad" relentlessly, keeping her in view
until she crossed the border. Then she would act promptly and
decisively.
Swooping downwards, but still maintaining a superior elevation, the
"Meteor" began to chase. With her motors running "all out" she slowly
yet surely overhauled her prey, till a sudden spurt on the part of
the "Libertad" announced the fact that she had sighted her pursuer,
and was putting on extra speed.
Mile after mile the two airships tore at a terrific rate. On board
the "Meteor" the bomb-dropping gear was made ready, and the light
quick-firers manned. But even had Whittinghame wished to open fire
upon the enemy, the speed at which the "Meteor" was travelling put
that out of the question, until the "Libertad" was overhauled
sufficiently for the British craft's guns to be trained abeam. Nor
could the machine guns on the promenade deck be worked. No man could
stand to serve them in the howling gale that swept past the rapidly
moving vessel.
On the other hand Durango could make use of the two after guns on the
"Libertad" without risk. To open the bow-ports of the "Meteor" meant
serious damage both to the structure of the hull and to her crew,
unless the speed were materially reduced.
The Captain of the "Libertad" cared not one jot for international
rights now that he was on his way back to Valderia. He opened fire
upon the "Meteor," two shells fitted with time-fuses screeching past
the huge flimsy target and bursting three hundred yards astern.
"This won't do," remarked Whittinghame calmly. "We cannot afford to
be potted without chance of replying."
He turned and gave a brief order. The elevating planes and an
addition of ultra-hydrogen resulted in the "Meteor" quickly bouncing
up another two thousand feet. Her Captain's plan was to gain an
important advantage in altitude and continue to overhaul the
"Libertad." He would thus have what corresponded to the weather-gauge
in old-time frigate actions.
In the excitement of the chase the hours sped quickly--so quickly
that Whittinghame uttered an exclamation of surprise when Dacres
announced that the frontier was passed and that the "Meteor" was
above Valderian territory.
"Are you quite sure?" he asked.
"Of course, sir, I couldn't obtain an absolutely correct reading on
account of the motion and the slight refraction of the glass
scuttles," replied Dacres. "But I am quite convinced that, allowing a
margin of safety, we are between twenty and thirty miles over the
dividing-line."
"There are the Sierras," announced Setchell, pointing to a row of
snow-topped peaks. "If the 'Libertad' doesn't begin to ascend, she'll
have a stiff climb."
"We have her right enough," said Whittinghame, rubbing his hands
gleefully. "We have her. Before she can ascend sufficiently to clear
those peaks we'll have overhauled her."
"Unless she finds a pass between the mountains," added Dr. Hambrough,
who, in his shirt-sleeves, was going through the contents of an
ambulance-chest.
Nearer and nearer drew the formidable chain of peaks. Both airships
were continually ascending, but it was quite apparent to the crew of
the "Meteor" that unless the "Libertad" rose at a fairly steep angle
she would never clear the summit. Even if she attempted it her speed
must be greatly retarded, during which time the "Meteor" would have
overlapped her antagonist.
Suddenly the Valderian airship ported her helm, slowing down as she
did so. Whittinghame instantly ordered the "Meteor's" motors to be
stopped.
"She means to show fight!" he exclaimed.
Once again Durango had gained the better position by skilful
manoeuvring. Owing to the great difference in height the "Meteor's"
bombs stood little chance of hitting the target, immense though it
was. She was provided with only two quick-firing guns that could be
trained immediately beneath her; while the six weapons on vertical
mountains on the "Libertad's" upper platform could be brought into
play.
"The cunning sweep!" ejaculated Whittinghame.
Round swung the "Meteor," then, plunging steeply, she made off at
full speed at right angles to her former course, until she was barely
two hundred feet above the height of her antagonist.
The craft were now seven thousand yards apart. Each, when viewed from
the other, resembled a thin dark line against the deep blue sky.
It was a long range, but Whittinghame decided to try his luck. The
five broadside quick-firers spoke simultaneously. No reply came from
the "Libertad," which now set off as fast as she could towards the
mountains.
Evidently Durango was adopting Fabian tactics. Whittinghame muttered
angrily. He had been out-witted by their manoeuvres and had lost the
advantage of altitude which he had hitherto possessed.
Ten minutes later the "Libertad" vanished from sight behind a
precipitous bluff in the mountains. Evidently the pilot of the
Valderian airship knew of a means of escape. He had taken her into
one of the deep gorges that penetrate these stupendous walls of rock.
Well it was that the Captain of the "Meteor" had not ordered the
upper deck guns to be manned. There was, in consequence, no delay
while the promenade-deck was being cleared.
At half-speed the "Meteor" again stood in pursuit of her rival.
A hundred miles an hour is a dangerous pace to navigate an airship
between mountainous walls, but Whittinghame was not to be denied.
What the "Libertad" could do, he would do--and more. Even then, he
argued that if the pursued maintained her utmost rate of speed she
would be practically out of sight before the "Meteor" emerged from
the narrow valley. At all costs the "Libertad" must be brought to bay
ere she reached Naocuanha.
Whittinghame now realized that, with true British contempt of
foreigners, he had underrated the capabilities of his rival. He
resolved, with bulldog tenacity, to carry on, heedless of risks.
On the other hand Reno Durango never thought for one moment that the
"Meteor" would follow the "Libertad" through the mountain pass. He
fully expected that his rival would laboriously climb to a height
sufficient to enable him to cross the snow-clad range. By that time
the "Libertad" would be under the cover of the guns of Naocuanha.
Acting under this supposition the Mexican ordered speed to be reduced
during the passage of the gorge, and at a bare fifty miles an hour
the "Libertad" entered the gloomy defile. On either hand the cliffs
towered almost vertically to a height of two thousand feet; above
this the mountainside rose with less declivity until it reached far
above the snow-line. The pass itself averaged two hundred yards in
width, and, although winding, its curves were gradual enough to allow
the thousand odd feet of airship to be manoeuvred with comparative
ease.
"Steady on your helm, Callaghan," cautioned Whittinghame as the
"Meteor" swung round the projecting bluff.
With every nerve on the alert the crew of the pursuing craft stood at
their posts, those for'ard half-expecting to see their rival brought
up to bar their way, those aft, unable to use their powers of vision,
trusting implicitly in the energy and skill of their young commander.
Ahead lay the narrow gorge, desolate, forbidding and withal majestic.
There were no signs of the "Libertad."
Bend after bend was negotiated in safety. In four minutes the
"Meteor" traversed the pass, then, to the surprise of her officers,
they found the "Libertad" waiting broadside on, at a distance of less
than half a mile.
Nor was the dramatic appearance of the "Meteor" as she suddenly
emerged from between the lofty mountain range any the less surprising
to Durango and his crew. So intent were they in watching the peaks of
the Sierras that for the moment they could scarce believe their eyes.
That the "Libertad" meant to fight was evident from the fact that she
had slackened speed and had hoisted Valderian colours from an ensign
staff at the after end of her upper deck.
Before the "Meteor's" guns could open fire a fusillade of musketry
and a broadside from the guns on the upper deck of the hostile
airship woke the silence of the valley. The British craft reeled,
then, several of her ballonettes pierced through and through, she
began to drop vertically through space.
As Whittinghame sprang to the emergency lever for charging the
reserve sub-sections to the full capacity, a shout from his
companions attracted his attention. Thrusting down the metal rod he
turned to follow the direction of Dacres' outstretched arm.
The "Libertad" was turning turtle.
Slowly, but with increasing speed she rolled over to port, till the
whole extent of her upper deck sloped at an angle of sixty degrees.
Her guns broke from their mountings and went crashing through the
light metal stanchions into the depths. Men, frantically struggling
to keep a foothold or clinging to the railings, slipped off her
aluminium deck to a swift yet awful death in the vast abyss below.
Still falling she turned on her longitudinal axis till she described
a complete semi-circle. All the while her propellers were driving her
ahead. The horizontal planes, that in her normal position would tend
to make her ascend, now acted in a totally opposite direction. She
was descending rapidly under her own power rather than the force of
gravity towards the earth.
Spellbound and too enthralled to notice the injuries to their own
craft the crew of the "Meteor" watched the scene of disaster, till,
with a crash, accompanied by the hiss of the escaping ultra-hydrogen,
the bows of the "Libertad" plunged into a thick clump of mountain
pine-trees. For a few seconds the wreckage hung in an oblique
position, then, the framework slowly collapsing, the Valderian
airship finished her brief career upon the unsympathetic soil of her
native land.
"Good heavens!" ejaculated the doctor, breaking the tense silence.
Strong nerved though he was and used to the scientific horrors of the
operating room, the appalling tragedy made him feel giddy and sick.
Whittinghame moved to the telephone.
"Stand by to anchor," he ordered coolly. Then turning to his
companions: "There is no time to be lost; we must repair damages and
investigate the wreck. Since there is no sign of fire, we may be able
to recover the plans intact."